Punk legends D.O.A. are calling it quits and will be making a final stop in Red Deer next month. They perform Feb. 21 at The Vat.
D.O.A. have traveled the world almost continuously since they formed back in 1978 and released their debut album Disco Sucks.
That recording launched a career that included 14 studio albums and three generations of fans. In 1981, they made the term “hardcore” their own and pushed it into the common vernacular with their disc Hardcore 81 and subsequent tours.
Consequently, D.O.A. has been cited as a major influence for bands ranging from The Red Hot Chili Peppers to Green Day to Rancid to The Offspring. They followed that up with their groundbreaking EP War on 45 and Bloodied But Unbowed.
This year marks the band’s 35 and final year as Canada’s ‘godfather’ of punk Joe Keithley embarks on a political career seeking the NDP nomination in Coquitlam, B.C.
The band has always had a political bent – their slogan Talk-Action=0 pretty much sums it up. Over the years, the guys have played benefits for anti-racism causes, education, anti-globalization initiatives, anti-war groups, Oxfam, First Nations rights, and environmental causes amongst several others.
“I’ve been working on trying to change Canada and this world into a better place from outside the system for the last 35 years,” said Keithley. “Now I will do my utmost to effect that change from within the system.”
Eastern Canada has already packed venues for the final string of D.O.A. show there last fall, and currently the final dates have been announced for B.C., Alberta and California.
Fans can expect tunes spanning their many years together plus cuts from their latest CD We Come In Peace.
-Weber
