Ratcat
| Company type | Indie rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Key people | Simon Day (lead vocalist and guitarist) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Ratcat is an indie rock group originating from Sydney, Australia, established in 1985 with Simon Day as the lead vocalist and guitarist. Their sound combined elements of indie pop songwriting with punk-infused guitar riffs, appealing to audiences within both the indie and skate-punk communities. The band reached widespread recognition in 1991 with the EP Tingles (October 1990), the album Blind Love (June 1991), and the single "Don't Go Now" (April), all of which secured the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Charts. Later releases did not achieve comparable commercial impact. While Ratcat scaled back live shows during the late 1990s, they continue to perform occasionally. Much of their visual artwork for albums and singles was crafted by Simon Day himself.
1985–1990: Formation and Waterfront Records Era
Ratcat was formed in 1985 in Sydney by Simon Day (vocals, lead guitar), Victor Levi (bass), and Andrew Polin (drums), emerging from the local skate-punk milieu alongside contemporaries such as Massappeal and The Hard-ons. Prior to Ratcat, both Day and Levi were members of the garage band Danger Mouse.
The band secured a deal with Waterfront Records, releasing a self-titled EP in December 1987 consisting of four original compositions plus a rendition of "I Think We're Alone Now." This was followed by singles "I Think I Love You" in August 1988 and "Baby's Got a Gun" in December 1988.
Their first full-length album, This Nightmare, arrived in July 1989 featuring Day, John McAteer on bass, and Polin on drums. It included notable tracks such as "Go Go," "True Lust," "Baby's Got a Gun," along with a cover of The Darling Buds' "If I Said." The single "Saying Goodbye," released late that year, marked their final release with Waterfront Records before Amr Zaid replaced McAteer on bass and backing vocals.
1990–1998: Blind Love Era and RooArt Records
In early 1990, Ratcat toured as support for British punk band Buzzcocks and Australian act Falling Joys, subsequently signing with the rooArt label distributed by PolyGram.
On 14 October 1990, they unveiled the six-track EP Tingles, produced by Nick Mainsbridge (known for work with Tall Tales and True and Martha's Vineyard). The energetic lead track "That Ain't Bad" received significant airplay on mainstream radio. Coupled with their signature cartoon-inspired artwork, Tingles topped the ARIA Alternative Singles Chart and held No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1991. Simon Day described "That Ain't Bad" as an effort to fuse noisy guitar sounds with the phrase 'I love you' without contradiction.
An article from Australian Musician Magazine recognized Ratcat as Australia's first alternative band to break into mainstream success, naming them among the Top 50 Most Significant Moments in Australian Pop/Rock History. Their sophomore album, Blind Love, released in May 1991, featured the chart-topping lead single "Don't Go Now" (April). The track was co-written by Day alongside Robyn St. Clare of the Hummingbirds. Recording sessions at Paradise Studios included backing vocals from St. Clare and Margaret Urlich, with Mainsbridge returning as producer. Bassist Amr Zaid described their swift ascent on the charts as "really weird," acknowledging the pressure to sustain their success.
Following this, Ratcat supported Australian rock group INXS during their April-May 1991 tour before headlining their own Invasion of the Dinosaur Killers Tour in June. The subsequent single "Baby Baby", released in July, peaked at No. 21. From September onward, they embarked on a four-month tour across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Drummer Polin noted strong attendance figures, including about one-third Australian fans present at London shows, with approximately 17,000 copies of Blind Love sold there.
Upon returning to Australia in December, they issued an eight-track live album titled Alive. Marc Scully succeeded Zaid on bass in mid-1992. Their third studio effort, Insideout (November 1992), again produced by Mainsbridge, yielded three singles: "Candyman" (May 1992), "Holiday" (October 1992), and "The World (in a Wrapper)" (May 1993). Recorded at Rhinoceros Studios between March and May 1992, Day contributed vocals, guitar, and bass while Polin added vocals and percussion. Although these releases kept Ratcat visible in the public eye, they did not match previous commercial achievements.
In January 1995, they released "Rain," produced by Tony Cohen, followed by the EP The Smiler in August. Work commenced shortly thereafter on a new album entitled Easy Rider. The band performed intermittently over subsequent years before releasing Easy Rider in July 1997.
Ratcat resurfaced at the Homebake Festival in 1998 with new bassist Nic Dalton (formerly of The Plunderers, Sneeze, and The Lemonheads). They collaborated with John Paul Young who contributed backing vocals on their cover of his hit "I Hate the Music" (September 1998), which appeared on the soundtrack for Occasional Coarse Language (November 1998). The group officially disbanded later that year.
