By Chris Hlad
When I think of 80s music, the first thing that comes to mind is Glam Rock or Hair Bands. I don’t know who is responsible for coming up with these terms, but having grown up in Los Angeles-unquestionably the epicenter of this music-I can tell you that the terms are appropriate. It was a time when the guys in the bands you saw usually wore more make-up than any of the gals in the audience, and long hair was a badge of honor and not the stigma of a slacker. And, most importantly, it was a lot of fun.
Granted, the music sometimes took a back seat to style (and in these cases the bands never lasted,) but there were some gems that came out of this era. The question now is can two of the biggest bands born in the 80’s still be relevant in 2007?
I first saw Ratt and Poison play together at the Long Beach Arena in Southern California on the Dancing Undercover Tour (in support of that album) circa 86-87. I remember the non-stop hit songs, and the huge stage show that Ratt put on. I remember their young opening band Poison transferring their legendary club energy in to a big arena without missing a beat. In 86’, Ratt already had three successful albums (1984’s Out Of The Cellar, 1985’s Invasion Of Your Privacy and 1986’s Dancing Undercover) and Poison had just released their first album, Look What The Cat Dragged In, so it was no surprise that Poison was the opening act. Tonight, Ratt is opening for Poison, which isn’t all that ironic since in 86’ Ratt had already reached the peak of their success and Poison was just starting out. You could say its all come full circle.
But this isn’t to say that Ratt didn’t continue making good music. Okay, the albums that followed (Reach For The Sky, Detonator and Ratt) didn’t have the commercial success of their previous records, but they are definitely records that have their moments. And, you cannot take away the classic Ratt songs that all metal fans still know (“Round and Round,” “Wanted Man,” “Back for More,” “Lay It Down” — to name a few) and love. Based on these songs alone, the band (albeit with rotating members) has been touring steadily and they are a huge draw on tonight’s bill.
Then there’s Poison, a band with a few hits of their own. Their debut included the songs “Talk Dirty to Me,” I Want Action,” and “I Won’t Forget You,” but things really took off with their second release in 1988. Open Up And Say Ahh! moved the band from an opening act to headliners due to equal parts hit songs (“Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” “Fallen Angel”) and their unrelenting live shows. Their next album, Flesh And Blood (released in June of 1990), included the singles “Unskinny Bop,” “Ride the Wind,” and the still effective “Something to Believe In.” I consider their first three albums their best, and most Poison fans agree. Like Ratt, they continued to release albums through personal problems and lead guitar changes, their most recent being 2007’s cover album Poisn’d!
But tonight, August 11, 2007, is the litmus test. When the lights go down at the Universal City Gibson Amphitheatre, will either of these bands bring the magic to the stage like they did when they played together in 1986?
Well, after seeing both bands perform, I am happy to say that the state of metal is alive and well in Southern California, a place that both Stephen Pearcy (vocalist for Ratt) and Brett Michaels (vocalist for Poison) repeatedly called “home” tonight.
When the lights were hit and the intro music for Ratt began — the appropriate yet cliché Queen song “We Will Rock You” — I was a little bit nervous. I’d seen the Behind The Music on these guys, and they were one of the last bands I ever thought I’d see back together (minus Juan Crocier and the late great Robin Crosby). But they did, and you know what? It worked.
The opening two songs were a bit slow, but once Ratt really got rolling, there was no stopping them. Warren DeMartini, who is rightfully regarded as one of the great musicians to come out of the Hair era, did not disappoint, and his lead guitar playing was as tight as it was back in Ratt’s heyday. John Corabi did his usual stellar job of playing and providing vocals, and Stephen Pearcy sounded a lot better than I’d expected. Hey, we’re all getting older and he didn’t try to hit some of the high notes that he did in the past, but he made it work. He was having a good time, and he made sure that the audience was having a good time as well. By the time Ratt was done with their set (which was long enough to rank them as co-headliners), it was obvious that they weren’t just doing this tour for a pay check. They were well rehearsed and eager to get back on stage and do what they do best: play their classic songs like only they can.
And then came Poison. Ratt had the Amphitheatre more than warmed up, and expectations were high for Poison. They did not disappoint.
Their show opened strong with one of the songs that started out their career (I hate spoilers in reviews and out of respect for you the reader, I’m not telling you what the song was-go see the show for yourself!), and when they hit the stage, they didn’t need warming up. C.C. DeVille was his usual hyper self, and Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett held down the rhythm section flawlessly. And what can I say about Bret Michaels? He’s always been a hell of a nice guy, and tonight was no exception. The night was a party, and he was the perfect host, chatting up the crowd and making each member of the audience feel like they were a close personal friend. This isn’t easy to do, but Michaels is one of the front men that can pull it off without forcing it on the audience.
Their show had the usual pyrotechnics and requisite confetti you’d want at a metal show, but the spectacle was definitely secondary to the music. I would even say that as far as musicianship goes, the members of Poison have actually gotten better, which again is something you don’t usually see/hear with bands of this genre. If I have one complaint about the show, it would be the cover songs. Okay, I know that Poison is on the road promoting a cover album, but they are a band who is too good for covers. Their own music stands up a lot better than Poison doing a Tom Petty song, and if I want to hear Petty, I’ll go see him. But hey, a Poison show is always a great time, and this tour is no exception.
Ratt and Poison both know that metal isn’t something that should be taken too seriously, and tonight’s show wasn’t full of egos or bad posturing by either of these bands. They know the cardinal rule of glam rock is party, and that word sums up tonight’s festivities completely. And, it was a hell of a lot of fun.
