Bobby Blotzer of RATT: The Bring Back Glam! Interview
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 12:01AM 
I recently interviewed drummer Bobby Blotzer of RATT for Noisecreep. The topic was his new book, Tales of a RATT: Things You Shouldn't Know. Because I've been known to ask a lot of questions during interviews, I had some content leftover...and I knew you'd love it! By the way - get a copy of Bobby's book: it's a hoot!
Here's some of the leftover transcription:
BBG!: Are you happier now doing more fly-in gigs than a standard tour where you're just living on a bus? I mean, at this point in your life?
Bobby: Well, interesting question because I'm happier in what brings the most commerce to this band. If it means being on a bus for three months, and that makes more income for me, that's what I like. If it's flying – I mean, personally, I don't like leaving home. I mean, I have big beautiful house with a great pool and amazing backyard and my dog and my girlfriend and my cat and people don't realize how... Picture anybody that's reading this can think of it this way: you go on a vacation, you have a great time. But when you get home, you're like, 'Ahh, it just feels so good to be home!' That's the way [I feel]. You're gone for months and you're in and out of a hotel every single day. You just really appreciate your home when you get home. So I like either way. For me, it is a business. I'm there to sell tickets and make people happy by playing.
BBG!: Does it anger you if people consider RATT a nostalgia band - especially now that you have new output that's so good?
Bobby: Consider us a nostalgia band? No, I've never had a – no, because every single person that I know including you I'm guessing goes to a show of the band that they grew up with or whatever and they want to hear the hits. They're like, 'Okay, throw me a couple bones of some new stuff.' But by and large, they want to hear the songs that they go back in time and relate to. That's what makes for a fun night. Even with Paul McCartney. I go to see Paul McCartney and he goes, 'Oh, like we're going to do some new numbers.' And I swear, it's a cue for people to get up and start walking to take a leak. It’s really – especially from somebody like Paul McCartney, who is the top of the food chain in music. It’s like, 'Wow!' If they did it with Paul, they're certainly going to not really want to hear anything from anybody else. So I don't have a problem with that, not at all. I mean, it's my job to please people. If that's what it takes to please them, let’s go.
BBG!: The other part of the book that really stunned me I guess was the part about the Station Nightclub fire. I didn't know you were so close to Jack Russell and the guys in Great White. I mean, it makes sense that everyone was out in L.A. so you had that connection. But it really surprises me how much that that shook up RATT.
Bobby: Well, knowing that everybody in that club was a fan of just not Great White and RATT but every other band that we all dig from the day and whatnot: they're 80's metal people. So it's like, I have personally met I'm sure so many of those people. And whether it was in a club or backstage at a show, or on stage that I'm saying 'Hi' to them on the show. My god, a drum tech for me was in that audience! So for sure that thing still affects me. And it was man... dark, dark, dark days for me after that for a long time. And I've seen Jack and those boys since then and I don't...I mean, there's nothing towards them right now. But it was a little odd at first when that first happened to even contemplate calling to reach out like I could, I wasn't able to do that. And anybody that's reading this that was there that night or that had family, you guys are still in my prayers and in my brain and that will never end in my life. So it's very disturbing.
Read the rest of my chat with Bobby Blotzer soon on Noisecreep.
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