Ron Keel is a Hard Rocking legend. Starting out with Tennessee-based ‘Lust’ he soon came to prominence first with Steeler (which at one point featured Yngwie Malmsteen) and then ‘Keel’ who toured the world at the peak of Hard Rock’s popularity from 1984 to 1989. But he’s never stopped rocking, and last year with the Ron Keel Band might even have produced his best album yet in ‘Fight Like A Band.’ We caught up with Ron ahead of his trip down-under for the Melodic Rock Fest.
Ron: Hello Mark
Mark: Hi Ron, how are you?
Ron: I’m great man, how you doing?
Mark: Very good Sir, thank you so much for doing this. We really appreciate it.
Ron: It is my pleasure thank you for making it happen!
Mark: well great news! Ron Keel finally making it to Australia can you believe it?
Ron: I cannot believe it, this is a dream come true for me. If you had told me Mark in 1985, when ‘The Right To Rock’ came out, my first major label release. If you had told me 35 years from now you’ll be doing your first ever tour of Australia I’d think you were crazy. For a couple of reasons – first of all I’d be thinking I’m probably not going to live another 35 years, and second of all I’d be thinking if I do It’s not going to take me that long to get to Australia and bring ‘The Right to Rock’ to our fans over there. But man, better late than never, we got there eventually and I am super excited about this Melodic Rock Fest event, and the club tour leading up to it.
Mark: It should be fantastic I’m looking forward to it so much! I go back quite a way with Keel, the first time I saw you on stage was way back in 1986 on ‘The Final Frontier’ Tour.
Ron: Where was that?
Mark: In the UK, at the since renamed but forever iconic, Hammersmith Odeon.
Ron: Oh my goodness! What a great memory, three nights sold out at Hammersmith Odeon opening up for Dio on the ‘Sacred Heart’ Tour.
Mark: Exactly and what a double bill, it’s not often a support band just clicks with me, but you did it.
Ron: An amazing memory and I’ll never forget that experience in so many ways. I could tell you an hours’ worth of stories jut about that three night stand! I’m looking forward to getting back to Australia and make that dream come true, you can’t put a price on that, I’ve had an amazing run, an amazing ride and the journey’s not over yet!
Mark: aside from the wonderful original music you’ve made over the years one of the things I always loved about Keel is that you always picked some great cover songs to play and I notice that you still play what is one of my favourite covers ever I think – your version of ‘Because The Night’.
Ron: Absolutely, ‘Because the Night’ has been an important part of just about every show that I’ve done in the past 35 years, you know the thing is Mark, once you record a song and the album is finished and that experience is behind you from then on you’re still covering the songs whether I wrote it or Bruce Springsteen wrote it or The Rolling Stones wrote it, you’re still covering the song. And I’m fortunate that I only do songs that I love and songs that mean a lot to me, and that song was certainly a big fan favourite and one that’s a part of every show I do and you can bet I’ll be doing it loud and proud in Australia on this next tour.
Mark: In our Melodic Rock Fest interviews I’m trying to get an Australian connection and I’ve got there Ron in a roundabout way, it’s another song you covered with Keel ‘Rock and Roll Outlaw’.
Ron: The Rose Tattoo classic! And what a huge thrill and honour it was to be asked to record that song for that film. Penelope Spheeris who directed the movie ‘Dudes’ had chosen that song as the theme song for the movie and chose Keel to cover the song for the film and the movie soundtrack. It’s a great sound track album really – it’s got W.A.S.P., Megadeth, Keel, Steve Vai, Jane’s Addiction and some other great acts as well. That was a very important moment in my life and my career when we were able to shoot the video. That was really the birth of the ‘Metal Cowboy’ when we got to ride horses and shoot guns and wear cowboy hats. I thought “this is really cool” I felt very comfortable in that environment and I feel that was really the birth of my current persona ‘The Metal Cowboy’ and a huge honour to cover that song by Rose Tattoo. It’s OK for me to put that song ‘Rock and Roll Outlaw’ in the Australian show right?
Mark: Yeah, of course people will love it!
Ron: OK that’s good, no disrespect to Angry Anderson and Rose Tattoo because I have nothing but love and respect for them and the history of that band. And I certainly wanted to put that song in my show.
Mark: We’re good friends here at The Rockpit with Angry and talking to him next week about his new album, he’ll love it I’m sure.
Ron: Awesome.
Mark: Take us all the way back now Ron, what are your first memories of music, what got you hooked in the first place?
