074: DAVE RAT/FOH Engineer/Rat Sound Systems/Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Flag

In the late '70's and into the '80's Hollywood and the Sunset Strip played host to the hair bands and spandex superstars that rocked clubs like the Whiskey and the Roxy night after night. But several miles down the coast, a new sound was emerging; raw, impatient, and not satisfied with the Status Quo. It was in this world that Dave Rat of Rat Sound Systems carved his place as a trusted engineer, with a company that provided the kind of equipment that could match the DIY attitude of the artists and crowds that were showing up to hear bands like Black Flag, Jane's Addiction, and Rage Against the Machine. After nearly 30 years as the FOH engineer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Rat is setting his sights on a life more simple, allowing him to focus more on the company he started when he was just eighteen years old.