Daniel MacMaster of Bonham : Holding on Forever

A Tribute to Daniel MacMaster

by John Kindred
Staff Writer

Daniel MacMaster
(July 11, 1968 — March 3, 2008)

Daniel MacMaster, born in Barre, Ontarion, Cananda, in 1968, tasted success in the late ’80s as the vocalist for Jason Bonham’s band Bonham. Bonham released two albums: The Disregard of Timekeeping in 1989 (which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard charts) and 1992′s Mad Hatter. The Disregard of Timekeeping, produced by the acclaimed Bob Ezrin, went gold and delivered the band two hit singles, “Wait For You” and “Guilty.” The success that followed kept the band on the road touring and promoting The Disregard of Timekeeping for three years before returning to the studio to record Mad Hatter.

Prior to joining Bonham, MacMaster was in the band Scorcher, a Blues-based hard rock outfit. The band only recorded one studio album, No Thanks, which was released two years after Mad Hatter in 1994. Read more

LIVE! : Stephen Pearcy and Sin City Sinners

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

April 25, 2011 at Crown Theater in Las Vegas, NV.

The Monday night concert series is kicking into high gear, as The Crown Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas was turned into an ’80s rock haven as Stephen Pearcy and Sin City Sinners took the stage for an explosive Monday night set on April 25.

Kicking off the nights festivities were the Vegas rebels Sin City Sinners. Comprised of prominent musicians including Brent Muscat, X- Faster Pussycat and Mike “The Doc” Ellis, tonight’s performance also featured Lou Merlino from Beggars and Thieves on vocals and former Aerosmith guitarist Jimmy Crespo from Beggars and Thieves. This was my first time seeing Sin City Sinners perform and I was not disappointed. The band has a unique way of turning cover tunes into their own. Their high-energy performance set the tone for a fabulous night of music. Highlight of the set included “Here I Go Again”, and “Train Kept A Rollin” by Aerosmith and a great rendition of Faster Pussycat hit “House Of Pain.”

Although the band does a great job on cover tunes, the song that really impressed me was their original “Going To Vegas” sung by Doc Ellis. This tune describes it all. The fast paced lifestyle and excitement that generates from the band. Sin City Sinners exemplify the best in what Vegas nightlife has to offer. Established musicians playing their heart out every night to their dedicated following.

Anticipation filled the air, as one of the ’80s most iconic rock vocalists was set to take the stage. It was announced earlier this month at Hardrock Haven news section that Stephen Pearcy will be taking it to the road this summer for Metal In America. Warming up for the tour, Stephen decided to do a few solo dates prior to the tour and Vegas was lucky enough to be one of the cities on the bill.

Taking the stage with a vengeance, Stephen Pearcy took full command unleashing hit after hit including “You’re In Love”, “Lay It Down”, and “Wanted Man.” Comprised of Stephen Pearcy on vocals, Mike Duda on bass, Erik Ferentinos on guitar, Greg Walls on guitar, and Greg D’Angelo on drums, the momentum of the band never let up. Over the years, RATT ruled the charts with hit after hit with their infectious RATT and Roll bluesy kind of vibe. Tonight after 25 years, every song that the RATT bastard himself Stephen Pearcy performed still sounded amazing. Stephen was having a great time onstage. He commented,” I don’t care if I perform to 100 people or 10,000, I came to play.” The band gave an outstanding performance.

One of highlights of the night was the jam section on “Walking The Dog.” Stephen has always had kind of a bluesy rock vocal style and this Aerosmith cover surely fit the bill. The energy of the show that sparked the show was flawless. The audience sang along to “Back For More” and did not want the night to end as the final notes of “Round And Round” resonated through the speakers. It was great to see such a wide age range in the audience. Not only did the die hard ’80s fans attend, but also spotted were a new generation of RATT and Rollers. It goes to show good music never dies. It only gets better with time. Be sure to check out Metal In America this summer. If tonight’s Stephen Pearcy performance was any indication, you will be in for a rock and roll extravaganza.

RATT LIVE!

