The Dogmatics
Encyclopedia
The Dogmatics were a Boston, Massachusetts band, active in the 1980s.
at St. Matthew's Catholic school
in Dorchester, Massachusetts
. After eight years at St. Matthew's, each of their families moved from Dorchester to South Shore suburbs during while they were in high school.
Paul started a band with lifelong friend T.K, singer Skag, guitarist Sam Babbitt, and drummer Joey Olsen. They called themselves the Savage Beasties. This band would be the starting point for future bands. T.K eventually moved to Boston on Thayer St., where he co-founded "Spearhead Go" along with Barry Hall
, B.C Kagan and Joey Olsen. This accomplishment encouraged Paul to move to the Thayer St. loft along with his twin brother
Pete. Paul, eager to pick up where the Beasties left off, enlisted his brother and longtime friend Jerry Lehane to start a band in Boston. Their good friend Dan Shannon played drums in this new band. The future Dogmatics would play their first and last show under the name "Guttersnipes" at their Thayer St. loft. Not happy with the "Guttersnipes" name, Pete thought that "Dogmatics" was more appropriate. The Dogmatics played their first show at Cantones in 1981. They were honored to open on a Tuesday night for no money. They continued to play throughout Boston for the next year with drummer Dan Shannon, who would leave the band for college. Squantum native Thomas Long, the 18 year old celebrated drummer, would take over on sticks and the Dogs would be forever changed.
The Dogmatics played anywhere they could get a gig in the United States. This fact did not deter them. In 1984, the Dogmatics released their first and only single to date on their own label "Cat records": 'Gimme the Shakes' on the A-side and the Eddie Cochran
classic "20 Flight Rock" on the B-side. In 1985, the Dogmatics signed with Homestead Records
and released their first album, "Thayer Street". Their second LP, "Everybody Does It", was released in June, 1986. The singles "Teenager on Drugs" and Teenage Girls" were released on the "Mr. Beautiful" compilation and the "Rock Turns to Stone" compilations, respectively. The Paul O'Halloran penned classic "It sure don't feel like Xmas time" was featured on the "Midnite Xmas Mess" compilation. In 1998, Shredder/Vagrant released the Dogmatics 2 LPs along with some previously unreleased tracks. The Dogmatics songs have been covered by, among others, Boston's own Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Orleans prankster's Dash Rip Rock
, The Pussy Willows, Heap, and Swedish garagepunk kings "The Locomotions".
On October 23, 1986, Paul O'Halloran died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The Dogmatics have had numerous reunions since 1986 with brothers Johnny and Jimmy O'Halloran sharing the bass duties.
They can still be heard on XM Radio and in Boston on MIT radio WMBR
at least once in a while
Singer/songwriter Jerry Lehane is the cousin of renowned crime fiction
author Dennis Lehane
.
Paul O'Halloran - Bass
Jerry Lehane - Guitar, Vocals
Tommy Long - Drums
Dan Shannon(1981–1982) - Drums
John Goetchius
(1986).
) on the B-side.
1985 "Thayer Street" on Homestead Records (1983) (HMS 003)
1986 "Everybody Does It" on Homestead Records (1983) (HMS 049)
1998 "Dogmatics 1981-86" on Shredder/Vagrant
Band Biography
Peter, Paul, and Jerry met in the first gradeFirst grade
First grade is a year of primary education in schools in the United States and English-speaking provinces of Canada. It is the first school year after kindergarten...
at St. Matthew's Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
. After eight years at St. Matthew's, each of their families moved from Dorchester to South Shore suburbs during while they were in high school.
Paul started a band with lifelong friend T.K, singer Skag, guitarist Sam Babbitt, and drummer Joey Olsen. They called themselves the Savage Beasties. This band would be the starting point for future bands. T.K eventually moved to Boston on Thayer St., where he co-founded "Spearhead Go" along with Barry Hall
Barry Hall
Barry Hall is a former Australian rules footballer. Hall is considered to be one of the best forwards of the modern era, being named All-Australian, leading his club's goalkicking on nine occasions and captaining the Sydney Swans to their 2005 AFL Grand Final victory...
, B.C Kagan and Joey Olsen. This accomplishment encouraged Paul to move to the Thayer St. loft along with his twin brother
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
Pete. Paul, eager to pick up where the Beasties left off, enlisted his brother and longtime friend Jerry Lehane to start a band in Boston. Their good friend Dan Shannon played drums in this new band. The future Dogmatics would play their first and last show under the name "Guttersnipes" at their Thayer St. loft. Not happy with the "Guttersnipes" name, Pete thought that "Dogmatics" was more appropriate. The Dogmatics played their first show at Cantones in 1981. They were honored to open on a Tuesday night for no money. They continued to play throughout Boston for the next year with drummer Dan Shannon, who would leave the band for college. Squantum native Thomas Long, the 18 year old celebrated drummer, would take over on sticks and the Dogs would be forever changed.
The Dogmatics played anywhere they could get a gig in the United States. This fact did not deter them. In 1984, the Dogmatics released their first and only single to date on their own label "Cat records": 'Gimme the Shakes' on the A-side and the Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
classic "20 Flight Rock" on the B-side. In 1985, the Dogmatics signed with Homestead Records
Homestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
and released their first album, "Thayer Street". Their second LP, "Everybody Does It", was released in June, 1986. The singles "Teenager on Drugs" and Teenage Girls" were released on the "Mr. Beautiful" compilation and the "Rock Turns to Stone" compilations, respectively. The Paul O'Halloran penned classic "It sure don't feel like Xmas time" was featured on the "Midnite Xmas Mess" compilation. In 1998, Shredder/Vagrant released the Dogmatics 2 LPs along with some previously unreleased tracks. The Dogmatics songs have been covered by, among others, Boston's own Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Orleans prankster's Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock is a New Orleans based rock band built around the songs of singer-guitarist Bill Davis.The band is a legendary live powerhouse, often being credited with founding the musical genre known as "Country Punk." The New York Times said Dash Rip Rock is "the kind of band that provides a...
, The Pussy Willows, Heap, and Swedish garagepunk kings "The Locomotions".
On October 23, 1986, Paul O'Halloran died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The Dogmatics have had numerous reunions since 1986 with brothers Johnny and Jimmy O'Halloran sharing the bass duties.
They can still be heard on XM Radio and in Boston on MIT radio WMBR
WMBR
WMBR is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology student-run college radio station, licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and broadcasting on 88.1 FM. It is all-volunteer and funded by listener donations and MIT funds...
at least once in a while
Singer/songwriter Jerry Lehane is the cousin of renowned crime fiction
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
author Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane is an American author. He has written several award-winning novels, including A Drink Before the War and the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film. Another novel, Gone, Baby, Gone, was also adapted into an Academy...
.
Band members
Peter O'HalloranPaul O'Halloran - Bass
Jerry Lehane - Guitar, Vocals
Tommy Long - Drums
Dan Shannon(1981–1982) - Drums
John Goetchius
John Goetchius
John "JG" Goetchius is an American keyboardist, best known for his work with Boston ska-core band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.-Career:Born and raised in Massachusetts, Goetchius played keys for a number of Boston bands throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including The Dogmatics, Matweeds and Atomic...
(1986).
Discography
1984 Single "Gimme the Shakes" and "20 Flight Rock" (Eddie CochranEddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
) on the B-side.
1985 "Thayer Street" on Homestead Records (1983) (HMS 003)
1986 "Everybody Does It" on Homestead Records (1983) (HMS 049)
1998 "Dogmatics 1981-86" on Shredder/Vagrant