Ratt
New Haven Agora
New Haven, Connecticut
June, 1984
Ratt was the new Aerosmith back in 1984. The band had just released “Out of the Cellar” and was hot property. They had it all – good looks, good music, that L.A. vibe, and along with Motley Crue were at the cusp of a Sunset Strip meltdown! They hit the stage and looked resplendent in their multi-colored garb. Stephen Pearcy was a lean, mean vocalist with a hell of a lot to prove. And in Warren DiMartini and Robin Crosby (RIP), they had not one but two very capable axemen. Juan Croucier and Bobby Blotzer drove this machine with precision. They opened with “Wanted Man” and the future hits kept coming – “Back for More”, “Round and Round”, and “Lack of Communication.” The “Scene of the Crime” rocked the most as did “In your Direction.” Crosby and DiMartini were on fire; hungry and out to prove to the metal world that they had the requisite chops to go far. The 80s were great to Ratt – the 90s not so much. However, with a resurgence in classic rock and metal, the likes of Ratt are back in business once again, and their latest album, “Infestation”, certainly rams that point home.