Ron Keel Forums

ROAD REPORT: Pennsylvania Kicks RK's ASS

RK - 9-7-2006 at 09:26 PM

Been a hell of a week....

This is my first opportunity to post and get caught up. After six days in Pennsylvania, there are a lot of stories to tell, people to thank, so let's get to it.

When last heard from, I was reeling from the 'welcome to PA' party that ensued as soon as I hit the Pittsburgh airport. Night 1 was spent getting aquainted with promoter 'Sweet Lou' Hetzer, the folks at the Rhythm House, the opening bands, Wayne 'Doobie' Dubay from GlamMetal.com and his lovely girlfriend/photographer Lin, and seeing some old friends like Marq Torien from the Bulletboys and Phil Varone from Skid Row.
Phil is now a stand-up comic, and also has a new movie about the decadadent rock n roll lifestyle, which we watched at the club while consuming Jager & Long Island's.

Day 2 - Saturday - showtime for me came early (6:30-ish pm) but the place was packed, the sound was good, and I really felt good about my gig. Good friends Randy & Chrissy Gill were the first of the road-trippers to appear (more about Randy & Chrissy later). I want to also thank Saturday's Ohio road trippers Joanna, Kathy, Colleen, and Wicks - they unfortunately showed up after my performance was over, so I took them and some other friends and fans backstage and proceeded with a private concert. Hope it was worth the ride!

Quiet Riot sounded great, it was very good to see those guys and hang a little bit. Bulletboys also rocked the house both nights.

Day 3 - Sunday - RK, Bulletboys, and various local openers + headliner Jackyl. Here's where it gets good.

The place was pretty well packed, and once again I had more than my fair share of road-trippers - Kathy & Jo hung out from the previous day, Randy & Chrissy were in it for the long haul, and my brother Scott Redding came out from Plain City Ohio with Woody & Chewy, a couple of members of my Plain City Posse. Very cool.

The soundman had gotten my microphone and my acoustic guitar dialed in and set the guitar on the stand, centerstage. I was literally moments away from taking the stage when some [Censored] apparently hit my guitar with a speaker (this is my BRAND NEW Red Dean Exotica FM acoustic guitar), knocked it over, and broke the end of the neck off right above the nut. I was standing behind the stage and heard the crash, saw the look on the faces of the audience.

They brought my guitar back to me in pieces.

There were no other acoustic guitars in the building for me to do my gig.

So the next band went on and I started drinking heavily. But those who know me know my mantra - The Show Must Go On. So I got hold of a tube a Superglue and glued the friggin' guitar back together, using my capo as a clamp to hold it while it dried.

A half hour later, I put a set of fresh strings on her and waited for the headstock to pop off. Stretched the strings and tuned her up. And I'll be damned if it didn't hold, and stay in tune.

I told 'em I was ready to hit the stage, Lou and I did a shot as he announced me, and I held the guitar over my head in victory before I plowed through a quick set that included the staples "Private Lies", "Heaven & Hell", "The Right To Rock", and a few others.

There was an early deprture the next morning - Randy & Chrissy and I did the four hour drive (well, Randy drove I slept) to Sunbury PA, where I was invited to "Marquette Madness" at the home of Dennis & Mary Marquette. For those who don't know, Dennis (username Metalman) and Mary (username Pita) are close friends of the RK and IH family who have made many long road trips to see us play in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York - and since I was kind of in the neighborhood, they put together a Labor Day party for family and friends and invited me to provide some live entertainment, which I was glad to do.

So in their backyard, under a tent, with a small PA system and my superglued guitar, we partied and laughed and sung, had a great time. I want to thank Dennis and Mary for having me, for all their hospitality and friendship. It was a pleasure.

Then yesterday (Wed) I went from Sunbury PA to Baltimore to Atlanta to Las Vegas, Thanks to everyone who made my PA adventure a great experience - I hope to post some photos soon.

utcherry - 9-8-2006 at 07:37 AM

I can't believe you super glued the guitar back together, that is just amazing. And the fact that it held too... wow!!

I bet that was a great show!!
I can just imagine the crowds faces when it broke, and their response when you told them it was the same guitar and that you super glued it.
That goes to show what a intelligent man you are. Not many people would have thought of super gluing it. I bet you some people would have been so angry that they would just say bag the whole thing and move on.

I love your road reports, they are very interesting!!

