Q: You continue to have an incredible career having written and recorded songs that are soundtracks to people’s lives. Looking back, what has surprised you most in your career? Stephen Pearcy (SP): I don’t remember a single thing from 10 years of arena tours [laughs]! Nah, I do remember Madison Square Garden. Looking back now, I’m blown away by how sincere the fans are—especially when I do meet-and-greets. Forget just having Ratt tattoos or whatever, they’re bringing their kids and, sometimes, their grandkids. It means so much to them, and it means so much to me. When you think about it, many of these people have survived just like we have. There aren’t many OGs around, but God bless them. These days, I appreciate it more than ever. I see what hard rock, hair metal, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it has turned into and where it is, and it’s not going anywhere. It’s forever here! If you say, “Hair Metal,” you think of a few bands right away—Ratt, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard. I’m having a great time. When you’re in it, you don’t think about it. For the fans who grew up with “Hair Metal,” it was such a huge part of their lives, and it helped them through things. It’s a trip to have that responsibility and be a part of someone’s life to this capacity. We were lucky to write songs that were hits at the time. Nowadays, “Hair Metal” is a stigma, but I embrace it because I know the business of it. A few of my peers like Dee Snider and Warrant also embrace it for what it is and respect it. I guess I’m surprised by our survival too. A lot of us didn’t learn how to survive. On behalf of the guys like me who are still hanging out and fortunate enough to have success, I’m thrilled and very grateful. Q: You’ve just been invited to perform on a stadium tour with two other bands. Who would you want them to be and why? (SP): Aerosmith! In the eighties, Joe Perry jammed with us in Worcester, MA. We were like, “Holy fuck, it’s Joe Perry! He’s playing Warren’s guitar!” The second band would be Van Halen. Maybe it’s not well-known, but Ed and I were really good friends. We go way back. When they did their first album, I saw their shit and took notes. I thought, “This is what you do—Gazzari’s, the Whisky, the Palladium, and the Forum.” If you were smart, watching Van Halen was a 101 class. When I saw Van Halen, I just went “Holy shit!” For me, it was like the first time I saw Led Zeppelin—who I had the privilege to see three times. On the stadium tour you asked about, it would be Ratt opening, Van Halen, and then Aerosmith. Ratt actually did one Van Halen show. It was an outdoor gig about two years before Ed went down. I hounded them from day one though, “Hey, can my band play?” Of course not [Laughs]. Q: Have you ever had one of those ridiculous “Spinal Tap” moments in your career and can you describe it?
(SP): Oh God, I think of the Spinal Tap scene, “Hello, Cleveland!” It’s funny, man. That one has happened to me at every fucking gig—probably even in the last month [Laughs]. When you get going, you don’t really know where you’re at. Personally, I don’t like to see the stage until I’m on it. I’m always asking, “Where are we going? What elevator? What hotel?”
###
ABOUT STEPHEN PEARCY The founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT led the band to mega multi-platinum success from 1984-1991, while garnering critical acclaim for his performances, style, and uniquely salacious vocals. Throughout RATT’s nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records. Beyond his acclaim in RATT, Pearcy explored other areas of interest: he’s a New York Times Best Selling author with his SEX, DRUGS, RATT ‘n’ ROLL… My Life in Rock” autobiography; RATT & Mickey RATT songs have been featured in films (Academy Award winner The Wrestler, Point Break, Weird Science, The Golden Child) and television (Emmy Award-winning Stranger Things, Wicked City, Cobra Kai, The Goldbergs, Young Sheldon); he created Arcade with Cinderella’s drummer, Fred Coury; starred in the Cult Horror Classic, “Camp Utopia” with Pearcy playing the notorious camp slasher and cult leader, Timothy Bach. WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | 
No comments:
Post a Comment