By Mitch Lafon

RATT has had its share of ups and downs since the halcyon days of the ‘80s Sunset Strip scene, but 2010 has been simply incredible for the band. First, they released the brilliant hard-rocking album, Infestation, that garnered almost unanimous praise and positive reviews and then they hit the road with hard rock icons the Scorpions while also headlining shows across the globe. You’d think with all that success and hard work, lead singer Stephen Pearcy would welcome their upcoming break in the schedule to get re-acquainted with his California home, but no. As the Ratt machine winds down for 2010, Pearcy is prepping albums by bands signed to his Top Fuel Records label, is planning a new outfit tentatively called BATTERING RAMM, is hoping to record a new solo album (that he wrote while on the road this summer) and will be hitting the road with his RAT BASTARDS solo band (playing the best of ARCADE, RATT, VICIOUS DELITE and more). BraveWords.com sat down with Pearcy recently to discuss his future plans.

BraveWords.com: What’s next for Ratt?

Stephen Pearcy: “First, we have to finish the few dates we have left on the table and we did some filming a couple of nights back for our next single, ‘Eat Me Up Alive’. It’ll be a live montage kind of video and then I have to take care of some unfinished business with the band and me. After, that I’m off and running doing some solo stuff and a new project. I’m also going to get the label (Top Fuel Records) in gear and get the RIOT BRIDES back in the studio. Their EP is out and the girls are selling some records.”

BraveWords.com: Now, that you are back in Ratt is Stephen Pearcy solo finished or on hiatus?

Pearcy: “No, I’m just starting. Like I said, I have some unfinished business with the band because as usual it’s complicated and dysfunctional. Things just didn’t fall into place and I’ve left my options open. So, I’ll continue to pursue my solo stuff and do another solo record, but first and foremost I’m a guitar player and I’m going to be putting together a band/ project tentatively called BATTERING RAMM. The stuff that I’m writing for this project along with Rat Bastard guitarist Erik Ferentinos is way heavy and ass-kicking, but I won’t be singing (which will probably make some people happy {laughs}). I’ll only play guitar. I’ll get a singer, some established players and we’ll put out some songs.”

BraveWords.com: I’m sure that will make a lot of people unhappy actually.

Pearcy: “I’ll still go out and shake it up with the Rat Bastards and sing. That’s not going to stop. In fact, I already have a few dates posted. I plan on spending months and months with these things (projects). I’m real excited about getting the Top Fuel Records projects going. I’ve been writing Ratt songs since day one and the EP was my early MICKEY RATT music. So, I’ve got a new Mickey Ratt compilation coming out later this year which will lead, hopefully, into a new solo record and then there will be the Battering Ramm record. The music for that is insane – it’s Vicious Delite meets my solo stuff meets hard core Ratt meets new music all into one. Like I said, it’ll be ass-kicking.”

BraveWords.com: That’s great news. A lot of bands (BON JOVI for example), as they’ve gotten older, have toned it down and become all “ballad-y”, but not you. You’ve only gotten harder and darker. Will you be giving up the ‘metal’ anytime soon?

Stephen Pearcy: “Oh, no. No no no, especially when I have the opportunity to play guitar and Battering Ramm will be a hardcore project. I’ll put out the Battering Ramm record and we’ll see where it goes. If it gets to be a band after the recording; it’ll be a five piece metal assault.”

BraveWords.com: How does this work in with the Ratt schedule? There’s obviously going to be another album and tour in 2011, right?

Stephen Pearcy: “We’ll see what happens. I’m not looking at that right now. I just want to finish up and take a break. I want to get my health together. I’m still not 100%. I’m not jumping off the risers just yet and to sing after a hernia surgery is a whole painstaking thing.”

BraveWords.com: Still you managed to get the SCORPIONS dates done.

