D.O.A. - FCG

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Our friend Dave O'Halloran (aka What Wave Dave on CHRW) has been sharing on Facebook, with our grateful permission, photos that we had taken of various bands back in the 1980's. Today Dave writes in 1980's Punk Rockers in London, Ontario group:

"Here's some more Reg Quinton pics. This time it's DOA circa 1986, Forest City Gallery, London ON.

At the time, the band consisted of: Joey Shithead, Dave Gregg, Brian Goble (Wimpy Roy) and Jon Card."

I was talking with Dave O'Halloran the other night at the CTO benefit at the Palasad. He's been working through old photos of ours. I had expressed that our 15minutes of fame ought soon to be over; he told me that there are still a lot of pictures he's trying to figure out and a project, he initially thought to be a couple of weeks or so, has become much larger than he had ever expected. But isn't that the way with projects? Some of his struggles is going to be band pictures taken while traveling. I suggested he reach out to me and the FB group if there's a need to figure out the who, what, where and why. No promises that our memories are any better though....

I recall this show at the Forest City Gallery. At the time the FCG was on the second floor of an older downtown business on Dundas Street between Clarence and Wellington. The show was quite the treat for us and just a little wilder than we might normally have been able to handle. There was a mosh pit filled with raging punks that Joey would try to keep under control — let's have fun but not hurt anyone. Kate and I had found a high point near stage left to safely observe and take pictures. It looks like I must have used a flash; I had a Vivitar 285 thyristor flash with handle and bounce card at the time. It was hot night, you can see the sweat dripping off Joey and Dave Gregg. We really liked this band and caught them several times over the years. We have much of their music on CD format and even a framed copy of the War on 45 (1982) EP in the downstairs bedroom. I recall buying Something Better Change (1980) while on our honeymoon in Vancouver.

There are several pictures here of the band and especially Dave Gregg that I'm especially proud of. It looks like I didn't take that my pictures — I ought to have taken more.

Joe Keithley (aka Joey Shithead) is the only surviving member of this band. He still plays under the DOA banner but is also a Green Party politician from Burnaby BC. Dave Gregg, left the band in 1988 and went on to perform with the Real McKenzies (a fast paced Celtic band), died in 2014 at the age of 54. Brian Goble (aka Wimpy Roy) we had first seen with the Subhumans on tour in London passed away in 2014 at the age of 57. Jon Card played for a number of bands including the Subhumans and passed away this year at 63 years.

Many thanks to Dave for his work organizing photos and figuring out the location and event. Many of these pictures have been shared before in this blog. See D.O.A. circa '86 (2021) and others in D.O.A. 1988 (2021). Both are recollections formed during the pandemic.