It’s all action and there’s 33 years worth of photos to prove it

D.O.A.’s Joey Keithley gives a visual history with new book

The faces may change due to age and line up changes, but D.O.A. is still Canada’s most reliable punk band. Supplied

This year sees legendary hardcore punk veteran and D.O.A. front man Joey “Shithead” Keithley release his second book, Talk - Action = 0: An Illustrated History of D.O.A., through Arsenal Pulp Press.

The book reads in chronological order from 1977 to present, documenting the Vancouver band’s colourful history.

The coffee table-like book boasts a stellar collection of photos, posters and ticket stubs. It’s combined with short, punchy narrative (including some very funny stories) that adds depth to the book.

“The cool thing is you don’t have to read it from start to finish,” Keithley says, over the phone from Vancouver. “Every page explains itself in a way.”

The book is more than just a history of pretty pictures accompanied by witty dialogue.

“It’s kind of like a self-starter to activism, in a sense showing what I and the band did along the way to do our little bit to change the world,” he says.

Further reading will show that this book is not just for the punks.

In the book, Keithley scoffs at the “paranoia” associated with punk music and believes that most people miss the point.

If you put your mind to it you can overcome almost anything. You have to be determined and have a great amount of self-belief. I happen to have both.

Joey “Shithead” Keithley, D.O.A.

“When people tend to think of punk rock they think of the loud music, and mohawk haircuts, and the studded jackets, and obnoxious behaviour - which is no doubt part of it,” he says. “The other thing is (punk) kind of really broke the mould. There was a real sense of self-expression without any rules.

“People who were looking for that were drawn together. ... You had bands that became punk rock bands, experimental bands, and new wave bands, and some reggae bands and we all hung together; it wasn’t exclusive. ... (We got) a sense of freedom we didn’t get from other types of music,” he concludes.

Keithley details with great precision the good, the bad and the ugly in Talk - Action = 0.  He shares the successes, the trials and tribulations, and the numerous breakups and revivals D.O.A. has endured.

Yet, the book always reads as optimistic, hinting at why D.O.A. has kept burning all these years.

And, the book’s overall message is one anyone can relate to.

“If you put your mind to it you can overcome almost anything,” Keithley says. “You have to be determined and have a great amount of self-belief. I happen to have both.”

The release of his new book brings Keithley and company to Winnipeg on Thursday, Oct. 27. Keithley is scheduled to appear solo at McNally Robinson at 5 p.m. for songs, stories and a Q&A. The band then hits the Pyramid at 9 p.m. where they’ll be turning on the amplifiers and showcasing what they do best - being one of the originators of hardcore punk.

Published in Volume 66, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 26, 2011)

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