The current world climate makes right now the perfect time for punk rock.

And that doesn't mean the bogus, sped-up predictable pop of a band like, say, Good Charlotte, who don't even try to hide the fact they want to be arena rock stars by releasing a song called The Anthem.

No, it's the perfect time for the original hardcore -- the perfect time for D.O.A.

"I suppose it's the perfect time in a way, although it's a weird time because people are torn between what they think is right and wrong about (the war)," says the legendary West Coast band's frontman Joe Keithley. "So far there's really nothing right about it if you ask me."

Why wouldn't anyone ask him? Keithley has plenty to say about a great number of things during his career, fronting one of the five most influential punk rock bands in history -- and one of the most enduring.

D.O.A.'s current tour, which brings them to the Night Gallery tomorrow night, is in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

"It's hard to believe, hard to believe," laughs Keithley, who's been the one constant throughout. "First off, who'd believe it, and who would want it?"

Well, besides the fans, young and old, who still pack clubs and community halls around the world -- or the Vancouver Canucks who've adopted a specially recorded song, Are You Ready?, as something of a good-luck charm which they play during every home game -- how about the Vancouver city council ,which officially declared Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002 as D.O.A. Day?

Not bad for a band that once had to worry about police harassment and arrests in their hometown just for putting on gigs.

"People at first thought we were just obnoxious loudmouths," says Keithley of the acceptance. "Maybe, after awhile, they realized we were obnoxious loud mouths with a point."

Keithley's still making a point with his music -- live and in the studio, as D.O.A.'s newest album Win the Battle bears witness.

Tracks like Just Say No to the WTO, Junk City Nowhere (Vancouver) and, most notably, Warmonger should add a little more spice to the current D.O.A. shows -- although, it's not like Keithley needs any more incentive to make them memorable.

"These shows, I treat them like ... 'Well, we better make this a good one, because you know what, you never know when it's the last one,' " he says, before realizing how fatalistic that sounds. "I hope not, we're planning to make it to 30 years."