August 21st 2010 at Alrosa Villa, Columbus, Ohio

by John McGee
Staff Writer

RATT rolled into Ohio’s capital on a hot August night to a sold-out crowd. You could feel the energy vibrating through the air as the opening band, Dirty Side Down, pumped up the audience with some classic 80’s hits. Dirty Side Down is an incredibly good band to watch perform. This was the right choice for an opening act. After the opening band played a set lasting about 45 minutes RATT finally took the stage. This was their first appearance at the Alrosa Villa since 1997 when they played with LA Guns. Needless to say Columbus, Ohio was geared up to see them play.

As the stage filled with smoke Warren DeMartini’s guitar was ablaze with the opening lick of “You’re In Love”. The crowd erupted; a true sign that RATT N’ ROLL had undeniably returned. Never stopping RATT played straight into “Lay it Down”. Only as the final notes reverberated through the room did Stephen Pearcy finally say “Columbus Ohio how the hell are you?!”

RATT reached down into the cellar and came back with the song “Lack of Communication” before moving into “Take a Big Bite” the first of four songs off the band’s new album Infestation. RATT continued to pull out the hits from their earlier releases. The songs included “I Want a Woman”, “Slip of the Lip”, “Loving You is a Dirty Job” and “Back for More”.

Having seen the band during their heyday I can confidently say that they can still put on one hell of a show! Stephen Pearcy is still one the best front men in Rock and Roll; proving once and for all that he is the voice of RATT. Having proven in the 80’s that he was a guitar-God; Warren DeMartini still continues to astonish his fans with his guitar prowess. Carlos Cavazo, the newest member of the RATT PACK, seamlessly slid into the 2nd guitar position sharing guitar solos and limelight with DeMartini as if they had been doing it for years. The rhythm section powered by Bobby Blotzer and Robbie Crane was like that of a well -oiled machine.

In this photographer’s opinion there were many highlights of this unbelievable show. The most memorable being when RATT performed their encore of “Round and Round” and the crowd went insane singing along and pumping their fists in the air. Overall this was an amazing show that simply put…rocked. RATT once again showed that they have never lost their touch. This band still has what it takes to perform to another sold-out crowd thirteen years later.
Side note: If you were unable to catch one of RATT’s shows on this tour you really don’t know what you missed.

Set List:
You’re in Love
Lay it Down
Lack of Communication
Take a Big Bite
I Want a Woman
Slip of the Lip
Loving You is a Dirty Job
Last Call
Best of Me
Back for More
Nobody Rides for Free
Way Cool Jr.
Wanted Man
Morning After
Round and Round
Eat Me Up Alive

Photos courtesy of John McGee

RATT LIVE!

May 10, 2010 at Irving Plaza, New York, NY.

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

After a lengthy recording hiatus and a slew of lineup changes that eventually resulted in the core members reconciling, Ratt are finally back in action with an excellent new album, Infestation, and a tour to back it. Still in its early days, stop number five brought the band to NYC, and though they may not have the ’80s power to fill Madison Square Garden, the tightly-packed crowd at Irving Plaza certainly let it be known that there’s no shortage of Ratt-hungry metal fans in the Big Apple.

Opening act September Mourning was a very strange choice for the event, as they are little more than a Hot Topic-swathed, pseudo metal/industrial gang of Marilyn Manson worshipers. Having recently completed a tour with the aforementioned Manson, one would expect them to be, at the very least, a bit tighter as a band, but instead their performance felt more like an outtake from a high school talent show. The only beacon of hope for the band is lead vocalist Emily Lazar, whose presence and talent save the band from being totally forgettable. It would do her well to attempt something a bit more original if she intends to reach true heights of celebrity. Regardless, whoever chose September Mourning as an opening act for Ratt needs some serious therapy.

After a reasonably fast set change, the lights went down, and the main event began. Kicking things off with back-to-back Invasion of Your Privacy tracks “You’re In Love” and “Lay It Down,” it was as if the time machine to the days of metal radio dominance had been turned on. Things continued down the flashback highway with classics from all of Ratt’s classic releases (save 1999′s self-titled error in judgment), though the set tended to stay on the main road, never really diverging into rarely heard, deep album cuts. It would have been great to hear a long unplayed gem such as “Got Me On The Line” or “One Good Lover.” But alas, it was not to be.

The biggest set changes came, unsurprisingly, in the form of tracks from Infestation. Four new songs were played, including single “Best of Me,” and the best track they’ve done in 20 years, “Eat Me Up Alive.” The tracks worked well in the live environment, and easily blended in—stylistically and quality-wise—with the rest of the set list. It was at least nice to see the guys steer clear of the Kiss idea of almost completely avoiding new material live.