Ron: Well Mark for a lot of people of my generation that Beatles performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 as the pivotal moment. It was that one epiphany, and I was two years old! Only two years old and I remember it like it was yesterday on a black and white television on the floor, as we didn’t have any furniture. So on a black and white TV I saw The Beatles play on Ed Sullivan, I think it was ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and from that moment on I was hooked on Rock and Roll, the electricity, the excitement… I think I was very fortunate to know at a very early age what I wanted to do and from then on I was jumping up and down on the bed with a hairbrush in my hand. I started playing guitar at the age of six, I started playing drums at the age of nine but I credit all of that to The Beatles and my sister who was ten years older than me. She was what, twelve or thirteen years old at the time, and whatever my older sister thought was cool, I obviously wanted to be a part of it. So she sat down to watch The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and I sat down with her, saw that and my life was changed forever. Of course I then gravitated to the Top 40 and anything that was on the radio at the time. And by the late 60’s early 70’s I got hooked on whatever was the loudest, rudest, most aggressive, most exciting kind of music, which in the early 70’s was Kiss and Alice Cooper and Foghat – bands like that, who really got my Rock and Roll spirit energised. And I went through the 70’s with Kiss and then of course came AC/DC and then in the late 70’s Van Halen, more AC/DC, Scorpions, Judas Priest! I was always drawn and electrified by that Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Arena Rock sound!
Mark: Not a bad trajectory to take. So we have the seed planted, let’s find out where that led to. Can you remember the first song you ever wrote?
Ron: (laughs) I do, I do remember the first song I ever wrote, it had two chords (laughs) it was a love song, a cheesy ballad love song and I think I was fourteen. By that time I had started writing songs and playing guitar for real and trying to express my thoughts and feelings was hard because I was a drummer. I started out playing drums – I thought guitar was way too difficult for a guy like me and I loved beating on stuff! I was the lead singer and the drummer in my first bands when I was a teenager and I started to hear these songs in my head. And the songwriter in me tried to tell the guys in the band what I was thinking and hearing and I couldn’t communicate that without actually picking up the guitar and learning to play it properly. And you know my song writing has gone through a lot of evolution through the past forty plus years. And as I went from that first song to some of the first good songs that I wrote which I believe was in my time in Steeler in the early 80’s when I started to write songs like ‘Serenade’ and ‘Cold Day In Hell’.
Mark: Oh yes.
Ron: Some of these songs that are gonna be, and I don’t want to give away the setlist, but we are bringing some Steeler music to the Australian Tour as well.
Mark: As long as ‘Serenade’ is in there I’ll be more than happy.
Ron: Well as I said, I don’t want to give the setlist away, but why not Mark (laughs) for you.
Mark: (laughs)
Ron: No, ‘Serenade’ is definitely in the show, I love doing that song, and I probably do credit that with being the first good song that I wrote, what was it the summer of 1981 maybe? And I still do it live, I put it on my acoustic album, and I think that it has stood the test of time, and I’m glad to bring that song and the emotion behind it to the stages of Australia.
Mark: I’m sad to say that after those dates at Hammersmith it took me another 23 years to see you again at one of the first dates the reformed Keel played at Rocklahoma in 2009. That was a great moment to see you back on stage and there has been plenty of great music over the years but the oddest thing happened last year when you put out that last album ‘Fight Like a Band’ I don’t often say this but I think it’s my favourite to date.
Ron: Wow, I’m honoured to hear that. And that was a great show at Rocklahoma, I’m glad that you were there and got to experience that. It was a very special moment for me as well and I’m really thrilled to know that you’re still enjoying my music to this day, I must be doing something right.
Mark: It was quite a show and I know that there will be at least six other Australians who saw you on that day at Melodic Rock Fest.
Ron: Well Jules Millis was there from White Widdow, he was a kid in the front row with his fist in the air yelling at me, and I thought it was so cool. I got to meet him after the show and he was saying “We’re gonna get you to Australia mate, we’re gonna get you there and my band is gonna back you up” And that was 10 or 11 years ago now Mark and now Jules has stuck true to his word he’s been a good friend and supporter of mine and believe he was instrumental in convincing the promoter to get me over there and for White Widdow to back me up and now it’s really happening, and it’s just right around the corner. Dreams do come true man! But I have to give a huge thank you to people like Jules and all those involved behind the scenes at the Melodic Rock Fest and to people like you at The Rockpit for helping me promote this tour and these fantastic shows.
Mark: It’s my pleasure and completely selfish of course. One of the names that was on my list was Keel! (laughs)
Ron: My goal once I hit the ground running in Australia is to justify everyone’s faith, belief, support and friendship that we’ve shared through the music through the years and we’re gonna bring that to life onstage live in Australia.
Mark: I actually met you once briefly on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2015, I was hanging out at one of the ‘meet and greets’ with my mate Derek and the guys from Babylon A.D. and just watching how you interacted with the fans and put them at the centre of everything was so cool.
Ron: Cool, so we go back along way! You’ll have to put the photo up! I’m glad you and I have got to share some of those experiences over the years – at the Hammersmith Odeon, Rocklahoma and the Monsters of Rock Cruise and I am going to see you at least at one of these shows right? You’ll be at the Melodic Rock Fest?
