Ratt
Irving Plaza
New York City, New York
May 10, 2010
Tony Pijar
Ratt rolled into New York City on a pleasant Monday evening. As people bustled around outside the venue, the final preparations were upon completion inside as the final strains of the opening band’s sound check filled the air. Finally, people were aloud to filter in and prepare for a night of Ratt ‘N’ Roll. For a Monday evening the crowd was of respectable size and the band, as they hit the stage, seemed in good spirits.
They opened with three of their more impacting numbers in “You’re in Love”, the Van Halen-esque “Lay it Down”, and to me the best song they’ve ever penned in “Lack of Communication” with its insistently catchy riff. The first of four new songs from the excellent “Infestation” album was aired - “Take a Big Bite”, which is a slice of L.A. metal at its best; again, very concise and catchy. The average, “I want a Woman” and “Slip of the Lip” demonstrated the band’s more banal, clichéd moments. The monster track of the new release is “Eat me up Alive” which is over the top metal – more metal than anything else the band has ever done – simply superb, especially when belted out in the live setting. “Lovin’ you’ is a Dirty Job” and another new composition, “Last Call”, too, hit the spot.
While Stephen Pearcy seemed a bit lackluster, Warren DiMartini was, as always, class personified with the requisite chops, but ex-Quiet Riot man Carlos Cavazo, a superb axeman in his own right, was relegated to the background for much of the show. He stayed tucked away stage left and only stepped out to center stage with infrequency to play a paucity of leads. They really should push Cavazo’s talents more to the forefront. “Best of Me and “A Little too Much” from “Infestation”, along with set stables “Way Cool Junior”, “Wanted Man”, You Think you’re Tough, and “Round and Round” concluded an all to brief set. With a vast back catalogue, surely the band could have thrown in a few more numbers; could’ve made a good evening a great one.