Considering the slew of great songs the band chose to include, and the fact that they played them excellently (with the exception of Pearcy avoiding many of the higher vocal parts), it was quite surprising that the show had very little overall energy. The band did not seem exceedingly excited to be there, and most of the time it appeared everyone was just going through the motions rather than giving it their all. Perhaps it was the small stage, or just the band being a little older, but they definitely lacked the power that took them to the top of the charts in their heyday.

As noted, technically, most everything was top-notch. Warren Demartini did a stellar job of bouncing between shred-worthy solos and blues-heavy jamming. Shockingly, however, it was recently-recruited guitarist Carlos Cavazzo that truly stole the show. A true fretboard master, each solo seemed a perfect balance of speed and melody, and on newer tracks, such as the previously noted “Eat Me Up Alive,” it appeared that Warren took a back seat to let Carlos go wild. It was nice to see the solo limelight shared, but also seemed a bit odd for Warren allow himself to be overshadowed.

Overall, Ratt’s performance was solid, albeit little uninspired. Former Hanoi Rocks front-man Michael Monroe had performed in New York the night before, and his performance was incredibly energetic and over-the-top, a far cry from Ratt’s general lethargy. Coming from almost the exact same time period, it seems Ratt have no excuse for not turning up the energy level a few notches. But pumped-up or not, Ratt are clearly still capable of delivering the goods, even they come in a more laid-back package.

Set List (in a rough semblance of order):
You’re In Love
Lay It Down
Lack of Communication
I Want A Woman
Lovin’ You’s A Dirty Job
Slip of the Lip
Nobody Rides For Free
Back For More
Way Cool, Jr.
Wanted Man
Take a Big Bite
Eat Me Up Alive
Last Call
You Think You’re Tough
Best of Me
Round and Round

Ratt Infestation

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

“You drive me crazy, and you’re all I need. There’s no one better, when you’re on your knees …” That’s right — Ratt is back! While a serious number of ‘80s bands — like Great White, Dokken, Motley Crue, Scorpions, KEEL, etc. — have released new music over the past year, none of them have dove headfirst into where they came from with the same unfettered abandon as Ratt’s new release, Infestation. This sounds like Ratt; it sounds like a mixture of Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy. It’s unapologetic Hard Rock that exudes the same level of sleaze and guitar heroics as Ratt did decades ago, and it might even be better.

In an interview with Hardrock Haven, lead singer Stephen Pearcy noted that the reason Infestation sounds like Ratt’s hit songs of old is because Ratt wrote all their multiplatinum hits — they didn’t use any outside songwriters but composed everything in-house. In fact, Ratt added an amazing guitarist and songwriter in Carlos Cavazo, who helped pen the debut single, “Best of Me.”

“Eat Me Up Alive” is the opening track, and if you didn’t miss Warren DeMartini’s riffs, then you are not a true music fan. With the entire music industry evolving around them, Ratt’s music is an uncanny surgical strike; they know exactly what their fans want to hear and they don’t give a damn about popular music. That’s exactly what you get on “Eat Me Up Alive.” Pearcy’s vocals snarl and sneer, melodic yet somewhat edgy, and it’s the perfect way to begin Infestation.

Their single and video is for the track “Best of Me.” This is by far the most radio-friendly track on the album, and it is similar to a past hit “What’s It Gonna Be.” Ratt’s ability to be both sincere and flagrantly base has to impress everyone. When you hear Pearcy croon, “You said you wouldn’t see me ‘til you got your wedding dress,” followed by the bubbly backing vocals, it works. The buoyant backing vocals during the chorus don’t sound cheesy, even though they should. It’s just a damn fine Hard Rock pop hit.

Stripper anthems are something Ratt excels at, and “Look Out Below” can certainly make you want to remove various articles of clothing. The entire track is one huge groove and grind, and the lyrics, like “She’s a devil, and I like that ass,” let you know Ratt didn’t really clean up their act, even if they announced they’d try back in “Best of Me.”

The song “Lost Weekend’s” riff will remind you of “Lack of Communication” just for a couple seconds; yes, it’s that good. DeMartini and Cavalos are two of the best guitarists the genre has ever produced, and to have them on the same team should be illegal.

