D.O.A.

by Greg Prato
It wasnt long before punk rock expanded beyond just New York City, London, and Los Angeles during the mid- to late 70s, as evidenced by the emergence of the long-running Vancouver, Canada based outfit, D.O.A.. Originally formed in 1978, D.O.A. has been led from the beginning by singer/guitarist Joe Keithley, (aka Joey Shithead), who has been joined by a wide variety of other bandmates through the years (including future Black Flag/Danzig/Social Distortion drummer Chuck Biscuits), although guitarist Dave Gregg was present for much of the hijinks up until 1990. The same year as their formation, D.O.A. issued a debut EP, Disco Sucks, before following it up with a pair of full-lengths that many longtime fans consider D.O.A.s classic recordings, 1980s Something Better Change and 1981s Hardcore 81 (a popular compilation of both releases plus early tracks reared its head in 1984, as Bloodied But Unbowed). Since the beginning Keithley has been unafraid to voice his political opinions (a renowned D.O.A. slogan among their faithful is TALK-ACTION= 0), which at one point, landed him in jail. D.O.A. would go on to sporadically issue albums throughout the 80s and 90s (including such highlights as 1982s War on 45, 1985s The Dawning of a New Error, 1993s Loggerheads, etc.). The group also found time to collaborate with another outspoken punk leader, former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, on 1990s Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors. Like Biafra before him, Keithley took the plunge and attempted to enter politics, running as a candidate in Canadian provincial and civic elections for the Green Party in 1996. Keithley also runs his own indie record company, Sudden Death Records, and issued an autobiography in late 2003, titled I, Shithead: A Life in Punk. D.O.A. continues strong to this day, as evidenced by such releases as 2002s Win the Battle. As a result of Keithleys hard work, D.O.A. is often name-checked as an important influence by other hardcore/punk bands, including such notables as Green Day, the Offspring, Rancid, and Propagandhi, among others.