Round And Round

Ratt

All preening and poncy, Ratt epitomised the vanity and pomp of hair metal. Bands like Ratt and Poison had so much make-up and spandex that the lines became blurred between the sexes. Hair metal pulled chicks into metal like nothing before or since. Bands like Bon Jovi became mega stars. It had to all come crashing down.

Never my favourite band, I wasn’t a big fan of Stephen Pearcy’s vocals. Warren DeMartini and Robbin Crosby (RIP) were great guitarists. To me the band was over hyped and not as good as some of the others around. What is undeniable is their success and their influence on the scene in L.A. as a catalyst for making Hair Metal huge. MTV had a big role to play in it all but 1984 was a seriously good year for rock any way you slice it.

JAMES DAUBENEY