Being at the forefront of an international musical change of direction that saw the boundaries between indie and commercial success smashed to oblivion, Ratcat’s rise to popularity was the result of public demand and not the industry that attempts to control such demand.
Although we could continue for many paragraphs about Ratcat’s amazing feats, their success was mirrored internationally by Nirvana six months later, and the impact they had on the Australia music scene in the early ‘90s is undeniable.
Ratcat have performed the odd rare show, with their last unforgettable performance being at Homebake in December 1998.
Ratcat became the first Australianalternative, guitar-driven band to crack the big time locally during the early '90s.
In September 1991, Ratcat toured the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., supporting such acts as Ride, Iggy Pop, Teenage Fanclub, Violent Femmes, and the Wonder Stuff.
Ratcat released their next album, Insideout, in 1992, which featured a duet between Day and Falling Joys' Suzie Higgie.
Ratcat were now about the hottest thing on the Australian music scene.
While Ratcat's place on the Australian charts was superseded by more incendiary guitar bands like You Am I, Spiderbait, Tumbleweed and Regurgitator, there was no denying the band's pioneering efforts to elevate alternative guitar pop beyond its origins and into the mainstream charts.
Many of the former members of Ratcat were so short term that we have only studied the current movements of a few of the key members and not the whole lot of them.
All Ratcat tabs and Ratcat lyrics are sorted alphabetically, allowing you to find your chosen Ratcat lyric or Ratcat tab faster.
Dream angel won't you fly in me, is that the devil in your eyes, it feels so good when your touching my skin, like I could almost die.
Ratcat guitar tabs, guitar chords, bass tabs, drum tabs and lyrics are sorted alphabetically, allowing you to find a your chosen Ratcat lyric or tab faster.
RatCat - you make the rules...(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
The RatCat Hydrofoil System is a specially designed catamaran hull fitted with a hydrofoil system which carries part of the craft’s weight at speed resulting in a most economical high speed craft.
This is accomplished through dynamic lift which reduces the wetted area of a catamaran in water.
Due to less drag, less wetted surface the hull, is able to be propelled faster with smaller power units and less revs than a conventional hull.
Ratcat formed in 1986 in Sydney, and were a mainstay of that city's live music scene until they were eventually signed to Waterfront Records, where they released a self-titled EP, several singles ("I Think I Love You", "Baby's Got A Gun"), and their debut album, This Nightmare in 1989.
Ratcat reformed in 1998 to play at the Homebake Festival with new bassist Nic Dalton (formerly of The Lemonheads), and again in 2006 to play a support slot on the Psychedelic Furs Australian tour.
This article on an Australian band or other musical ensemble is a stub.
I just heard on 3RRR that apparently Ratcat have reformed and are doing gigs again.
I remember Ratcat from various times and contexts; when they were current, I was in high school, and they were popular with the various skate-punks, alongside Dead Kennedys and various hardcore punk bands and such and such.
A decade and a bit later, I discovered that they were a staple of Australianindie-pop; the Fanclub night in Melbourne (circa 2004 or so) had a policy of putting on Don't Go Now whenever the dancefloor was looking insufficiently busy.
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, Ratcat became the first band from the Sydneyalternative guitar scene to reach a wider, mainstream teenypop audience.
Ratcat's combination of speed-ball fuzz-pop and comic-book aesthetics was always brighter and more entertaining than its contemporaries and the results speak for themselves.
Original line-up: Simon Day (guitar, vocals), Victor Levi (bass), Trevor (drums) Albums: Ratcat (mini-LP, Waterfront, 1987), This Nightmare (Waterfront, 1989), Blind Love (rooArt/ PolyGram, 1991), Ratcat Live (mini-album, rooArt/ Warner, 1991), Insideout (rooArt/Warner, 1992), Easy Rider (rooArt/BMG, 1997).
Australian Rock Database - Ratcat(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
Ratcat 1987 6 Mini-LP AUS Waterfront DAMP 66 I Think I Love You 1988 2 Single AUS Waterfront DAMP 81 This Nightmare 1989 12 CD AUS LP AUS Waterfront DAMP 103 Saying Goodbye 1989 3 Single AUS Waterfront DAMP 126 Tingles 1990 6 Produced by Nick Mainsbridge CD-EP AUS rooArt 868 573-2 ???
Sources of information: Sound Affects #9, Ratcat Homepage, Ratcat page
Additions, corrections and/or updates are most welcome, please mail me.