POP MUSIC REVIEW : De-Energized Ratt at Sports Arena

Ratt emerged from the streets of Los Angeles at the beginning of the decade, and though it wasn’t the strongest band to come out of the period, its massive popularity--along with Motley Crue’s--helped pave the way for the current wave of hard rockers such as Guns N’ Roses.

Now it looks as if its years on the road have started to take their toll. Even though Ratt put in a good effort, its show at the Sports Arena on Sunday lacked the energy that is vital to a hard-rock outfit. After only 2 1/2 months of this tour, Ratt already seems weary.

The quintet still puts out some good material--”Way Cool Jr.” and “I Want a Woman” are both solid tunes from the latest album “Reach for the Sky.” But the black-leather-and-scarves image is becoming old hat, and the dignified restraint that kept the show on low heat was really underscored during the final encore: Don Dokken, Def Leppard’s Rick Savage and Motley Crue’s Vince Neil and Tommy Lee joined Ratt for AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” and the Crue duo’s liveliness was a reminder of why metal became so popular in the first place.

Second-billed Britny Fox, on the other hand, has a grating quality that is very unpleasant. This Philadelphia quartet cops a cocky attitude, but without quality tunes, it’s all flash and no substance.

The most exciting band on the bill was opener Kix. Catchy melodies add a sparkle to its raunchy rock ‘n’ roll, and even though the Maryland-based group has been playing this game longer than Ratt, it performed with twice the energy.