Guitarist: Dead Kennedys Reunion Not Happening Because of Jello

Those hoping to see Jello Biafra reunite with the rest of the members of Dead Kennedys will have to continue to wait.

In a new interview, the iconic punk band's original guitarist revealed why it's not happening anytime soon.

East Bay Ray Says Reunion Is Up To Biafra

Original Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray recently sat down with Guitar World to discuss the 45th anniversary of the band's debut album, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables.

Today, Ray and bassist Klaus Flouride are the only remaining original members in Dead Kennedys. The band has toured off and on with a rotating cast of musicians after the 1986 departure of polarizing lead singer Jello Biafra.

With other punk bands from that era still popping up on festival lineups in 2025 (see the Circle Jerks at Coachella), is it time for Biafra to get back with the rest of DK's founding members?

"It's not an issue for me or Klaus," Ray told Guitar World. "It's Biafra that turns down any offers for us to do something; we don't have a problem."

Further complicating matters is a 1998 lawsuit that saw Ray, Flouride and drummer D.H. Peligro sue Biafra for unpaid record royalties. A judge ordered the embattled former lead singer to pay the band members nearly $200,000 for damages and punitive fees.

"He got caught with his hands in the till and wants to blame us for getting caught, but he should never have put his hands in there in the first place," Ray said.

Dead Kennedys To 'Wind Things Down'

If Biafra were to reunite with the rest of the band's founding members (Peligro died in 2022), it would need to happen soon. Ray told Guitar World the current version of Dead Kennedys would "wind things down a bit" in the coming months.

Ray and Flouride have decided to scale back on the number of shows they play each year in an attempt to avoid long stints on the road.

"We're not 20 anymore, and we don't play the kind of music that you can sit down to play."

The Dead Kennedys are next set to play a string of dates in Spain beginning June 10 in Palma.