Personalities abound in Ratt, and Bobby Blotzer makes his presence felt on every song, especially the thundering beginning to “Take Me Home.” It’s one of the slower songs on Infestation, though, so Blotzer tempers the pounding with more deft fills in some passages. “Take Me Home” highlights Pearcy’s voice, shoving it out front of the music and allowing him to lead with his distinct voice. After all years, Pearcy sounds as strong as ever.

“Don’t Let Go” closes Infestation, a manic, hyper rocker with Blotzer going off, and Cavalos and DeMartini trading solos and leads. Ratt’s music, for some reason, has always been one of those bands you can hear a track once or twice and sing along with it, almost word for word. Everything is a hook, everything is catchy, and that describes everything on Infestation.

Ratt, one of the founders of the whole ‘80s Glam/Hard Rock movement, and their new album are proof that you can go home again, even if your home is an alcohol-fueled den of musical iniquity. Infestation doesn’t just meet and exceed expectations; it gnaws the hell out of them and announces Ratt isn’t just on top of their game — they are the only game in town.

Online: http://store.roadrunnerrecords.com/RATT-Infestation  

Track listing:
01. Eat Me Up Alive
02. Best of Me
03. A Little Too Much
04. Look Out Below
05. Last Call
06. Lost Weekend
07. As Good as it Gets
08. Garden of Ede
09. Take a Big Bite
10. Take Me Home
11. Don’t Let Go

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Stephen Pearcy of Ratt

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their rabid new release Infestation; what it was like adding guitarist Carlos Cavazo (ex-Quiet Riot) to the mix; writing and recording new Ratt music again; the single and video for “Best of Me;” downloading in today’s scene; upcoming tour plans; and a whole lot more.

Ratt was one of the founders of the ’80s Hard Rock Glam/Sleaze movement, and their new studio album with Pearcy back in the band somehow feels like he never left. Tune in to the interview now, and pick up Infestation immediately thereafter!

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Ratt Live!

August 29, 2009 at the The Wolf Den in Mohegan, CONN.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

RATT proved they are “Back For More” on their Out Of The Cellar Tour at a recent sold out appearance in The Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut on Aug. 29. Many fans were turned away from the free show that featured ’80s platinum recording artist RATT in a rare upclose and personal setting.

RATT featuring Stephen Pearcy on vocals, Bobby Blotzer on drums, Warren Demartini on guitar, Carlos Cavazo on guitar and bassist Robbie Crane performed a vast array of many of the classic RATT hits in a 90 – minute set which included “You Think You’re Tough”, “Wanted Man”, and “Way Cool Junior” before launching into performing their classic hit album Out Of The Cellar in its entirety.

Singer Stephen Pearcy commented to the sold out audience,”We are going to perform Out Of The Cellar for you tonight. Is that OK? I don’t think many of you here tonight were born yet when it was released in 1984. We will be heading back into the studio to finish recording our first album in ten years. It should be out soon. I hope you all buy it.”

Opening with “Tell The World”, RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy held the audience in the palm of his hand. RATT unleashed hit after hit. You really don’t realize what a popular extensive catalog that the band has until you witness the live show. Mostly every song has been heard on FM radio or MTV at one time or another. It was great seeing the band having fun onstage. The Wolf Den is the perfect venue to see a band perform in an upclose setting with perfect acoustics.

The theme of the evening was centered around the guitar solos that Warren Demartini unleashed. Also, Carlos Cavazo is a welcome addition to the band. The rhythm section of drummer Bobby Blotzer and bassist Robbie Crane held down the funky grooves, as guitarist Warren Demartini laid down the bluesy riffs on “Way Cool Junior.”

It was exhilarating to hear Out Of The Cellar performed live. It is quite an accomplishment for a band to be able to perform an album back to back with every song sounding as great as the record with songs that have survived the test of time 25 years later. Highlights of the Out Of The Cellar catalog were “Wanted Man,” “Back For More,” and “Lack of Communication.”

RATT Set List:
Tell The World
I Want A Woman
Nobody Rides For Free
Lay It Down
You’re In Love
Way Cool Jr.
Body Talk
Wanted Man
You’re In Trouble
Back For More
Lack Of Communication
In Your Direction
She Wants Money
The Morning After
I’m Insane
Scene Of The Crime
Round And Round

Photos by Deb Rao.