Episode 9 with Warren DeMartini (RATT)

The Riff Raff with Shane Theriot

Today’s guest is Mr. Warren DeMartini. Warren is best known as being the badass guitar gunslinger in one of the most prolific and massively successful of the 80’s bands- that would be Ratt.

If you’ve been listening to Riff Raff for a while you’ll know that everyone on the show was an influence or even hero of mine and Warren is no certainly no exception- he had a huge impact on my own playing and style.

I had been wanting to get Warren on the podcast for a while but I knew that he doesn’t like to do interviews but then after I told him about Riff Raff he said he would love to do it. Now the only problem was is that I was only in LA for 3 days and we kept running out of time. The day before I left LA Warren calls and says “hey I got an idea- what if I drive you around and you can interview me and I’ll take you to all the sites and places that made up the history of Ratt and the early years?”

He was really into it and he said- “this is gonna be cool- the story of Round and Round riding around the various landmark sites- it’s never been done before!” (Hey this is an interview that Eddie Trunk would be proud of haha)

So for sure this is a really different episode of Riff Raff- you’ll have to excuse some of the car noise and traffic sounds but for Ratt fans there is a goldmine of great stories in this episode and even if you aren’t a fan, you’ll still love the stories!

Warren drives me to his old apartment known as “Ratt mansion West” where a few of the members of Ratt lived and many of the hits were written, the theatre where Ratt was signed, how Round and Round came about and we talk amps, guitars, a great story about Uli Roth, the early years of Ratt and the scene in LA in the 80’s, snakeskin guitars and so much more. (I’d like to thank my friend Jack Miele at Music Shed Studio for helping clean up the audio and reduce the car noise.)

OK- I’m stepping out of the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd and Warren has just pulled up in his car…I’m pushing record- step in with us, sit back and enjoy!

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