Joe Keithley
Encyclopedia
Joey "Shithead" Keithley (born Joey Keighley; June 3, 1956) is a punk
musician with the band D.O.A.
. He was raised in Burnaby, British Columbia
, Canada
, and attended Burnaby North Secondary. At age 11, he began playing drums. He would later take up the guitar and vocals. He owns and operates his own record company, Sudden Death Records
. The recording company was started in 1978 as a DIY response to lack of interest from major labels. His motto is 'TALK-ACTION=ZERO.'
In 1977, Keithley, along with Chuck Biscuits
' older brother, started a band called the Skulls
. After the breakup of the Skulls, Keithley formed D.O.A. with Biscuits.
In 1990 D.O.A. briefly disbanded, and in that time Keithley started a band called Joey Keithley's Instinct. However, Keithley quickly turned back to D.O.A, re-constructing the line-up and releasing a new album.
D.O.A. are known for playing peace rallies and environmental events. Keithley has been increasingly interested in politics, saying that shows where he can make a difference are more rewarding. In university, he planned to become a civil rights lawyer, but was sidetracked into music. In 1996 and 2001, Keithley ran in the British Columbia
provincial elections for the Green Party of British Columbia
. In 2001, he received the highest percentage of the vote next to party leader Adriane Carr
.
In 2004, he published the autobiography I, Shithead: A Life in Punk. He was also inducted into the Canadian Independent Music Hall of Fame.
He has also done solo work, releasing a mix of music and spoken word
. In 1999, he released his first solo record, Beat Trash. This was followed by "Band of Rebels" in 2007.
Keithley appeared in the punk/cult film Terminal City Ricochet
, as well as contributing music (through D.O.A.) to the soundtrack. He was interviewed for a documentary titled Let's All Hate Toronto
, produced by Elevator Films and published by The Disinformation Company. In 2006, Keithley was featured prominently in the feature-length documentary American Hardcore
. Keithley was also featured in the 2010 documentary Open Your Mouth And Say... Mr. Chi Pig, a film that looks at the life of Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU
, produced by Prairie Coast Films.
In 2008, The Vancouver Sun
newspaper named Keithley one of British Columbia's most influential people of all time.
During D.O.A.'s 2011 Canadian tour, Keithley gave free solo acoustic performances in 3 of the tent cities that had appeared across Canada in support of the Occupy Wall Street
protests, occupy ottawa, occupy regina and occupy vancouver.
Keithley has three children, which he says has added to his motivation for activism.
He was born Keighley (with a "g") but changed his name to Keithley because people couldn't pronounce it correctly.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
musician with the band D.O.A.
D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
. He was raised in Burnaby, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and attended Burnaby North Secondary. At age 11, he began playing drums. He would later take up the guitar and vocals. He owns and operates his own record company, Sudden Death Records
Sudden Death Records
Sudden Death Records is a Vancouver, British Columbia based record label run by Joe "Shithead" Keithley.Sudden Death Records arrived in Canada's burgeoning punk scene in 1978. It was only a part-time label until 1998, when they began to expand further into punk rock music...
. The recording company was started in 1978 as a DIY response to lack of interest from major labels. His motto is 'TALK-ACTION=ZERO.'
In 1977, Keithley, along with Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits is a Canadian-born drummer, now a U.S. citizen, who is best known as an original member of the heavy metal/hard rock band Danzig. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion in the late 1990s...
' older brother, started a band called the Skulls
The Skulls (Canadian band)
The Skulls were an early Vancouver punk rock band, whose members would later found two of the area's bands: D.O.A. and The Subhumans. They toured heavily and issued a demo, but never released any albums.-Biography:...
. After the breakup of the Skulls, Keithley formed D.O.A. with Biscuits.
In 1990 D.O.A. briefly disbanded, and in that time Keithley started a band called Joey Keithley's Instinct. However, Keithley quickly turned back to D.O.A, re-constructing the line-up and releasing a new album.
D.O.A. are known for playing peace rallies and environmental events. Keithley has been increasingly interested in politics, saying that shows where he can make a difference are more rewarding. In university, he planned to become a civil rights lawyer, but was sidetracked into music. In 1996 and 2001, Keithley ran in the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
provincial elections for the Green Party of British Columbia
Green Party of British Columbia
The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is led by former Esquimalt municipal councillor, university professor and businessperson Jane Sterk, she was elected by the party in 2007. Penticton realtor and columnist Julius Bloomfield serves as the deputy...
. In 2001, he received the highest percentage of the vote next to party leader Adriane Carr
Adriane Carr
Adriane Carr is a Canadian academic, activist and politician with the Green Party in British Columbia and Canada. She is also a Councillor-elect on Vancouver City Council. She was a founding member and the Green Party of British Columbia's first leader from 1983 to 1985, whereafter the party...
.
In 2004, he published the autobiography I, Shithead: A Life in Punk. He was also inducted into the Canadian Independent Music Hall of Fame.
He has also done solo work, releasing a mix of music and spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
. In 1999, he released his first solo record, Beat Trash. This was followed by "Band of Rebels" in 2007.
Keithley appeared in the punk/cult film Terminal City Ricochet
Terminal City Ricochet
Terminal City Ricochet is a 1990 film by Filipino director Zale Dalen. The name was taken from a hockey team called the Terminal City Ricochets....
, as well as contributing music (through D.O.A.) to the soundtrack. He was interviewed for a documentary titled Let's All Hate Toronto
Let's All Hate Toronto
Let's All Hate Toronto is a 2007 Canadian documentary film co-directed by independent documentarian Albert Nerenberg and Rob Spence. The documentary is a comedic examination of the reasons why everyone in Canada seems to hate Toronto...
, produced by Elevator Films and published by The Disinformation Company. In 2006, Keithley was featured prominently in the feature-length documentary American Hardcore
American Hardcore (film)
American Hardcore is a documentary directed by Paul Rachman and written by Steven Blush. It is based on the book American Hardcore: A Tribal History also written by Blush. It was released on September 22, 2006 on a limited basis...
. Keithley was also featured in the 2010 documentary Open Your Mouth And Say... Mr. Chi Pig, a film that looks at the life of Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU
SNFU
SNFU is a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have released nine full-length albums and are cited as a formative influence on the skate punk sub-genre....
, produced by Prairie Coast Films.
In 2008, The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
newspaper named Keithley one of British Columbia's most influential people of all time.
During D.O.A.'s 2011 Canadian tour, Keithley gave free solo acoustic performances in 3 of the tent cities that had appeared across Canada in support of the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
protests, occupy ottawa, occupy regina and occupy vancouver.
Keithley has three children, which he says has added to his motivation for activism.
He was born Keighley (with a "g") but changed his name to Keithley because people couldn't pronounce it correctly.
Books
- I, Shithead: A Life in Punk (Arsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp Press is a Canadian independent book publishing company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company publishes a broad range of titles in both fiction and non-fiction, and is noted for founding the annual Three-Day Novel Contest .Authors who have been published by Arsenal Pulp ...
) link - Talk-Action=0: An Illustrated History of D.O.A. (Arsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp Press is a Canadian independent book publishing company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company publishes a broad range of titles in both fiction and non-fiction, and is noted for founding the annual Three-Day Novel Contest .Authors who have been published by Arsenal Pulp ...
) link