Here is my interview with Dave Dictor from my favorite Hardcore Punk Band, Millions of Dead Cops —
Q: Historically, punk rock has been the music of rebellion and going against conventional wisdom, defying herd mentality, and blazing through the mindless shitheads who fill up the media today; do you still think that you have something to say, new themes in your songs, or are you just pissing off the same old people?
A: I think the cleverest of punk writers out there are indeed taking on issues of political abuse and isolation and confusion very well. Biafra for one and the Star Fucking Hipsters for another are prolific and hard hitting I’d Like to think MDC is as well. It’s a more fucked up world in many respects then from when we started. The threshold of planet earth, we are doomed.
Q: Your group has historically offended a lot of people on the right, and you are associated, along with the Dead Kennedys and the alumni of the scene, as being very left-wing. Who pisses you off the most in politics and why?
A: Currently I am galled how the Sarah Palin’s, Michelle Bachman’s and Glen Beck’s are so appealing to people. One shouldn’t be shocked … There truly are right wing campaign’s that take place under the radar that continually smear say Obama or Code Pink or George Soros. It has been going on continually and it’s just the newest outbreak of lunacy.But they are getting more sophisticated. Twenty-four fox news is all fear and distortion all the time.
Q: Your music, for the last 20 years or so, has bothered a lot of Christians. What are your feelings towards Christianity, and religion in general?
A: Most Christians I know … get where I am coming from. There is a rather large slice of the thin skin Christians who think that a multicultural celebration of holidays is a war against Christianity. They think they are under attack led by the world. What can you say about people that discount facts for faith. What can you say to people that believe dinosaurs walked the earth 5000 years ago and as a point of faith reject science, carbon dating and other facts to keep their world view intact.
Q: What do you think about censorship, and it’s effect on creativity?
A: Very general question that can be expounded to no end upon. Of course censorship prevents freedom of expression. Look at Islam where criticism of it can lead to a death sentence. Poor Salmon Rushdee and all the gay people living in those types of world’s. One slip can lead to your death.
There has always been a pressure for people to act according to society’s rules. Through all time this pressure has existed. It to some degree the method societies use to keep themselves together. The question of course is at what cost? The pressure for people, especially kids, to act a certain way, is very serious. It’s called conformity. Punk rants against certain conformities and I am part of that cultural movement that tries to break away from cultural norms. Songs like Why Is America So Straight and Me So Bent tackles part of this topic head on. That is the difference between 1950’s rock and punk rock, which was about meeting Betty Lou at the sock hop. Still in it’s time Elvis Pressley, Buddy Holly and Jackie Wilson were real pioneers getting people to shake their hips when being so suggestive was considered lewd. But times change and what was once lewd becomes passe’. Punk will hopefully make its a adjustments. I lived through an era you could get your ass kicked for donning a mohawk. Now Mr T sells Snickers with his mohawk. And better dominatrix’s don tribal piercings and tattoos. That wasn’t so in the early 1980’s..
Q: What do you think about the precendent in society, especially here in the US, where a guy is taught that the jock, heterosexual sports and drinking beer lifestyle is the only way to be?
A:Well being a jock is the most glorifying thing going on in the world. Look at the Stupid Bowl. One hundred million viewers chugging their Bud Lights. It’s part of the conformity that keeps 85% ready to kill people they don’t know in Iraq, Vietnam, etc etc. Hey but look at Beckham in the UK, it’s a human thing.
Q: Who are some of your favorite bands, historically and current?
I grew during the Beatles, sixties AM radio days, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding,Jefferson Airplane. I also loved The The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds and Bob Dylan and Cream I mean loved it! I saw the Stones in 1973 at Madison Square Gardens open up with Brown Sugar. Then class of 1977 came about … and it was really excellent and so needed to happen. Elvis Costello, Blondie, Patti Smith, The Ramones , Devo, the Runaways, Talking Heads and on and on, it was really great to watch it all happen. I had drifted down to Austin,Texas as a big Willie Nelson fan and thought I had some songwriting talent for that genre of music. Trying to meet music people, I quickly gravitated to the punk bar Rauls, right on the college strip just 150 feet from my house. I found the young New Wave and Punk scene much more fun, assessable and encouraging towards my creative urges. Early on it was The Huns and The Skunks, Sharen Tate’s Baby eventually The Big Boys and The Dicks. Then Black Flag, Crass, The Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks. Through the years Tribe 8, Op Ivy, Sister Double Happiness and eventually Left Over Crack and Star Fucking Hipsters. I have left out many, sorry you all.
Q: What is MDC up to nowadays? Writing, recording, playing acoustic unplugged shows?
A: Yeah those things plus working on a video, trying to compile about 30 videos to make a best of. We have 3 tours coming up …Here in April with the Subhumans. June with The Dayglo Abortions and then in Europe where we’ll play Rebellion Festival , Scandanavia, The UK and Ireland. So this year 110 gigs and a lot of work.
Q: You’re obviously not averse to offending people who you think are being wrong, do you feel that sometimes people are just pussies?
A: Pussies are a loaded word. But the whole crew thing with X’s on the hands in the 1980’s was conservative backlash to 1970’s punk. People in general are creatures of habit and really mostly went to be left alone. Challenging them to think and take sides makes many nervous. People are scared of their on shadows and they realize that their system of belief is built on a foundation of sand.