Stephen Pearcy: “We had a great tour with them. We jammed with them the last night and it was very very cool. They are just the utmost professionals and hopefully they won’t retire. There is chatter of doing more stuff, but I just want to finish up the Ratt stuff for now. There seems to be different agendas. I came back into the fold to take care of business first and foremost. I’m very happy with the new record (Infestation) and it’s still selling very well. Carlos (Cavazo – ex-QUIET RIOT) and I unleashed the first two singles (‘Best Of Me’ and ‘Eat Me Up Alive’).”

BraveWords.com: Carlos is an incredible addition to the band.

Stephen Pearcy: “He’s perfect. He’s a great great guy. He’s a total pro who just wants to play and he CAN play. He’s got the freedom to play and we’re getting back to that Robbin (Crosby - late guitarist)/Warren (DeMartini) lead solo stuff that we haven’t done in ages. That’s a big plus and I look forward to a lot of good things, but there’s also a lot of things I don’t look forward to in Ratt that it’s become redundant.”

BraveWords.com: Let me ask you about the down side of Ratt. I don’t want to get too negative, but your drummer, Bobby Blotzer, just released a book…

Stephen Pearcy: “Is that what you call it {laughs}?)”

BraveWords.com: It’s a ‘collection of words’ and some of things that were said in it… well, it might have been a good idea to wait until the band had broken up for good or maybe make sure you’ve out lived your band mates…

Stephen Pearcy: “I’ll keep a lot of things to myself ‘cause I don’t need to give that book any more attention than it deserves. I’ve been working on something called Rat Tales (which is still on the table) and lo and behold Tales Of Rat by Bobby Blotzer comes out. It’s not too original, but anyways. There are some things that I find very misleading and he speaks for us on some things that are so far from the truth. He spent a lot of time out there devoted to his agenda and should have taken care of the Ratt agenda instead.”

BraveWords.com: It did seem like bad timing to be focusing on a personal book when you’ve just reunited with your original singer and had a killer new album come out.

Stephen Pearcy: “Well, you know how it works and it was quite upsetting to a few of us including the fans at the meet n' greets.”

BraveWords.com: The record business is so hard these days. You can’t be out there promoting you’re new reality TV series or book or whatever when you have a new record out. It just doesn’t work. You have to focus on just selling the album…

Stephen Pearcy: “Like I said, I don’t need to be giving the book any attention, but I can say that he doesn’t know our personal… He doesn’t know my personal financial status. For him to speak about it or people that were never enemies of the band… It was disheartening to say the least.”

BraveWords.com: Let’s move on… Ratt’s first ever live album is coming out in Japan on September 22nd, but it’s wrapped up in mystery…

Stephen Pearcy: “We knew something was coming out, but I don’t know if it’s going to go back to the days of Robbin and Juan (Croucier - former bassist) or now. It’s a surprise to some of us.”

BraveWords.com: It’s going to be great… Will it be released in other territories?

Stephen Pearcy: “As far as I know it won’t be or at least not right now. That’s what I meant before, there are a lot of things as far as I’m concerned that aren’t properly in place or haven’t been in place since I got back (in the band). There needs to be a whole restructuring of a lot of things before I’m comfortable back in MY band. I’d rather take care of my brand and my business. I can live with my legacy. I don’t need to stroke it every ten minutes to prove I’m in Ratt or what I’ve done. It’s in the ‘books’ so to speak. There are a lot of things that aren’t as straight ahead or taken care of to my liking just to be comfortable yet. I’m looking forward to a break (from Ratt). I’ve been writing everyday out there (on the road) and I’m ready to go with new solo stuff with the Rat Bastards and Battering Ramm (which will be insane). I’ll be playing guitar and we’ve got some great songs. Will we do another Ratt record? I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”

In the meantime, Pearcy ends by saying that he’s looking for a new agent and entertaining new management, writing like a madman and will be announcing more solo tour dates soon.

To find out what’s happening with Pearcy visit: Stephen-pearcy.com and Topfuelrecords.com.

Upcoming Stephen Pearcy solo dates include:

October

28 - The Cube - Newark, DE
29 - Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA
30 - Deerfoot Casino - Calgary, AB