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Interview with Joey “Shithead” Keithley
By Sean Koepenick
Intro:
EC: How did you first become involved in music? Joey: I drummed on a chair at my sister’s wedding when I was 11. Then I bought a drum set with my paper route money and I joined the school band. I switched to guitar when I was 18. EC: What music had a significant impact on you while you were growing up? Joey: A lot of folk music, The Weavers, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, there was a lot of politics in that music. Later I listened to a lot of Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix. EC: What was the name of your first band and what was the worst gig you had with them? Joey: We called ourselves Led Balloon (because that’s how we thought it would go over with the audience) Then we chickened out of playing, we were about 14. The first real gig was with a band called The Resurrection (don’t worry it wasn’t some useless Christian band, more like the Doors). We played a wake for a logger that got crushed by a log. We were asked to stop after four songs. EC: How did D.O.A. come together as a band? Joey: I came back from playing and living in Toronto with my first punk band The Skulls. And put out an ad. I found Randy, taught him how top play bass and gave him the nick name Randy Rampage. Then I tried out Dimwit’s little brother Chuck (Biscuits) on drums and he was great. EC: How did it feel to get your first record out into the public eye? Joey: Pretty cool, but it was a lot of work. We paid for it and I did all the distribution by driving to record shops around and Vancouver and mailing them to stores, fanzines and radio out of town. EC: What type of subject matter influences your songwriting? Joey: Anything that’s pissing me off. I watch TV, talk and listen to people, check stuff online. The subject matter is usually pretty political and funny. EC: Name some of the double bills you have played that were the most memorable for you? Joey: We played on a ton: With Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie, P.I.L., The Clash. Motorhead, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, X, The Avengers, Rancid, Bryan Adams, BTO, Ramones. EC: Politics seems to be a frequent topic in your songs. Will you run for elected office again? Joey: Yes I may run for city council in my home town of Burnaby, BC, I intend to be the mayor within 10 years. EC: Most rewarding studio record for you to make and why? Joey: Too many to name. EC: Any songs that you would like to have buried in the closet? Joey: Nah, some are better than others obviously, but we a have a good track record (and lots of good records!) The songs just reflect what was going on in the world and my life at hat time. EC: What’s the largest crowd you’ve played in front of? Joey: We opened for Noam Chomsky on a beach in Vancouver; there were 20,000 there for that. EC: Do you think punk is an effective tool for change or is just like any other music now out in the mainstream? Joey: Well a lot of the successful “punk” of today seems like it’ almost in the mainstream, but there are some good punk bands out there still causing shit! EC: What musician would you like to collaborate with on a song? Joey: Willie Nelson. EC: Why did you decide to start your own record label? Joey: We could not get anybody to pay for a record (mind you we had only been going for four months) so I thought D.I.Y. was the way to go. EC: What non D.O.A. record are you most proud of putting out? Joey: The Vancouver Complication compilation, it’s a great document of the scene back in ’79. EC: Best tour you have ever been on and why? Joey: That’s a toughie; there’s been lot of great tours. EC: Explain how the songwriting process works for you. Joey: Usually I look for a key lyric and then try to find a musical phrase that suits that lyric mood wise and build from there. EC: How hard is to manage a full time band and a family at the same time? Joey: It’s a balancing act. Family comes first but music is a close second. I don’t sit around very much; I might relax by watching a hockey game while playing a guitar. EC: What activities do you enjoy when you are not playing music? Joey: Playing guitar and songwriting. Also some sort of sports, like chucking around the football, baseball and some road hockey. EC: What current bands/artists do you listen to now? Joey: Is before 1985 current? Seriously not a lot, I don’t spend very much time listening to music at all. If something’s cool I’ll hear about from a friend, but I don’t get absorbed in anything like I used to. EC: How do you approach creating a solo record versus a D.O.A. release? Joey: Not much differently except when it comes to the shows that are set up to promote a record. EC: Will we ever get an all hockey record from you? Joey: We already did, must have had iffy circulation. In 2009 Sudden Death released D.O.A. Kings of Punk, Hockey and Beer. Send us your mailing address and we will send you one, it’ pretty good. EC: What is next for you and D.O.A? Joey: Spread out over the next 6 months we are off to Australia, New Zealand, China, Brazil and Argentina.
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Right: D.O.A. photo by Diane Foy