My Name Is Dave Rat & You're Here With Me Now.(Rat Politics)

Byline: Jason Lally

Dave Rat was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and has done a few things: tested games for Mattel, tested missiles for Hughes Aircraft, and tested the outer parameters of sonic savagery with his Rat Sound dealio. Sound engineer, sound equipment designer, developer of the Micro Wedge (ratsound.com), and provider of concert touring sound for Black Flag, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, REM, Jimmy Eat World, Bad Religion, The Bangles, Blink 182, Beck, The Cult, The Foo Fighters . . . is that enough? Cause there are a hell of a lot more names I could drop . . . damn, you guys are starting to piss me off.

Anyways, he's got this funny way of answering the phone: both warm and with a hint of warning, like if you're a telemarketer or any other variety of ass clown you better watch out cause you picked the wrong guy on the wrong day. Lucky for me Dave doesn't know yet what a total punk I can be so we had a fine old chat, and I present it now to you my loyal servants.

Dave Rat: Is this article about whether or not women wearing clothes affects the sound quality at a strip club differently then if she were, say, wearing more clothing at a different kind of club?

EQ: Yes, of course that is exactly what this is about! So what are your feelings on the subject?

DR: As much as possible.

EQ: As much clothing?

DR: (Laughing) No, no, as much feeling!

EQ: Let me be serious for a moment: How'd you get started in the sound game?

DR: I was hanging around a lot of punk bands at a place called The Church in Hermosa Beach. Bands like Black Flag and Red Cross would rehearse there, SST records was basically started there. So I would record bands with two microphones …