Croucier Back In Ratt

Pearcy confirms band’s “other voice” will appear at festival show with departed bassist Crane’s blessing – and the classic-era lineup have already rehearsed.

Juan Croucier has rehearsed with Ratt ahead of hitting the stage with the band he left in 1992, singer Stephen Pearcy has confirmed.

The “other voice of Ratt” will appear with Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer and Carlos Cavazo at the M3 festival on May 11-12 in Columbia, Maryland.

The only thing to prevent a full-on Ratt reunion is the absence of guitarist Robbin Crosby, who died from a heroin overdose in 2002.

Croucier’s return was made possible by the departure of long-time replacement Robbie Crane, who bowed out earlier this year.

Responding to mounting speculation that Croucier was back in the picture, Pearcy confirmed on Eddie Trunk’s Sirius XM radio show that the deal had been cut.

He said: “Juan is playing with Robbie’s blessing. We had a great rehearsal with Juan today. He’s welcome back, and I’m very excited about it.”

Croucier joined the American glam icons in 1982 and appeared on their self-titled EP the following year, then breakthrough album Out of The Cellar in 1984. He wrote some of their biggest tracks and his backing vocals became a part of their trademark sound. He left acrimoniously in 1992 – one of the many near-splits the outfit has suffered in a history spanning over 35 years.

In 2011 he said: “I have had many offers to go back. The main reason I have not is we had a very problematic situation in the first place. Nothing had or has changed. We don’t get along, it’s not fun and things that should be easy are hard.” He also claimed DeMartini had poached Cavazo from his own outfit, the Dirty Rats, as a personal attack.

But he maintained he was still proud of the work he’d done with Ratt.

The band will continue work on a studio album due later this year, which follows 2010 return to form Infestation. They’re also lining up a digital release of unreleased material from the Croucier era.