All Rights Reserved @ Stephen Pearcy's Personal Collection, Culver City DMV 1983
What would you do if you could transport yourself back to 1983? I think we can all agree that "We're in!"
Well, you may not able to actually transport yourself but the findings from Stephen Pearcy's personal archives is almost just as good. RATT got signed to Atlantic Records in July of 1983 and from that point forward they hit the road and never looked back. How crazy is it that throughout back to back shows for a solid 9 years, Stephen Pearcy kept so many items along the way. Items that regularly would've been thrown away after use.
Although the years flew by like a blur, somehow, Stephen Pearcy had the insight back then to capture these historic moments of his career and archive them some 44 years in the making.
Photos from the 1st Professional Band Photo Shoot of RATT, previously Mickey Ratt
All Rights Reserved @ Stephen Pearcy's Personal Collection, Culver City DMV 1983
Take a walk down memory lane with these rare finds that you will never see anywhere else since they come directly from Stephen's personal collection.
The set list above was taken from the night that RATT got signed to Atlantic Records (although Stephen dated it wrong, the actual date of the show was July 27, 1983 at The Beverly Theater). Notice the specific stage direction, wardrobe notes, as well as, Brain Slagels' phone number. If you don't know who Brain Slagel is, he started Metal Blade Records which in turn put out the very 1st recordings of both RATT and Metallica on the same record in 1982, "Metal Massacre" .
RATT plays The Roxy 1983
All Rights Reserved @ Stephen Pearcy's Personal Collection, 1983 / 2021
RATT plays The Beverly Theater, July 24, 1983
The show that started it all.....RATT had been playing everywhere, had great songs, a BIG following, sold out clubs night after night but had not gotten signed to a label by the summer of '83. The Beverly Theater was a kind-of make it or break it show . The boys went into this show throwing ALL of their chips on the table......"they were going to get signed or else" was the RATTitude that night.
Lita Ford was the opening act but didn't want to open for RATT since she felt her "Runaways" status deserved top billing..... ultimately she never showed up for the show which gave these rodents a chance to play longer! The stage was set for complete lift off that night.
So when Doug Morris, President of Atlantic Records showed up to see the band. Game on! By the end of the night, RATT finally got their record deal on July 24, 1983! And the rest is RATT n' Roll history...
Robbin & Nikki 1983
RATT LIVE AT THE ROCK PALCE 1984