People my age (uh umm, 42) will totally remember and talk of a time before the internet, before 3, 521 cable channels, and cell phones. Back in 1987 we didn’t have all the cool shit we have now to entertain ourselves or pass the times of sheer boredom. Then again, while we didn’t have all these modern time wasting gadgets, we had one of our best sidekick companions: the radio. That’s right! Before radio became as mechanical, pre programmed, and stale as it has become over the past 20 something years, radio was a place where we could literally hear the things that we wanted to hear to a degree. It was also a place where magical things happened like winning free shit like records, station swag, and concert tickets.
The struggle was real back in the 80’s folks. Do you know how hard it was to be the 9th called to win something off the radio with a rotary phone? If you were lucky, at some point your parents were awesome enough to get you your own touch tone phone with redial capabilities. This was the magic key to making it easier to win those awesome radio station prizes. Being the loner dude that I was, I can’t tell you just how many Friday nights I spent in my bedroom listening to the radio and sitting by my phone trying to win tickets to see Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sting. Yes, I said Sting. Don’t judge me.
Back in 1987 I was 13 years old. Like most misfit metal kids my age, my Friday nights (and Saturday nights for that matter) were spent sitting in my room alone. It sounds sad, I know but I couldn’t have been happier. I had my Metal Edge, Circus, Faces and Hit Parader magazines. I had my own stereo and a kick ass New Orleans radio station called WRNO. I can still remember to this day as the DJs would say “You are listening to WRNO. We Rock New Orleans!” Get it? How clever is that? Anyways, WRNO had this great DJ who was a metal head and his name was Warren. Warren was always playing the cool shit. He would play Iron Maiden, KISS, Ratt, etc and I just loved listening to his show.
Anyways, one Friday night I tuned into Warren’s show as usual and he announced that he was giving away a RATT PACK!: 2 tickets to see RATT/Queensryche/Lillian Axe in Biloxi, MS which was only about 45 minutes away from New Orleans. I called in… no dice. Called again… still no dice. I hit the redial button one more time and was told to hold. All of the sudden, Warren goes, “WRNO, you’re the 9th caller!” I suddenly realize that I’m hearing his voice through the speakers as well. I just let out this loud WOOHOO! I couldn’t believe it! I won! He tells me to come by the station the following Monday to pick up the tickets and all of the sudden it hits me. Holy shit! One of my parents are going to have to take me. I don’t drive.
I break the news to my folks the next day excitedly by exclaiming, “Mom, Dad! I won a RATT PACK.” My dad asked me, “What the hell is a Ratt Pack?” I told him and then he looks at my mom and goes “It’s your turn!” She takes me to the station to claim my tickets but it turns out in addition to the tickets, I got a free copy of “Dancing Undercover” on vinyl and a Dancing Undercover tour shit. Damn could this get any better? I was the envy of nobody at school so I had nobody to really brag to. I couldn’t wait for this show to get here. I was on pins and needles every day for nearly a month and then finally the weekend came for the concert.
My mom packed us some lunches and we got in the car and took off for Biloxi. Did I care that my mother was going to be with me at a RATT concert? Are you kidding me? Minnie Mouse could’ve taken me and I wouldn’t given a rat’s ass (or RATT’s ass). I was just so pumped to finally be seeing RATT in concert. We go the hotel and checked in and killed some time by going to site see and visit some friends of my mom’s. We got to the venue right before doors opened and what I really remember is the excitement building up. People getting restless and chanting “1-2-3-4 open up the fucking door!” I remember looking up at my mom and her just shaking her head and smiling. There was a long haired dude in front of us w/ his girlfriend and turned to me and asked, “Is that your mom?” I said “Yeah why?” and he just smiled and said, “You’ve got a cool mom lil dude! My mom would never take me to a concert like this. That’s cool.” Yeah, I thought so to.
We finally got in and we found some killer seats. We were about 10 rows up from the stage on the side with a perfect view. The lights went down and the first opening act was local New Orleans boys Lillian Axe. All I remember about them was that I thought it was so cool that guys who lived in my neighborhood were on tour as opening acts for RATT. They looked like rock stars. Couldn’t’ tell you a single song they played because all I could think of was RATT. The next act was Queensryche who at the time I thought were boring. I just didn’t get it. What I do remember is that they were touring for their album “Rage For Order” because they played the song “Walk In The Shadows” which I remember thinking was a pretty cool song. I wish I could go back to 1987 and tell my younger self that I would eventually love this band and see them live a few times.
Finally, it was time for RATT to take the stage. I just remember the house lights going down and the place erupting in a huge cheer. It sounded like an airplane taking off it was so loud. The band came out on stage and opened with the song “One Good Lover” from Dancing Undercover. A good friend told one time that you know you’ve seen an amazing concert when 20 years later you can still remember what song that band opened with. That means that they made a huge impression on you. Anyways, the next memory I have is singer Stephen Pearcy yelling “Welcome to the 1987 Dancing Undercover world party!” and then they slammed into “Wanted Man” from their Out of the Cellar album. It was everything I could to do stay in my seat. I just remember loving the sheer deafening volume of the show. Their stage set was ginormous with ramps, stairs and more lights than you can imagine. The huge RATT logo was on a backdrop in the background just in case you needed to be reminded of who you were seeing.
I remember certain moments of this show like it was yesterday. I remember singing along to “7th Avenue”. I remember getting really exciting and giddy when the band kicked into hits like “Lay It Down”, “Slip of the Lip” and “You Think You’re Tough.” I also remember that after Bobby Blotzer’s drum solo, a six pack of beer was lowered from the lighting truss to him. He took one out and drank it and tossed the rest into the front row. I would’ve loved one of those but I felt that my mom all of the sudden would NOT be so cool with that. The band left the stage and encored with “Body Talk” and “Dance” which was their huge single off of the Dancing Undercover album. The house lights came up and the show was over.
Wow! I still remember all the feelings I had at this show. I remember totally enjoying all of the half dressed women bearing body parts that were really starting to appeal to me in the past few years. I remember loving the feeling of my ears ringing and I remember seeing these guys that were larger than life. Nowadays, RATT is a band that you can see in a club the size of your garage. If someone would’ve told me this on that night back in 1987 I would’ve never believed it. I have since seen footage from this 1987 tour on YouTube and ya know what? They really were so good and they had this massive stage production and a larger than life attitude. It reminded me of just so many bands these days just don’t put on that caliber of performance any more. Ratt put on an amazing show and for this 13 year old back in 1987, RATT was larger than life and you could get no better!
Ratt “Dancing Undercover Tour” 1987 Set List
One Good Lover
Wanted Man
Back For More
The Morning After
Dangerous But Worth The Risk
Lack Of Communication
7th Avenue
Lay It Down
You Should Know by Now
**Bobby Blotzer Drum Solo**
**Guitar Solo**
You’re In Love
You Think You’re Tough
Drive Me Crazy
Slip Of The Lip
Round And Round
Encore:
Body Talk
Dance
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