Debut Reunion Concert: January 31, 2009
“The Right To Rock” still echoes the sentiments of a generation and remains one of the defining anthems of 80’s Heavy Metal Music. And KEEL, the band that created it, is finally poised to revisit their legacy and reunite on stage for the first time to celebrate over two decades of good music and good times. 2009 will mark the band’s 25th anniversary, and the passing of twenty years since the classic KEEL lineup performed on stage together.
Ron Keel, Marc Ferrari, Bryan Jay, & Dwain Miller are preparing to perform a select number of dates in 2009. Due to the high visibility the act continues to receive, the members finally feel the time is right to deliver the show fans everywhere have been clamoring for: a KEEL reunion.
In 1985, “The Right To Rock” became the fastest-selling debut album in A&M Record’s history. The title track was a hit on radio & MTV and remains a staple on VH1 Classic, in addition to the group’s subsequent hits “Tears Of Fire,” “Because The Night,” “Somebody’s Waiting,” and “Rock & Roll Outlaw.” They developed a reputation as one of the genre’s most entertaining live acts, opening for heavyweights like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and many others. KEEL sold over 2 million albums and was proclaimed Best New Band by Metal Edge Magazine, Circus Magazine, and Rock Scene.
Through the years, the nucleus of the band has remained close friends, working together in various musical and business enterprises. Vocalist Ron Keel has maintained a high profile with a variety of projects and has remained intensely active as a recording and touring musician. He has continued to embrace and promote his time in KEEL in countless interviews, and his live shows have proudly included the KEEL hits. Guitarists Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay have continued to write, record, and perform and have remained in the industry via music publishing, song licensing, and other business ventures. When Ron’s band passed through L.A. on tour, they were joined on stage by Marc & Bryan – playing a medley of KEEL classics, and proving to themselves and the fans that the magic was still as strong as ever.
Unlike most of their contemporaries, none of the members has ever performed as KEEL since 1989. “It would not have been right,” expresses Ron. “Even though it was my last name, KEEL was a true band and I have always taken a stand against performing under that name with different musicians. I’ve had a number of bands in the years since, including Fair Game, IronHorse, and K2 – but there’s only ever been one KEEL and without Bryan, Marc, and Dwain I wouldn’t be doing this.” The four original members will be joined on stage by Ron’s long-time bassist Geno Arce, who spent six years with him in IronHorse.
A new web site has been launched to establish an internet home for the KEEL Reunion: http://keelreunion.com – and a companion MySpace page: http://myspace.com/keelband
The KEEL “Debut Reunion Concert” will take place in Hollywood on Saturday, January 31st. The location for this historic event will be Club Vodka at The Knitting Factory – see below for details.
Recent highlights have included KEEL’s live version of “The Right To Rock” on the “Hollywood Rocks” boxed 4-CD collection, and the band also participated in the accompanying documentary from Cleopatra Records/Ultra Films – Ron, Marc, and Bryan contributed a candid and insightful interview segment to the project, telling tales of Metal’s heyday, and discussing their career and the possibility of a KEEL reunion.
And in 2008, for the first time ever, KEEL’s rare independent debut album “Lay Down The Law” was finally released on CD by Shrapnel Records, digitally remastered with new packaging.
Plans are for KEEL to reunite at a select number of festivals and showcase dates to perform all their hits and classic favorites in celebration of 25 years of rock n roll history.