Ratcat became the first Australian alternative, guitar-driven band to crack the big time locally during the early '90s. Beginning with singer/guitarist Simon Day and bassist Victor Levi's garage band Danger Mouse, Ratcat's following in Sydney grew thanks to several live performances among the skate-punk scene. In December 1987, the band released their eponymous debut mini-LP on the Waterfront label. Their debut full-length album, The Nightmare, followed in 1989 and led to a deal with the rooArt label. They contributed the single "You Get Me By" to the label's various-artists compilation Youngblood II. But it was The Tingles EP, released in November 1990, that gave the band their biggest success. It raced to number one on the Australian national charts, as did the catchy single "Don't Go Now." The album, Blind Love, released in July 1991, also went to number one nationally. The band then opened for INXS' X tour as well as performed their own concerts. In September 1991, Ratcat toured the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., supporting such acts as Ride, Iggy Pop, Teenage Fanclub, Violent Femmes, and the Wonder Stuff. Ratcat released their next album, Insideout, in 1992, which featured a duet between Day and Falling Joys' Suzie Higgie. After two more EPs, Rain and The Smiler, were released in 1993, the Easy Rider album was finally completed and released in 1997. ~ Brendan Swift