Mark: I’ll certainly be there, wouldn’t miss the chance to see you on my home continent!
Ron: Yeah a little less far to travel this time! We’ll have a beer when you get there, celebrate the Rock and Roll, the friendships and the good times.
Mark: Pencil it in your diary!
Ron: It’s done!
Mark: Imagine you’ve hit Australia and we’ve booked you a table at the best Rock and Roll restaurant there is – you have four guests to invite and chat to all evening. Who are you going to invite?
Ron: Oh my goodness that’s a great question. I would probably be so star struck if I were to pick my choice four but it would have to be Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Rob Halford and I’d have to invite Gene Simmons, because Gene is an old friend of mine and he’s the one guy I was never star struck by. I just met Gene, we hit it off great, we worked together for a couple of years on ‘The Right To Rock’ and ‘The Final Frontier’ and it just always felt like we were kindred spirits cut out of the same cloth. I have nothing but huge admiration and respect for Gene…. Damn give me Sammy Hagar I need to invite five! (laughs) I need Sammy there too!
Mark: (laughs) Sammy can come definitely!
Ron: OK I’ll pull up another chair, we may need a bigger table. Me, Sammy, Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Gene Simmons and Rob Halford. (laughs)
Mark: I actually met Gene once when Kiss were touring Australia with Motley Crue and Thin Lizzy. I was at the hotel talking to Scott from Thin Lizzy and Gene came over and said hello, not to me obviously, but to Scott though he smiled and shook my hand. It was about the most surreal moment of my life to that point and then Gene said something to me and I replied and he laughed and for the life of me I can’t remember what I said! (laughs) I was too busy thinking “I can’t believe this is happening – I had posters of you two guys on my bedroom wall as a kid!”
Ron: (laughs) He’s a great guy man, he certainly had a huge impact on my life, my music, my career and he was obviously a huge help to us back in the day when he produced the ‘Right To Rock’ album and ‘The Final Frontier’. He really got my career shooting up the charts like a rocket. But he also taught me a lot of great lessons about music, about production, and about making records and about life and business. And I’ll always be forever grateful to Gene Simmons for his contribution to me and my life and my music.
Mark: If you could have been a fly on the wall for the creation of any great album just to see how the magic happened what would it be and why? What’s the album that most resonates with you?
Ron: Oh man it would have to be ‘Back in Black.’ After Bon Scott passed away those guys went right to work with a brand new singer in Brian Johnson, and you’ve heard the stories about how they were tracking the music and Brian was out in the other room trying to write lyrics at the same time. What an amazing experience that would have been to have been a fly on the wall during the recording of that album, one of the biggest selling records of all time, and one of my favourite records of all time. But that’s such a loaded question, there are so many great albums, ‘Van Halen I’ or any of The Beatles’ albums or so many others. But I have actually had the chance to really be a ‘fly on the wall for a couple of records that were recording in the studios next door – Barbra Streisand, Scorpions and Ozzy! I got to sneak in through the side door and take a peek into those moments in history. It’s a thrill just to be able to say you were there. Back in the day before we had easy video or audio or social media those experiences were only open to those that were actually there and lived it so I’m grateful for all of those incredible moments. I got to see Ozzy sing a studio vocal for ‘I Don’t Want to Change the World’ and to look behind the glass as Ozzy was cutting that vocal – it was priceless! And while I’m grateful for all of those experiences as a fan ‘Back in Black’ would have to be the one I’d love to have been part of that session. Just an incredible moment in Rock history.
Mark: One of the all-time great albums and done under such intense pressure.
Ron: Exactly, exactly and when it came out to all of us young Rock fans at the time it was a game-changer. And still to this day you can’t say enough about it, though most of it has been said. But that ‘Back in Black’ record its pure magic. Imagine having your lead singer die, one of Rock’s greatest front-men, and getting right back in the studio and right back to work with a guy Brian Johnson who still to this day rocks! How cool is that that AC/DC is now continuing to create and tour with Brian Johnson, that’s true right?
Mark: That’s what we’ve heard from a reliable source.
Ron: Oh man that’s so exciting. So many great stars from that generation: Brian and Angus, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, Rob Halford, these guys have been doing it so long and they’re getting up there in years and I am pushing sixty myself! I take so much inspiration from that generation, these are guys I grew up with, that I bought their records and played their songs when I was just a kid in high school and they are still delivering great quality music, songs, albums and shows, it really is a source of inspiration to me as I get into my final couple of decades in the business.
Mark: My heroes as well Ron, and a source of inspiration for many generations I’m sure. You actually covered a song by my absolute musical hero too on a track from ‘Larger than Live’!
Ron: Oh Steve Marriott!
Mark: Now that is a great cover again.