Q: How do you feel about the straight edge movement, and other punk purists? How do you feel about how some people have tried to compartmentalize punk into so many subgenres and exclude other people? Theres a section of punk rockers who exclude anyone who drinks alcohol, and even a section that abhors gay people. Shouldn’t punk be for all people?
A:
Yeah I brushed on this a minute ago. I understand where Ian McKaye was coming from but the Boston straight edge scene with it’s street hockey ethos was pretty conservative. I lived through the scene breaking up into pieces in 1982 , 83 and such. It was sad to realize MDC, The Misfits, The Bad Brains, The Necros etc had various and differing views of reality and what change they were each fighting for.
Q: Are you familiar with the teachings of Mr. Anton Lavey?
A-Yeah a little …I believe he’s a hedonist who preaches for all to do what you want despite society’s norms and laws. It sounds good but can lead to weird things.
Q: If you could ask Satan one thing, or say one thing to him, what would it be?
A: Really really not sure….
Q: So I hear you in an interview mention Leftover Crack. Do you feel that the punk ideals that you helped lay down have been successfully handed down in the new age? Or is it all becoming whiny cliche bullshit?
A: I site them so obviously I am a fan. But putting ones ideals into a day to day lifestyle can be tricky. I wish them well with it.
Q: What do you think about some of the current punk pundits that are the most vocal, like Jello Biafra (whom you were quite familiar with at one time, im told), Fat Mike from NOFX, and Ian McKaye?
A: Love Biafra though he is a trip , Mike made punk accessible to the masses and to wear Vans Sneakers… and I admire and love Ian.
Q: If you could punch anyone in the face, and I mean anyone, who would it be?
A: Believe it or not no one comes to mind. George W Bush ought to spend his life doing relief work in an Iraqi ghetto camp for childen with missing limbs. I know he is just a pawn. I reallllly hate Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin and that whole fascist crowd that funds them and causes so much schism..
Q; I’m pretty familiar with a lot of musicians, and i have a lot of friends in the music business, including the Mentors. I heard you and El Duce and the Mentors had some times way back. Thoughts/sweet memories you care to share?
A: Yeah El Duce was a friend of mine. I’m gonna talk about him in the book I am writing. He slept over my house in San Francisco in 1986 or so. He came over my house after his performance plastered drunk, he drank my female roommates piss mixed with whiskey out of a dog bowl at my house. Crashed in my bed, I had to lay out $150 to fly him home. And he paid back one week later when we played Fenders Ballroom in Long Beach. He is the real deal. I wouldn’t send my daughter to his summer camp either.
Q: I had a lot of talks with Mr. Noam Chomsky through the last two years, and I at one time was a close friend of the Socialist Action party president, but that disappated and i am much more interested in helping people in an organic way that by the point of Communism, which was motivated by many things, mostly because for Communism to be put into action, it requires a lot of cooperation with the government, which is not something I can stand by. Are you just into helping the people, and helping people help themselves, or are you a full-on Commie? And do you feel that the government has a duty to the people, or that they should just butt the fuck out?
A: I love Chomsky. Read his child development and language development stuff as well as his anti-imperialist stuff which is great. Suggest all to read The People’s History Of The United States by Howard Zinn. I am not a full on commie. The ideal society is one that takes care of the masses with their heath, education and welfare. That protects the ecosystem of the planet and does not allow so few to exert so much control over what happens on this planet.
Q: As the singer of Millions of Dead Cops, what do you feel the position of police is in a modern society? In “No More Cops” you made the more radical assumption that they should be abolished, has this view changed any?
A: It seems crazy that one should believe we could live without the Police. Maybe some Community Health Monitors or some shit. In my 55 years on this planet I have seen the police to little good. I mean let them go after serial killers but Communities could set up there own way to deal with trouble.
Q: To paraphrase the Dead Kennedys, do you think that Nazi Punks should Fuck Off? Does it bother you that the style of music you play is being used to recruit youth into Nazism?
A: Punk is rebellion and right wing rebellion has been there since the beginning. I have had Right wing Germans Sieg Heil me during John Wayne thinking I was glorifying him. I have known more than a few right wingers that loved Millions Of Dead Cops.
Q: Do you stay in contact with any of your fellow punks of yesteryear, i.e. the Dicks, Big Boys, etc.,?
A: Yes I am friends with gary Floyd and did a radio interview with him there not to long ago. Randy Biscuits of the Big Boys passed and that is way sad. I did a mini tour with Nicki Sicki, of Verbal Abuse, last year. We played with DRI in Portland 6 months ago. It was good to see Spike and Kurt.
Q: Why are you a vegetarian, and what can going veggie do for humanity?
A:Veggetarian is one of the most realistic ways you can change the world. I really don’t get why everyone is so lazy or thoughtless. Animals are Earthlings … we treat them terribly.
Q: If I told you that I wanted to marry you, would you understand I was just appreciating you in a semi-hetero sort of way?
Who are you…? I’d think about it in a semi hetero sort of way. My last long term lover just told me they were over being my life coach. I’m single and 14 years hard drugs clean and no alcohol. And my pecker works most days.
Q: Would you like to appear doing a voice on my cartoon, using the intense power of punk rock to destroy a gigantic Christian monster pent on world domination?
A: I would love to.
Q: Any parting words for the readers at
www.nocensors.com
?
A:
Be true, be blue, be kind, don’t follow the mindless mob, and don’t be petty. Love yourself and enjoy this so called life as much as you can but keep your values.
SUNDAY(MORNING)ANIMATION 