The Dogmatics
The Dogmatics were a Boston, Massachusetts band, active in the 1980s.
Band Biography
Peter, Paul, and Jerry met in the first grade 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. 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. This little know single garnered lots of local airplay on WMBR, WERS, and other local college radio stations. In 1985, the Dogmatics signed with Homestead Records and released their first album, "Thayer Street", one of the highest selling records to date on Homestead records. It immediately had an impact as the album made the cover of the College Music Journal. This exposure dramatically increased the much need attention to the band and with the help of management, and a real booking agent they began touring throughout the United States playing with the likes of the Replacements, Young Fresh Fellows, Los Lobos, The Bangles, The Fleshtones, Dash Rip Rock, Del Fuegos, Scruffy the Cat, Dinosaur Jr., Hoodu Gurus,Long Ryders,Forgotten Rebels,Lyres, Neats to name a few. Their second LP, "Everybody Does It" recorded in the summer of 1985 was delivered to Homestead records in December. It would not see the light of day until June 1986, Gerad Cosley, the new president of Homestead records buried the band with delay after delay. This fact is not lost on the band to this day. 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 Mighty Mighty Bosstones recorded "It Sure don't feel like Xmas time" in 2005 for Mercury records compilation "Home for the Holidays" that would benefit the nonprofit organization "Phoenix house". The Dogmatics songs have been covered by, among others, Boston's own Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Orleans pranksters Dash Rip Rock, The Pussy Willows, Heap, and Swedish garage punk kings "The Locomotions". The Dogmatics recorded a Richie Parsons song "Summertime" for the Unnatural Axe Tribute record "Ruling the world from the backseat" in 2008 on Lawless Records, they also contributed to the Reducers tribute record "Rave On" in 2012 with the mighty "Black Plastic Shoes".
On October 23, 1986, Paul O'Halloran died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The Dogmatics have played many times since Paul's death with Paul's brothers Jimmy or Johnny playing bass. They have organized several benefits, a PanMass Challenge benefit on June 10, 2011 at the Paradise in Boston Ma. with the Neats, Last Stand, Band 19 and the Classic Ruins, a benefit for their friend Peter Sisco on July 27, 2012 @ Johnny D's in Somerville Ma. with the Flies, Bristols, Piranha Brothers, Sourpuss, Hired Men, White Dynomite, Lenny Lashley, Sourpuss, New Frustrations and the Lucky 88's. They have also organized another benefit for http://teammr8.org/run @s the legendary TT the bears on March 20, 2015 with Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents, the Other Girls, The Hired Men and the Gypsy Moths.
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.
Band members
Peter O'Halloran guitar vocals
Paul O'Halloran - Bass, vocals
Jerry Lehane - Guitar, Vocals
Tommy Long - Drums
Dan Shannon(1981–1982) - Drums
John Goetchius (1986).
Jimmy O'Halloran 1986- present, bass, vocals
Johnny O'Halloran 1986-present-bass, vocals