I still can't believe that you super glued that thing...
so what did you do with the guitar?
are you going to have it fixed?
or just keep the super glue look?? lol...

ttyl

Cherry

SexyLeo75 - 9-8-2006 at 05:58 PM

I must say this was a great weekend and definitely one to remember!! :cool::cool: P.S. Great job on the superglued guitar, it sounded great!! :D

PITA - 9-8-2006 at 11:22 PM

Just wanted to reply to Ron's post about the Marquette Labor Day Madness. After 4 and a half years of requests Ron finally came through for us. Once again had a absolute blast as did everyone who attended. Even with a broken guitar and a small PA system Ron sounded awesome. You won over a lot of new fans which I'm sure you'll be hearing from. People who wondered why we made so many long trips to OH, NY and PA made the comment to Ron saying now they understand why. It was great of you to do this, it means more than you'll ever know.;)


RK - 9-9-2006 at 10:29 PM

Man that guy with the guitar looks really friggin' tired....

drt - 9-10-2006 at 03:05 AM

Whether frigin' tired or not, it was AWESOME !!!
if not a RK fan prior definetly after MArquette MADNESS!!

skynyrdmh - 9-11-2006 at 03:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by utcherry
I can't believe you super glued the guitar back together, that is just amazing. And the fact that it held too... wow!!

That goes to show what a intelligent man you are. Not many people would have thought of super gluing it. I still can't believe that you super glued that thing...
so what did you do with the guitar?
are you going to have it fixed?
or just keep the super glue look?? lol...

ttyl

Cherry


Lets just say that RK has experience in this area!! LMFAO!! Time to call Dean again!! **Hello Henry.....um you aint gonna believe this but...........**

Sorry we didnt get to make this trip. Glad everyone had a good time. Mary and Dennis....we will catch up soon;)

MetalMan - 9-12-2006 at 02:12 AM

This was just GREAT! It was so awesome of Ron to do this for us. Everyone knows I'm a man of few words but I hope I was able to adequately say thank you.
We got together with some friends on Saturday to eat up some extra food and watch Randy's DVD and it is excellent. You made a lot of new fans here that day and I hope you can get back for us all again sometime.

Ron, as a token of my appreciation here is a small gift.

Well I woke up this morning - took a look around at everything I've got

Yeah these days I've been looking in the mirror

Wondering if that's me looking back or not



I'm still the apple of my Mama's eye

And I'm my Daddy's worst fears realized

Aw, but here of late - all this real estate

Don't seem all that real to me sometimes



I'm back out on that road again

Turn this beast into the wind

There are those the break and bend

I'm the other kind

I'm the other kind



Well my old buddy what's-his-name, said man what the hell are you thinkin' 'bout?

Fool, you got two of everything

But you hang your head just like you was down and out



And I'm damn sure not suffering from a lack of love

There's plenty more where that came from

Aw, but leave it up to me to say something wrong

And hurt someone before I'm done



I'm back out on that road again

Gonna turn this beast into the wind

'Cause there are those the break and bend

I'm the other kind

Yeah, I'm the other kind



You see it used to be I was really free - I didn't need no gasoline to run

Before you could say Jack Kerouac

You'd turn your back and I'd be gone



But nowadays I got me two good wheels

And I seek refuge on an IronHorse of steel

It takes me out there for a little while

And the years roll away with every mile



I'm back out on that road again

Gotta turn this beast into the wind

'Cause there are those the break and bend

I'm the other kind

Yeah - I'm back out on that road again

Gonna turn this beast into the wind

'Cause there are those the break and bend

I'm the other kind

I'm the other kind

I'm the other kind

I am a man of few words, but still a smart ass! :P

[Edited on 9-12-2006 by MetalMan]

RK - 9-12-2006 at 03:37 AM

Thanks again Dennis, I really enjoyed hanging with you. I appreciate the lyrics, but by the time I get back there next year I'll have forgotten them again...

By the way, I hope everyone caught the fact that in the photo of Dennis and I together, Mr. Marquette is wearing a KEEL shirt and Mr. Keel is wearing a MARQUETTE shirt.

The response to 'Marquette Madness' has been overwhelming...I have received thousands of emails, and there were only 25 people there...

RK - 9-13-2006 at 02:42 AM

REVIEW OF PITTSBURGH SHOWS ON LINE NOW:

http://glam-metal.com/laborday06.html

BIG_GEORGE - 9-13-2006 at 07:55 AM

Class act as always Brother! Great Review!

skynyrdmh - 9-13-2006 at 05:20 PM

Wonder what the stock price is currently for super glue....hmmmmm!!!

kleo - 10-14-2006 at 11:04 AM

Hey Ronnie,

Sounds like quite a trip! I can't believe that you were able to glue the neck back on....and use it :)

(go easy, this is my first post here :) )

skynyrdmh - 10-16-2006 at 03:06 PM

welcome kleo!!!