RATT – April 20th – The Key Club – Hollywood, CA
So I get to the Rainbow Bar & Grill to meet up with the employees that invited me to see RATT next door at the Key Club. While I’m waiting, I see two of the most tragic stereotypes comes to life. I wish I had a picture, but its really not needed. You know the history of the Rainbow, right when you walk in, to your left is the like the table right in front of the fireplace. It’s almost like a display for famewhores to flaunt, something right out of a movie. I’m standing there waiting, and there is this dude that is cartoonish in his that guy status. He’s sitting at the big table, alone wearing those silly goggles/shades, over 50, overweight and has ordered a spread for 10 people, including several bottles of Dom Perignon. He’s looking at me, and I think he was about to ask me to sit down, just so he would have someone to share it with. The other was the cigar-chomping, morbidly obese guy that only talks to one person, and then that person handles all his needs. Silly really.
Ok so, this is RATT’s first show on the Strip in in 20 years?, because they have gone on to fame and fortune and they are slumming it now, or doing that, giving it back to where they came from thing? Hardly, if you know their story than you know that they have been in pieces for most of that time, and their heyday long surpassed. But I have to give it to them, this reeked of legitimacy. Instead of playing the where are they now? fest down the road, just doing the hits, this was a release party/show for a new record, Infestation, that is actually pretty good. Meaning, it doesn’t sound like RATT 2010, its sounds just like RATT did in 1984, which is pretty impressive feat. And get this, fucking money was spent, a full billboard, and press line, and a sold out show. This was about as back as this band is gonna get.
You get the impression that singer Steven Pearcy has zero self-awareness, as who’s idea was the press line? Probably his, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them when they walked down it outside the venue and their were all of five people taking photos, and four of them were wives/girlfriends taking pictures with disposable cameras, pretty embarrassing.
Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot has replaced deceased guitarist, Robin Crosby, and they came out guns-a-blazing.
After the show we went back to the Rainbow and it was insanely packed. In the smaller bar downstairs I run into these two girls that were standing in front of me at the show that were dressed like anime characters. They recognize me too, and we start talking. One of them is so wasted that I was kinda frightened of her, but the other one was pretty sober and ok. The sober one for whatever coincidental reason starts talking about the band Clutch, and telling me she is dating the merch guy, unbeknown to her my relationship with the band. So I said “you mean Shawn?” – and she was startled like “how do you know that?” – so we kinda bonded and we all hung out at the Rainbow until closing, then we went to the famous Denny’s on La Cienga, and then finally I made it back down the canyon and home safe.