RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer has released the following statement:

"I've been getting a lot of mixed feedback from RATT fans regarding my comments on Facebook, and I wanted to take a moment to clarify my position and hopefully provide some valuable perspective.

"Let me first say that I regard the band RATT as a national treasure and something I feel privileged to be a part of for 30 years. I feel like we create great music, and bring a signature sound different from other bands out there keeping rock and roll alive. It is my love for all things RATT that makes delays in touring, and creating music that much more frustrating.

"It's no secret that keeping a band together for 30 years is a tall order to fill. We met 30 years ago, and despite spending the majority of our lives on stage together, we do evolve into different people with different wants and needs in life.

"The last decade of RATT has been a collection of stop and starts. Given my love for the fans and music, it's been hard to wake up everyday not knowing if we were going to make another album or at least at a minimum tour the old catalog next to our fellow rockers.

"I am extremely proud of our new album, 'Infestation'. It was great getting back with my fellow Pi RATTs and finding out that our magic is still there. I want to continue. I want to make more music. I want to hang with the fans.

"For the first time in 29 years, I avoided attending NAMM. With a book to promote and fans that I love to shake hands with, this was a tough decision to make. I skipped this event for one reason, I couldn't bring myself to gloss over the fact that at the time of NAMM, I didn't know whether or not RATT was going to tour or make new music. I can't bring myself to lie about what I don't know. I apologize to those of you I missed.

"As of this moment, some members of the band have chosen to decide that they will choose whether or not we, RATT, tour. What I'm personally trying to do 24/7 is get the decision made so we can start to schedule tour dates, perhaps make another new album, and get back out on the road keeping RATT alive. RATT, for me, always comes first. Even with my entrepreneurial aspirations, it's RATT, baby!

"Currently there are a lot of messages coming out of areas of the Internet that don't have all the information, but in their own frustration are trying to find a person to place the blame. I understand since I threw out the first volley of my own frustration, I drew in a lot of misunderstanding and speculation on my own actions.

"I want you to know that I simply want RATT to continue year in and year out making great music and celebrating rock and roll with our fans. Regardless of any drama, know that RATT is alive and well.

Rob Cavuoto of Guitar International recently conducted an interview with former RATT bassist Juan Croucier. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Guitar International: What have you been up to lately with your solo bands and with your recording studio?

Juan Croucier: I have a band called DIRTY RATS, and we play the RATT catalogue and a few original songs that never made it to any of the RATT LPs. It's a three piece. I have Pete Holmes from BLACK 'N BLUE on drums and Johnny Love from LOVE/HATE on guitar. Then, I have another band that I'm working with called the HARDROCK ALLSTARS. It's the same lineup except with Jaime St. James from BLACK 'N BLUE on vocals. For that band we're just doing covers and having a good time. We play locally but hope to start touring more maybe in Vegas or Phoenix. I would love to get out there and play. I'm also working on a solo project similar to LIQUID SUNDAY, and beginning to put together some new songs for it. That's just me and Pete Holmes. I record the bass, guitar and vocals. I handle the engineering and production. I'm a song writer and I have a ton of songs that I need to get recorded and out there. I also want to do an acoustic CD and redo some RATT songs which never made it on the RATT LPs. Maybe call it "Demos From The Ratt Years"! Who knows? I have so many of these RATT demos, it could be a few volumes.

Guitar International: I think the big question was why you turned down the reunion with RATT so many times. What was the decision behind that?

Juan Croucier: Without adding any fuel to already existing fires, we just couldn't reach an agreement. It's no surprise that we had a lot of issues within the band, such as alcohol abuse and various personal issues. So I was of the opinion that it was one thing to have these issues when you're a young man in your twenties, but it's an entirely different thing to have these same issues when you're in your mid-forties. If we can do things intelligently, as respectable businessmen, treating each other with respect and taking advantage of this wonderful thing we've and created, then I'm interested. The longer we negotiated, the more I came to see that nothing has changed. From what you've been reading on the Internet lately, it's obvious. Just to be very clear, I would love nothing more than to be in RATT, let's get that really, really clear. I love what we did and am really proud of what we accomplished. I helped build RATT. Why would I want to walk away from something that successful to play local clubs in Hollywood for a dozen people? I'm being honest here. I would love to be making records and moving forward. But with the personalities involved, we just can't. The collective intelligence of the band is not that high. That's unfortunate and I hate it, but that's what really what prevented us from utilizing RATT to its fullest extent. It really comes down to mutual respect and having boundaries that you don't cross because you're adults. And when there are no boundaries and there is no respect, and someone can lash out at someone for whatever reason, that really damages things. I tried really hard. You have no idea how hard. For 10 years I tried. After a while you just give up. At the end of the day it's a sad thing for the fans. They just want to see the band rock out. It's everything behind the scenes that is so embarrassing and to be a part of that is unbearable, if you're of reasonable and sound mind.

Guitar International: I'm sure you aware of all the recent comments lately by [RATT drummer] Bobby Blotzer against [the band's lead singer] Stephen Pearcy. Looking in at it as an outsider now, what do you make of it?

Juan Croucier: That nothing has changed and they can't contain the problem. There's so much disfunctionality there I wonder why they try. Life is short, and at some point, why are we doing all this for what we're getting?! What recently happened seems unnecessary. When you are going to say something, you need to consider the effect it'll have and what you're looking to accomplish. To besmirch him seems odd. He's your band mate. In any other job, if you made remarks like that you'd probably be terminated. For me it's still embarrassing.

RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer has slammed the band's lead singer, Stephen Pearcy, for allegedly choosing to resume his solo career this year while Blotzer and other members of the group pursue other projects. In a series of posts on his Facebook page, Bobby writes, "Congrats to Sullivan Bigg's agency [Bigg Time Entertainment] and the Stephen Pearcy solo band adventure on the first solo show for his HUGE forthcoming 2011 tour, and the lucky 52 people that got to hear RATT's music butchered. Poor promoter! And asking for a rider and his two packs of smokes on top of the monster drawing power? LOL, priceless.

"All will be told in my new book. I'll tell you this, though: I'm sick of the lies and deception from the whole lot of them in this band. And guess what, who owns the name? Two right now...

"Look, guys, yes, I'm obviously really burnt and pissed here, yes. But I want RATT to be RATT. With all of us. I'm tired of rolling a snowball up hill to build the snowman. I'm also not doing this as a promo for this new book. Happens to be falling at the same time. It's all about the love of playing for you guys year in year out, and having a great job, with job security. Every single year I'm re-building this band."

http://94wysp.radio.com/2010/10/27/podcast-stephen-pearcy-talks-ratt-bobby-blotzer-and-new-solo-album/

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=148402

Round and round we go again. Just like years past, Stephen will keep creating new music for us fans while the rest of RATT be part time tour musicians.

Bassist Robbie Crane will join the touring lineup of LYNCH MOB for the band's upcoming European tour.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=145697