Interview: MDC
To have a musical, artistic, and poetry that is both humanistic and politically charged. I’m happy with it all!
Blasting out of Austin, Texas, hardcore punk legends MDC (styled as Millions Of Dead Cops and Multi Death Corporations amongst others) blazed a trail in the early 80s with their forward thinking and steadfastly anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-homophobic music. Fast forward to 2025 and the band are still going strong and are due to head out on tour in Europe to bring their music to the people. Before the tour starts, Gavin Brown caught up with MDC vocalist Dave Dictor to talk about the tour, the UK and playing the Rebellion Festival, their new covers album, how the bands music is still as relevant today and how they will never give up fighting the enemy.
E&D: Are you looking forward to coming back over to Europe for your tour with Barackka?
Dave: MDC totally looks forward to our 25th Euro Tour. I come from 4 different parts of Europe, England, Italy, Germany and Lithuania!!! My roots!
E&D: Are you looking forward to having guitarist Bill Collins join the band again for the tour?
Dave: Bill is a great guitarist and good old friend. I love that members of the past are willing to sit and do tours with MDC and myself.
E&D: Are you also looking forward to coming back over to the UK for the Rebellion Festival in August?
Dave: Rebellion in Blackpool England is like Mecca for me, I love it!
E&D: What are some of your favourite UK punk and hardcore bands?
Dave: I love the Restarts, they are my besties! I’m also fond of Dick and the Subhumans, Steve Ignorant, The Varukers… Chaos UK were my friends and I love In Evil Hour!
E&D: Is there still a DIY aspect with MDC booking and doing shows?
Dave: Well somewhat, I have no management company. I hire my crew. In the UK, I work with Ian Armstrong, he navigates things for us such as working papers and booking MDC. It’s not DIY but it helps us navigate the UK. On the mainland our friends Baracka are booking our tours. I booked the last European tour sans the UK.
E&D: What MDC live shows still stand out in your mind as being utterly memorable over the years?
Dave: The Rebellion shows are really special, the crowds, the energy. At 2017 our drummer was having lung problems and went home, so then our guitarist went to drums and our van driver learned 12 songs in 3 days and we continued the tour with about a week to go. We then pulled off a set in front of 3000 people in the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool. The crowd knew of our situation and gave us a good cheer that we pulled it off!
E&D: What other hardcore shows have you seen that blew you away?
Dave: Dead, Kennedys, Minor Threat, MDC, Zero Boys and the Detonators in 1982 at LA’s Alpine Bills was pretty good old school!
E&D: What are your plans for a new MDC studio album?
Dave: MDC has a new cover songs record, The Last War, coming out in May. We cover Slayer- ‘Americon’, ‘Freedom Song’- Pointer Sisters, Stevie Wonder ‘You Ain’t Done Nothing’, Rolling Stones – ‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’, Beatles— ‘Think For Yourself’, Motörhead-‘Take The Blame’. Plus the Afflicted – ‘Here Come The Cops’, Dicks – ‘No Fucking War’, Offenders – ‘Lost Causes’, Heart Attack- ‘The Last War’, Los Crudos- ‘Asesinos’ and the Angelic Upstarts – ‘Police Oppression’… Look for it on Cleopatra Records or listen to it free on Spotify… I love the work we put on this record!!!
E&D: How does it feel that a song like ‘John Wayne Was A Nazi’ is still sadly relevant today?
Dave: Check out this new Hip hop version of John Wayne, yes it’s relevant. John Wayne gave birth to all these MAGA assholes! Wayne = Donald Trump.
E&D: Are you a fan of hip hop and do you see parallels with hardcore and punk with it?
Dave: I’m a fan of all intelligent/warm music.
E&D: Did you get a lot of hassle because of that song, any of your other tracks or simply the bands name?
Dave: Yes …it comes from being ahead of your time. I love our place in musical history. 5 decades of songs and lyrics…..NO Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA!
E&D: Is it disheartening that the things you have always sing about and rallied against are still very much prevalent in 2025?
Dave: Ignorance, economic inequality, lack of human and animal rights! Now More Than Ever!
E&D: Does it just want you to fight even harder?
Dave: Still here, older, wiser but a tad less energy!
E&D: In the political landscape in the US and around the world a depressing thing for you with Trump in again, with the added horror of Vance, and does it feel like history is repeating itself over and over again?
Dave: It is a shit show. Trump 2.0 is even worse than before!!!
E&D: Do you still hold out hope that things can get better though?
Dave: It seems bleak in this global warming world but I keep showing up, there’s nowhere to hide!
E&D: How does it feel to be still doing what you love after so many years?
Dave: It feels pretty great! My personal life is happy, positive and full of love… I hope people can find gratitude. I realise it’s hard to be a broke trans- immigrant with parents that reject you, please find loving community.
E&D: What have been the standout moments from your time in MDC since you formed in 1979?
Dave: Their were many Rock Against Reagan at the Lincoln Memorial in 1983 w the Dead Kennedy’s, DRI, The Dicks and a slew of others was incredible. Both festivals Rebellion in England and Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas are really special with the crowds and so many old friends
E&D: What do you credit the longevity of MDC to?
Dave: It’s really what I wanted out of life. To have a musical, artistic, and poetry that is both humanistic and politically charged. I’m happy with it all!
