Reviews
D.O.A.
Saturday, October 30
Underground
JOEY KEITHLEY BOOK READING
Saturday, October 30
McNally Robinson
Percussionist, actor, singer, composer, talk-show host, guitarist, record-label founder and political candidate – after 25 years as a punk-rock icon, D.O.A.’s Joey (Shithead) Keithley has pretty much seen and done it all. Add to that lengthy rap sheet his recent climb to the status of best-selling Canadian author and it’s hard not to admire the impact that one man can have on his musical genre, and beyond. Pairing a series of bookstore readings, or rantings, from his book I, Shithead with live D.O.A. performances, Keithley has managed to capture both his creative fruits and the essence that spawned them in one mighty media-fest of a tour. What could a stalwart punk rocker and long time delinquent have to contribute to the modern literary scene? Memories, my droogs, sweet memories – or what’s left of them.
Musing over the posh accoutrements of the McNally Robinson Bookstore which will host his upcoming book talk, Keithley reverts to his old hardcore sense of humour. "I think they’ve made a big mistake by having me," he says, mischievously.
"I never dreamed I’d have a Canadian bestseller. The book was a lot of fun to write. It’s full of stupid stuff we did – tales of surviving tumultuous times. The whole thing is really a backdrop to what was going on at that time with the arms race and environmental issues. Everything’s in there, I didn’t have to expand on anything, it’s all pretty much verbatim," says Keithley, who prefers to tell stories based on the material to reading directly from his books. "I’ll throw in my two-cents worth on current politics and daily events, as well. Doing the book thing along with our live shows makes a lot of sense. Do a sound check, grab some dinner, do a talk, then it’s off to the gig."
Rising from his keyboard huddle after his book’s publication in 2003, Keithley marched right into the studio to record D.O.A.’s first full-length studio effort in three years. Binding together elements of reggae and rebellion, the legendary Vancouver-based rabble-rousers came forth with Live Free or Die!, as bold a political statement as they’ve ever made. Boasting a rumpled American flag sullied with a black thumbprint, this latest blast at North America’s economic strongholds recycles some of the greatest protest songs of the ’60s and sets them to a devil’s jig.
"We all suggested our favourite antiwar songs and then decided which ones we were going to cover. We all liked CCR’s ‘Bad Moon Rising,’ Barry McGuire’s ‘Eve of Destruction’ and possibly the best antiwar song ever written – Dylan’s ‘Masters of War.’ We also did a version of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Child,’ but didn’t have room to fit it onto the final cut of the album. Four or five of the other songs on the album are ska kinda songs, which is a departure for us. We’ve done reggae stuff before, but never out-and-out ska with horns and everything. We like to change things up and add humour to our records. Like the song ‘Marijuana Motherfucker’ – it’s just fucked up."
Exchanging blows with the powers that be is a dodgy game of cat and mouse, at best, but after two dozen releases, and a couple thousand live performances, the road-hardened crew of D.O.A. are as capable of giving out the punishment as well as taking it. Setting himself up as an acoustic-anarchist martyr, Keithley has appeared at rallies, picket lines and protests – guitar in hand. He has also released a solo album entitled Beat Trash (a loving tribute to songwriters such as Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly). Keithley has also made his mark on the Canadian music industry by setting many artists on a more righteous path via his own homegrown label Sudden Death Records. Openly offering his considerable experience and sage advice to the masses, Keithley feels he has everything to gain by continually stretching his abilities and seeking out new perspectives on life.
"My father gave me a strong work ethic, but of course he wanted me to be a business man," Keithley says, laughing. "I’ve met artists who have sold 100,000 albums, but then get dropped by their record label anyways. When I first talk to them they’re like lambs lost in the woods. They’ve never driven a truck, or set up an amp, or peddled a CD. If you continue that process then you don’t have the right to beef about it. The more (that) artists are involved in the crafting of their own ideas, the happier they are going to be with the end result. You can accomplish anything if you have a positive outlook on yourself. That’s it," he says, "I’m going to become the Tony Robbins of the positive power of punk. Look out, Tony! I’m coming to getcha!" |
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