Some things stay the same

Spent last night at the Commodore for D.O.A.'s dvd release party last night. This ranks up there as one of those nostalgia moments, for me, and for most of the people there at the table with me last night. My underage self was transfixed by their live shows back in 1982 - but I was transfixed by the whole Vancouver alternative music scene back then, or at least what I knew of it. I certainly spent a whole lot less time deciding what to wear last night than I did back in the day.

So - how is the band fairing? Well, to start with the only remaining member on stage is the irreplaceable musical politico Joey Shithead Keithley, and he's still got it going on. He looks great (dare I say better?), he sounds great, and he's still as empassioned a guy as he ever was. Sure, there isn't the same frantic rawness anymore, but it's 30 years later for heavens sake - if things hadn't grown a bit more...controlled...over time, it would be pretty weird. And I can't really imagine the 1982 Shithead telling the audience to get themselves aquainted with Woody Guthrie, the father of the protest song - but I kind of loved that he did last night. Change? Sure - but overall the essence of the man and his concerns is just the same - it has just grown deeper and more solid. He's still living it, and that in itself is inspirational.

I have full videos with better sound here (including the one featuring the stuffed Gordon Campbell effigy featured in these stills - which was quickly dismembered, its limbs thrown about by the crowd after Joey tossed it into the mosh pit ), but I though for this site I would just post a couple of short clips - the top one is from the fringes of the mosh pit roiling in front of the stage, which my ears (and camera) could only manage for a couple of songs.  Enjoy.