DOA's Joey Keithley - "I, Shithead" Book Cover

DOA is a hardcore punk rock band that formed in 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Along with the bands Black Flag, Bad Brains and Minor Threat, they are often considered the founders of hardcore punk rock.

The band has been around for more than 30 years and currently is fronted by singer/guitarist Joey “Shithead” Keithley and accompanied by Dan Yaremko and James Hayden. Their music, like most punk rock, takes a strong stance on politics. Their lyrics often involve anti-racism, anti-globalization, freedom and drug use. It is not uncommon for DOA to perform for causes and benefits to raise awareness on specific issues.

Since forming in 1978, DOA has created and released 16 studio albums, 7 compilation albums and 16 music videos. In total, they have sold more than 500,000 records and played more than 3000 shows in 30 different countries.

In keeping parallel with the “Do It Yourself” attitude that lots of punkers have, when DOA started, Joey Keithley created Sudden Death Records, an indie record label to release DOA albums on. The label remained only a part-time business until around 1998 when they began to sign more bands. Sudden Death Records now has about 30 bands signed to it.

DOA has been cited as an influence by many bigger and more well known bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Rancid and The Offspring. They have toured with The Clash, The Ramones, The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Nirvana and Minor Threat.

In 2004, the book “I, Shithead” was released, which recollects Joey Keithley’s life in punk rock. The book starts out from him and his friends as kids getting into music, starting DOA, rioting, drinking, and playing their music. The book reveals DOA’s famous slogan: “Talk minus Action equals Zero.”

As if the achievements over a 30 year career were not enough of a reward, in 2003, Vancouver’s then-mayor Larry Campbell declared December 21st to be “D.O.A. Day” in honour of the band’s 25th anniversary.

I, Shithead on Amazon

Medicine Hat Media DOA article from 2008 Calgary show

Music video after The Jump.