D.O.A. - The Men Of Action {Sudden Death/ MVD} This excellent package has been released to celebrate 30 years of Canada’s premier Punkoids, D.O.A. kicking up a storm of Punk Rock sound and direct action.
The DVD is split into two parts: The Chaos programme and The Anarchy programme. Chaos features 26 videos, ten of which are of a scripted promo-style with the remaining 16 being live productions. The live footage dates back to July 1978 with a blazing ‘Disco Sucks’ filmed at Anarchists Anti-Canada Day. Of all the footage, the highlight is an incendiary (and well-filmed) five-song clip from The Stone in San Francisco in 1985. Besides Joe Keithley, it includes Dave Gregg on guitar who, for me, was the best 6-string partner Joe ever had in D.O.A. Elsewhere you get the often-seen but excellent TV-shoot take on ‘World War 3’, a raw and seemingly riotous show recorded in LA in 1984 for Flipside, the ‘Behind The Smile’ promo that was filmed for the 'Terminal City Ricochet' film that mixes band performances with scenes from the film and what is one of my favourite promo videos ever, ‘War’.
Anarchy repeats the same 26 vidoes, but with D.O.A. founder and frontman Joe Keithley reciting a historical look back over the years of D.O.A. As anyone who has read the band’s biography penned by Keithley will know, Joe is an out-spoken and witty fella. His narration here pulls no punches, be it the irony behind such a revelation as securing a permit for the above-mentioned Anarchist Punk Picnic via a local church group that was there the same day through to pissing from the stage at San Francisco’s legendary Mabuhay Gardens venue during the band’s debut in San Fran. Joe also tells the story behind the 1980 riot on Sunset Strip from when the band played with BLACK FLAG. That riot was the first witnessed on the Strip since THE DOORS in 1966. In fact, riot stories abound as we hear of how, on the band’s first European Tour, there was a riot in Berlin also. ‘Death Machine’ sees Joe tell us of his decision to enter politics via the Green Party. Being Joe ‘Shithead’ Keithley, humour is never far away, which is best demonstrated during ‘We’re Drivin’ To Hell ‘n’ Back’ as we hear the ‘D.O.A. stats’ of ex-members, shows, albums, really deaf sound men and, "at least a million beers!" The final couple of tracks sees Joe give tribute to those members of the band who have passed on; it’s a poignant and touching eulogy that makes the listener realise that, through all the bluster and bravado, here is a band (and a man) who has fought doggedly to make a difference yet has enough dignity to share what his band has achieved with his fellow colleagues.
In case that is not enough, you also get 12-page booklet of notes and a copy of the recent ‘Northern Avenger’ album which, while not being exactly ‘Hardcore 81’, boasts a number of fine D.O.A. Songs including ‘Police Brutality’ and the defiant ‘Still A Punk’.
As a history on what Punk was, this is an exemplary documentation. As a declaration on what Punk should STILL be, this is an exemplary lesson. As 90 minutes of Punk entertainment... Well... need I say this is exemplary? (06.12.09)

Hit HERE for material reviewed prior to 2009 including:
DEAD BOYS (2 reviews), DEAD KENNEDYS, DI, DOA and DRI