2002–present: intermittent appearances
From 2002 onwards, Ratcat performed intermittently, including spots at the Big Day Out festival and supporting the Psychedelic Furs during their 2006 Australian tour. That same year, they appeared at The Jack Daniel's music awards and the Come Together festival held at Luna Park. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Blind Love, they held a commemorative concert in 2011 at The Factory in Marrickville.
In 2010, a television commercial for Bonds bras featured female performers covering Ratcat's track "That Ain't Bad," with frontman Simon Day making a brief guest appearance. Additionally, Day has worked alongside Sydney-based groups such as the Art and the Glimmer. Ratcat also performed at Sydney’s Homebake festival in 2011 under the billing "The Classic Edition."
In March 2016, Ratcat took part in the A Day on the Green concert series, sharing the lineup with Hoodoo Gurus, Sunnyboys, Violent Femmes, and Died Pretty.
Looking ahead to October 2023, Ratcat is set to release All Stripped Back, an album featuring re-recorded versions of their most popular songs.
Members
- Simon Day – lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar, principal songwriter (1985–present)
- Trevor Wintle – drums (1986–1987)
- Andrew Polin – drums (1985–1986, 1987–2011)
- Victor Levi – bass guitar (1985–1988)
- Cathy Webb – bass guitar (1988)
- John McAteer – bass guitar (1988–1989)
- Amr Zaid – bass guitar, backing vocals (1989–1992)
- Marc Scully – bass guitar (1992–1996)
- Nic Dalton – bass guitar (1998–present)
- Reuben Alexander – drums (2011–present)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart position | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| This Nightmare |
|
81 | |
| Blind Love |
|
1 |
|
| Insideout |
|
59 | |
| Easy Rider |
|
— | |
| All Stripped Back |
|
— |
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Alive |
|
62 |
Compilation albums
| Album title | Release information |
|---|---|
| Informer 80:629 |
|
| Twisted Tails - A Ratcat Best of... |
|
| Rarities |
|
Extended plays
| EP title | Release details | Highest chart position | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Ratcat |
|
— | |
| Tingles |
|
1 |
|
| The Smiler |
|
135 | |
| Laughing Bag and Other Funny Stories |
|
— |
Singles
| Single title | Release year | Highest chart ranking | Certifications earned | Associated album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| "I Think I Love You"/”Depression” | 1988 | — | Non-album single release | |
| "Go Go" | — | This Nightmare | ||
| "Baby's Got a Gun"/”Purple Room” | — | |||
| "Saying Goodbye" | 1989 | — | Non-album single release | |
| "Don't Go Now" | 1991 | 1 |
|
Blind Love |
| "Baby Baby" | 21 | |||
| "Candyman" | 1992 | 38 | Inside out | |
| "Holiday" | 41 | |||
| "The World (In a Wrapper)" | "1993" | "115" | "" | "" |
| "Rain" | "1995" | "138" | "" | "Non-album single" |
| "I Hate the Music" (Ratcat and John Paul Young) | "1998" | "186" | "" | "Occasional Course Language (soundtrack)" |
Other appearances
| Track | Year | Compilation Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Razor Blades" | 1986 | On the Waterfront, vol 3 (DAMP 43) |
| "The Purple Room" | 1987 | Fuck or Fuck Off (DAMP 67) |
| "Everything You Said" | 1988 | Hummingbirds/ Ratcat |
| "Dead Dog Standing" | 1989 | I Could'a Been a Contender (DAMP 121) |
| "A Christmas Lullaby" | 1989 | Rockin' Bethlehem (SAW025) |
| "You Get Me By" | 1990 | Youngblood 2 |
| "Skin" | 1991 | Triple J Live At The Wireless |
| "Tripping on a Blind Date" | 1998 | Homebake Vol 2 |
| "That Ain't Bad"/"Don't Go Now"/"You Get Me By" | 2001 | Rockart - The History Of RooArt Records |
| "Electric Lash" | 2002 | Electric Lash (songs of The Church and Steve Kilby) |
| "Hell on Hot Bread" | 2015 | Manilow Tribute! |
ARIA Music Awards
Since their inception in 1987, the ARIA Music Awards have celebrated outstanding achievements and creativity within Australia's music industry.
! |- | rowspan="4"|1992 | rowspan="2"| Blind Love | Breakthrough Artist - Album | | rowspan="4"|[1] |- | Highest Selling Album | |- | rowspan="2"| Nick Mainsbridge for production and engineering on Blind Love and the track "Don't Go Now" | Producer of the Year | |- | Engineer of the Year |
External links
- Simon Day of Ratcat featured in Bonds advertisement, Pedestrian TV, August 11, 2010
- [1] Dedicated Fan Website
- [2] Official site of Reuben Alexander
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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