Our thoughts and our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Our first show of the year, the Stockholm Rock Out on April 30th, has been postponed until September 10-11 due to this unfortunate disaster. We are bummed, but this is obviously out of our control and the promoter did the right thing. We really feel for the fans that have bought tickets, plane tickets, and paid in advance for accomodations.

The following statement comes from Andy Hooper, a geologist who did his postdoctoral research at the University of Iceland’s Institute of Earth Sciences:

"It remains a very real possibility that the volcano will continue to erupt on-and-off for months to come, as occurred during the last eruptive period” at Eyjafjallajokull in 1821-23. Mr. Hooper added, “Like 1821-1823, this current eruption is likely to remain small in terms of volume, but in an age of mass aviation, a relatively small amount of erupted ash is having huge consequences.”

It's not the first time forces beyond our control have wrought havoc with my touring schedule. In 1986, KEEL was in the midst of our first European tour when the worst nuclear power plant accident in history occurred at Chernobyl. In 2003, my band IronHorse was performing at Freedom Fest in San Diego, welcoming a wave of U.S. military personel home from the Middle East, when devasting wildfires ravaged the area and killed 16 people (we were confined to our hotel for two days watching the smoke and flames). In 2005, our fall tour with the Acoustic Outcasts was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding Hurricane Katrina. And the tornado-like conditions which collapsed the side stages at Rocklahoma 2008 (nearly on top of our heads) deserves at least an honorable mention.

Our condolences and apologies to the fans who were looking forward to the Stockholm Rock Out as much as we were, we look forward to rocking with you in Scandinavia in September. And to everyone else who has had their life turned upside down by the eruption, our sympathies and best wishes are sincere and heartfelt.