1978 Line-up:
Joey Shithead (vocals, guitar)
Randy Rampage (bass)
Chuck Biscuits (drums)
1985-1987 Line-up:
Joey 'Shithead' Keighley (vocals, guitar)
Brian "Sonny Boy Roy" Goble (bass, vocals)
Ken 'Dimwit' Montgomery (drums)
Dave Gregg (guitar, vocals)
Joey "Shithead" Keighley (guitar/vox)
Jon Card (drums; replaced Dimwit)
1992 Line-up:
Joey 'Shithead' Keithley (vocals, guitar)
Chris Prohom (guitar, vocals; replaced Gregg)
Ken Jensen (drums)
1998 Line-up:
Joey 'Shithead' Keithley (vocals, guitar)
Formed in Vancouver in 1978, DOA have managed to be the longest reigning punk act in Canada. After making their debut with the 'Triumph Of The Ignoroids' EP in 1979, the 'Something Better Change' (1980) and 'Hardcore '81' (1981) albums established DOA's dynamic formula of fast, rousing political.
The 'War On 45' EP won the group new converts in Europe, before they moved to a new spiritual home at Alternative Tentacles. By this time the personnel had shuffled, with Dave Gregg now on guitar, Gregg James on drums and Brian Goble on bass joining Keighley (aka Keithley).
After the career anthology 'Bloodied But Unbowed' (1984), 1985's 'Let's Wreck The Party' caught them at a peak, both in popularity and form. The hardest touring hardcore band in the world went on the road for the 174th time in 1986 across Canada. They played a sold out show at the Edge in Vancouver and a surprise visit by Randy Bachman for a duet on D.O.A.'s "Takin' Care Of Business" remake. Also that year they helped secure a 5 year deal from Profile Records.
Unlike their rivals, however, DOA refrained from crossing the sonic and ideological borders between punk and heavy metal. True (North) Strong And Free (1987) was almost as good, and royalties from songs such as "Ready To Explode" were donated to the ANC. Topics broached included the domestic growth of fascism ("Nazi Training Camp") and Canada's cultural domination by the USA ("51st State"). Long-standing guitarist Dave Gregg made way for Chris Prohom on Murder (1990), followed by 'Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbours' (1990), a collaboration with Jello Biafra.
Talk Minus Action Equals Zero (1991) brought DOA back into the above-ground limelight as did their major label outing of 1993's '13 Flavours Of Doom' .
John Wright (No Means No) drummed for the band following Ken Jensen's death in 1995. After Wright played drums on 'The Black Spot',' the drums went to Brian O'Brien, and then again to somebody called The Great Baldini.
Chuck Biscuits has been hardcore's best-known percussion stylist and would subsequently work with the Circle Jerks, Black Flag and Danzig.
with notes from Robert Gutman.
Singles
1978 Disco Sucks [4 song EP] (Sudden Death) 001
1978 The Prisoner/13 (Quintessence) QS-102
1979 Disco Sucks [4 song EP] [re-issue] (Quintessence) QEP-002
1979 World War III/Watcha Gonna Do (Sudden Death/Quintessence] QD-206
1981 Positively DOA [5 song EP] (Alternative Tentacles/Virus 7 - UK)
1983 Right To Be Wild [2 song 7"] [Ltd. Edition benefit for The Vancouver 5]
1983 Right To Be Wild [2 song 7" re-issue] (Sudden Death)
1983 General Strike/That's Life (Sudden Death) 004
1984 The John Peel Sessions: Don't Turn Yer Back (On Desperate Times) [EP] (Alternative Tentacles)
1986 Expo Hurts Everyone [features "Billy And The Socreds" by D.O.A/"Tyrannosaurus Wrexpo" by Rhythm Activism]
1991 Communication Breakdown//LA Woman/Won't Get Fooled Again [promo single w/'Greatest Shits' LP] (QQRYQ Productions - Poland) QQP-019SP
Albums
1979 Triumph Of The Ignoroids [4 song 12"] (Friends) FR-001
1980 Triumph Of The Ignoroids [4 song 12" - CENSORED] (Friends) FR-001
1980 Something Better Change (Friends/Black Band) FR-003
1981 Hardcore '81 (Friends) FR-010
1983 War On 45 [8 song 12"] (Fringe Product) FPE-3006
1983 War On 45 [8 song 12" - different track list than Canada version] (Alternative Tentacles/Virus - UK) 24
1983 Bloodied But Unbowed (CD Presents) CD-016
1983 Bloodied But Unbowed [different track listing] (Alternative Tentacles/Virus - UK) 31
1985 Don't Turn Yer Back [4 song 12"] (Alternative Tentacles/Virus - UK) 42
1985 Let's Wreck The Party (Justin Time) JTB-840
1987 Ready To Explode/Ready To Explode (Profile - US) PRO-7144-DJ
1987 True North, Strong And Free (Profile - US) PRO-1228
1988 Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbors [with Jello Biafra] (Alternative Tentacles/Virus - US) 78
1990 Murder (Restless/Roadrunner - US) LS-9413
1991 Talk - Action = Zero (Live) (Roadrunner - Holland) LS-9251-1
1991 Greatest Shits (QQRYQ Productions - Poland)
1992 Bloodied But Unbowed/War On 45 [re-issue] (Restless/Roadrunner) LS-9185-1
1993 The 13 Flavours Of Doom (Alternative Tentacles/Virus - US) 117
1994 Loggerheads (Alternative Tentacles)
1995 The Black Spot (Essential Noise)
1998 Festival Of Atheists (Sudden Death)
2002 Win The Battle (Sudden Death)
2003 War And Peace (Sudden Death)
Video
Compilation Tracks
1979 "Kill Kill This Pop", "I Hate You" on 'Vancouver Complication'
198? "Let's Fuck", "Disco Sucks", "New Wave Sucks", "Woke Up Screaming" on Vancouver Nuggets (Cassette) [bootleg]
1981 "The Prisoner" on 'Let Them Eat Jellybeans' [UK also in US & France]
1984 "Tits On The Beach" on Something To Believe In [B.Y.O./Fringe Products]
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