Revamped Lineup To Hit The Road In 2016

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L.A.'s favorite rodents, RATT, have issued an update, a "State Of The Band" message if you will, on their official Facebook page right HERE.

"With deepest apologies for our absence and lack of communication, RATT would like to bring all of you an update and apprise you on the state of the band. The state of the band is improving.

As some of you might recall, in 2014 Stephen Pearcy had an unfortunate event befall his family and he took a hiatus from RATT. Stephen made that hiatus a permanent ending to his time with RATT and the band wishes him good luck in the future. However, since Stephen left in 2014, RATT has struggled to determine the future of the band.

Warren DeMartini has refused to continue to tour with RATT unless Stephen and Juan Croucier were also playing with the band. As some of you may know, Juan Croucier voluntarily left the band in 1997 and has not been a full time member of RATT since that time. He is currently pursuing his own projects. But some of those projects are significantly damaging RATT for which the band needed to resort to legal action to stop Juan's damaging conduct (Juan doesn't seem to mind). For the foreseeable future both sides feel it is mutually beneficial that he continue to be a former member of RATT. So, with Juan not coming back to RATT and Stephen retiring from the band, Warren will not not let RATT play live music and has wanted to, effectively, end the band. This was unacceptable to RATT and all of you, the fans.

Bobby Blotzer, on the other hand, wanted to continue to entertain the RATT pack and let you hear all the songs you know and love. As sometimes champions have to do, the band had to bring the next man up. Bobby wanted to find a great frontman to represent RATT properly, pay honor to Stephen, and give the music the justice it deserves. That is exactly what happened.

Bobby has gained the legal right to take RATT back on the road so all of you can rock out to RATT once again. And Warren continues, unsuccessfully to this point at least, to try and keep RATT off the stage and out of your cities. But despite Warren's determination to keep the fans from hearing RATT live by filing a lawsuit against Bobby and, basically, the band (and the fans), this summer RATT is back with the Re-Invasion Tour."

And a message from Bobby Blotzer:

"I wanted to address some of the things that I have been reading on social media recently. Bottom line, this is RATT. We have not done anything different than FOREIGNER, Y&T , LYNYRD SKYNYRD, STYX, JOURNEY, DOKKEN, and GN'R.

I'm touring with a great band who hold RATT's body of music near and dear, and we come out and kill it every night. People are coming in large crowds and they stay the whole show. We are booking and selling out venues all over the U.S. And we're adding more every week. And, we just got news yesterday, we're going to South America, Mexico, and hitting the UK in November. Between the demand we are seeing from promoters around the world, the venues and festivals we have been asked to play, and the respect that the promoters are showing RATT, 2016 looks like it could be a year with figures (7) the band has not seen since the late '90s.

I love my band of old for all we did. But, I really love the new generation RATT! My band, Bobby, Josh, Doc, Scotty, and Blaze. I also have a business team behind the scenes that are great people and they know we're kicking ass and taking names.

As RATT fans, you have two choices. Play our CDs, thanks. But if you want to hear and see RATT music performed live, we are it; you won't be disappointed. So, I ask you to come check us out live before you start hating on Facebook. And if you still don’t think RATT the new generation is any good, come yell at me at a show in person.

Thank you all the open minded RATT lovers, thank you RATT musicians, old and new.

See ya, Bobby Blotzer"

RATT's current live schedule is as follows:

• 1.22 - The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
• 1.23 - Riverside Casino & Event Center - Riverside, IA (with FIREHOUSE)
• 3.5 - Deerfoot Inn & Casino - Calgary, AB
• 3.19 - Rock The Arena - Toledo, OH (with BRET MICHAELS, WARRANT, WINGER, LITA FORD)
• 4.3 - Rockfest '80s - Sunrise, FL (with ACE FREHLEY, TOM KEIFER, SLAUGHTER, LYNCH MOB)