Ron: That is a great version, thanks for mentioning that, I love ‘Fool for a Pretty Face’, when we chose the cover song for ‘Larger than Live’ I also had some very dear friends help me with the session – Kevin DuBrow from Quiet Riot sang on that session with me and Jamie St James from Black ’N’ Blue. The session was live with me, Jamie and Kevin – the three of us surrounding the microphone and each of us trying to outdo each other – it was just an amazing moment – talk about being a ‘fly on the wall’.
Mark: That’s one I would have liked to have seen.
Ron: (laughs) I would scream than Kevin would scream then Jamie would scream, we’d all just be screaming at each other and with each other trying to bring that song to life. It was a great memory and one of my favourite cover songs of my career.
Mark: It’s not often people do justice to ‘The Pie’ but you certainly did.
Ron: And that was a special vocal for me too because doing Steve Marriott and doing him justice was certainly a challenge.
Mark: I always loved his quote “You can dress up a song however you like but if you can touch people with just a voice and acoustic guitar then you know you’ve made it”.
Ron: And that will always ring true. No one said it better and I live by those words.
Mark: And we always end with an easy one Ron…
Ron: (laughs) I already know this won’t be easy…
Mark: What is the meaning of life?
Ron: (laughs) That’s easy! (laughs) The meaning of life man, I think that’s something that everyone has to decide for themselves. For me it is living my life to the fullest, not wasting a minute, or a day, or a song, or an opportunity or a chance to share my happiness or my energy with people that I care about. I don’t know what happens after this, I don’t know about Heaven or Hell or the afterlife but I know that I’ve had an amazing time on this planet. I’m on a one day contract, I know that life is all too short, Father Time is undefeated and at some point I’ll have to say goodbye but until I do I’m gonna live like there’s no tomorrow.
Mark: Great words to end with. I will hopefully bump into you again in a few weeks in Melbourne.
Ron: I sure hope so. I plan to be out and about. I will do my show and then I will also be out with the crowd doing as many meet and greets as possible, shaking hands, having a beer and enjoying the other bands on the bill. Hey we go back to the Hammersmith dude, we gotta at least have a hug and a handshake and a beer!
Mark: (laughs) It was a great night I knew I’d seen you play with Dio and I knew the venue but I had to think back to get the date!
Ron: Do you know what night it was because we played three nights there?
Mark: I had tickets for the first night of the run, we got them as soon as they came out, and there were no online bookings in those days it was hard work to get a ticket to a show like that!
Ron: (laughs) The first night was good, the last night was incredible. The last night was the last day of the tour and we did what 14 countries with Dio on that tour. The last night after the how was over Lemmy, yes it was that night, Lemmy came backstage to my dressing room and said “Come with me” and when Lemmy says “Come with me” you do it right?! (laughs) So Lemmy guides me up this stairway at the side of the show room up to this side bar, there’s this little bar up in the corner… And Lemmy and Ronnie James Dio and so many other Rock Stars and friends, the guys from Keel were there, and Lemmy locked the door and shut the bartender out! And he was in charge, I mean Lemmy was serving me drinks all night – how cool was that!? It’s one of my favourite memories, the last night of the tour sat there with Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy and I don’t even remember who else, there were some other big time cats there but our drummer I know remembers a lot more than I do because I was drinking whatever Lemmy was serving! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs)
Ron: (laughs)
Mark: I could imagine that Lemmy a bartender might play havoc with the old memory!
Ron: It was a great moment man.
Mark: Thank you so much Ron, it’s been great to chat, you just keep making great music, like I said there’s not a lot I like more from your catalogue than that last record.
Ron: Thank you Mark that means a lot and that’s why I do it, there would be no point if you weren’t trying to make music that was at least as good or maybe better than you’ve done before. We’ve got a new record deal and there will be a new album of original material out in January 2021. We’re in the writing process at the moment trying to do something at least as good or better than we did with ‘Fight Like a Band’ so the pressure is always on! I try to keep the peddle down and I enjoy it that way.
Mark: It should be great and I can’t wait to hear both the old and the new stuff when you get over.
Ron: It should be a great show Mark, we’ve got one hour! A one hour set in which to condense all of my career and try to give everyone a little taste of everything. But we will do all the Keel hits, new material from ‘Fight Like a Band’, a couple of Steeler songs and Black Sabbath as well!
Mark: Black Sabbath, I think I might know what you’re hinting at there!
Ron: (laughs) We’ll see! I get there a few days early, were gonna rehearse for a few days before the tour starts and I can’t wait for that experience.
Mark: Neither can we! Look after yourself Ron and safe travels.
Ron: You too.
Mark: Thank you so much.
Ron: Thank you Mark, my pleasure, I appreciate it and can’t wait to see you in a couple of weeks.
Here it is Ron…
