Chosun - 10-10-2006 at 11:40 PM
I first saw Steeler play during a Heavy Metal Thursdays Night at the Country Club in Reseda, CA in 1983. My friends and I drove up from San Diego to
see them, as we were first introduced to them in BAM Magazine. (If I remember corrrectly, I think Steeler was advertised as a band that had
previously opened up for Judas Priest. That was enough to tell my friends and I that Steeler were true metal) Steeler were the headliner and the
opening bands were Wild Dogs and Black n Blue. Steeler was absolutely bitchin'! Ron Keel wore a tuxedo shirt, similar to that on the Steeler album,
and his voice absolutely kicked ass as he played his Charvel black/white Flying V! Yngwie shredded on the guitar and had an incredible solo. He
broke a guitar after his solo and tossed it into the crowd, and one of my friends was fortunate enough to get half the body (tore his hand up in the
process, too!). Rik Fox banged his blue Aria bass against his forehead as the band played the opening riff to On the Rox, which happened to be the
show's opening tune.
After that night, Steeler became my favorite heavy metal band. I bought a Steeler American Metal T-Shirt, bumper sticker, and button at the show. I
proudly wore that shirt during my early college years. I even have a soundboard recording of this show!!
I also saw Steeler twice during their final lineup. I remember them opening with Tonight Your Mine (later recorded by Keel) and still playing all the
killer Steeler album tunes. And I could swear they did a song called Fear no Evil, or something similar, which ended up being The Final Frontier
(again, recorded by Keel). RK, am I correct about this??? I had recordings of Dying in Love, Metal Generation, and Last Chance to Rock that I
recorded off LA radio station KLOS' local music show. And I still listened to them, up until the Steeler Anthology was released.
Yes, I absolutely loved Steeler. I have a copy of the Homegrown compliation featuring RK's Lust recording of Speed Demon, about eight copies of the
Steeler Cold Day in Hell 7 in, a few copies of Steeler's blue flyer complete with band picture advertising shows at the Roxy and the Country
Club, and a huge poster board with picture advertizing their show with Leather Angel. When Steeler broke up, it was devastating news to me and my
friends.
But, then RK went on to form Keel. And, of course, my friends and I made the long trek a few times to see them. We saw them at the Roxy, Country
Club, Troubador, and the Orange Show Pavillion. They always played a few Steeler songs, including On the Rox at their Roxy show. This was the only
time I witnessed Keel playing this song. I have a couple of "bootlegged" recordings of these shows. Quality sucks, but the energy is there! And I
was fortunate enough to also see Rik Fox band, Sin, play a couple of times...once at the Country Club and again in San Diego at a Roller Rink of all
places!!!
RK and RF, thanks for these memories and your music. And even though I am now in my early 40's, I still listen to Steeler and Keel tunes on my IPod.
I hope you both re- form Steeler for a short tour to promote the Anthology album. I will definitely be there if you do!!!
"i read about it in the paper, i saw it in the record store, i hear it on the radio, and now I got to have some more!!!"
RK - 6-8-2007 at 05:05 AM
HEY - awesome post. Thanks for the stories, the memories - speaking of memories, yours is a lot sharper than mine. But you are correct - the song "The
Final Frontier" was originally a Steeler song called - I THINK - "Hear No Evil". Lyrically, it was our response to all of the other acts who were, at
the time, cashing in on the fad of using Satanic themes in their music.
Thanks again for enjoying the music, then and now. Rock on.
Chosun - 6-17-2007 at 04:36 AM
Ron, thanks for the reply!! I'm stoked you read it and enjoyed it. Steeler was the first band that got me hooked to the LA heavy metal scene in the
80's, and my friends and I made plenty of treks from San Diego up to LA to see the bands. No matter what band we saw at the Country Club, Roxy,
Trobadour, etc...the band could never top that first Steeler show we saw that Heavy Metal Thursdays night at the Country Club. Thanks for the music
and all the memories, and I hope to relive them again if you tour for the Anthology album. Do you see a tour Steeler tour happening?