GARY HOLT Talks Cutting Up Posers’ RATT Shirts In The ’80s

Steel could be a fairly accepting place now, however again within the ’80s it was a musical warzone. For proof of that, look no additional than Exodus and their then-vocalist Paul Baloff‘s arm. In a current interview with Ultimate Guitar, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt revealed that the band would reduce strips off individuals’s Ratt shirts in the event that they confirmed as much as the present carrying one, after which tie the scraps round Baloff‘s wrist.

“I imply, within the [Paul] Baloff period in Exodus, if somebody confirmed up with a Ratt shirt, we would pull out the pocket knife and reduce strips of the shirt off. Should you take a look at among the outdated images of Baloff, he is received all these items of fabric, like, for 3 inches, tied round his wrist. These are threads of a poser shirt!”

“However, on the similar time, us guitar gamers had been secretly coveting each Warren DeMartini riff, just like the sickest, best guitar participant on Earth with the very best tone ever, him and Robbin [Crosby]. So, we had been like, actively, sitting there listening to him and George Lynch.”

“However on the similar time, the segregation between the 2 genres — we had been like mutual enemies. We would have liked each other. We each died out collectively, it appears, on the finish of the ’80s. Mutual useful enemies, y’know?”

Baloff initially fronted Exodus between 1981 and 1986, after which briefly between 1997 and 1998. Baloff was briefly concerned in Exodus‘ 2001 reunion, however died in 2002 shortly after having a stroke.

The excellent news right here is that Exodus would not try this anymore… or at the very least they’re maintaining it actually quiet in the event that they did. You may catch Exodus ripping by means of their debut album Bonded By Blood (alongside Dismember taking part in Like An Ever Flowing Stream and a buncha different nice bands) at Decibel Journal Steel & Beer Fest: Philly 2025. Get all that info here.