The Dogmatics

The Dogmatics are/were a Dorchester band from the eighties.

Peter, Paul and Jerry met each other in the 1st grade at St. Matthew's in Dorchester. Together they suffered through 8 years of Catholic school. All of them moved away from Dorchester to south shore suburbs during their high school years.

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 in turn spearheaded the movement of Paul 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. There good friend Dan Shannon would play drums in this new band. The future Dogmatics would play their 1st and last show @ their Thayer St. loft under the name "Guttersnipes". Not happy with the "Guttersnipes" as a band name Pete thought that "Dogmatics" was more appropriate. The Dogmatics played their 1st show @ 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( fisherman) Dan Shannon who would leave the band for college. Squantum native Thomas Long, the 18 year old celebrated drummer would take over on sticks, the Dogs would be forever changed.

The Dogmatics would eventually end up playing every shitty little club and backyard party in most of the United States. This did not deter them. In 1984 the Dogmatics would release their 1st and only single to date on their own label "Cat records". Gimme the Shakes on the A-side and the Eddie Cochran classic "20 Flite rock" on the B-side. In 1985 the Dogmatics signed with Homestead Records and released their 1st album "Thayer Street". "Everybody Does It" was hatched in June of 1986. "Teenager on drugs" was released on the "Mr. Beautiful" compilation. "Teenage girls" on the "Rock turns to Stone" complation. 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 would release the Dogmatics 2 lps along with some previously unreleased tracks. The Dogmatics songs have been recorded by 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 23rd, 1986 Paul O'Halloran died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The Dogmatics have done numerous reunions since 1986 with brothers Johnny and Jimmy O'Halloran sharing the bass duties. Paul O'Halloran is loved and missed to this day.