Fat Mike Reflects on Final NOFX Tour

It has been a running joke throughout their career, that NOFX never put in more than 60% during a show, but Mike has been very vocal about the importance of making this tour something special. “We’re rehearsing more than we’ve ever rehearsed before because, you know, we’ve got a lot of albums, and they’re fucking hard.” He laughs. “We’re not just doing our hits; we’re doing different records, and we’re playing songs we’ve never played before. it feels good to give a hundred percent.”

In recent years, the band have each been working on their own side-projects, so it could be assumed the group’s disbanding was a mutual, and logical, decision, right? “No, they were all really bummed at me for calling it quits. But these shows are so awesome that they have forgiven me, and we’re making more money than we would have made in ten years of touring. We got 12,000 people in Orlando, Florida, and, uh, 10,000 in San Francisco, 11,000 in San Diego; our numbers are fucking crazy good.”

Originally, Australia was not being considered for The Farewell Tour – a fact Mike discussed during a 2022 interview with Rock ‘n Roll Lifestyle. This time, leading up to the final leg of their final tour, Mike paused, before responding slowly and solemnly. “I’m glad we get to go back one last time.”

When most people express what they’re looking forward to when visiting another country, it’s usually the landmarks, or the fans. For Mike, though… “I’m going to see Mistress Tokyo,” a well-known Australian Dominatrix. “Maybe spend some time in her Iron Lung. I’m bringing my lady with me and we’re going to stay a week after too. I want to go to Surfer’s Paradise and get some locals to help me. I just want someone to get me on a board, a longboard, and, uh, show me where to surf.”

When not working on recording or touring with NOFX, Mike has numerous side projects, including running Fat Wreck Chords, producing musicals, and creating podcast content, to name only a few. The most recent of which is the highly anticipated strings project Fat Mike Gets Strung Out – a collection of songs from NOFX and Mike’s other musical projects, reimagined and rearranged for a string ensemble.

“I’m halfway through the second album, he chuckles. “Because it’s really fun to work on. You know, I just get to work on melodies and counter melodies and harmonies and… and percussive shit, and I don’t have to sing or write lyrics. I enjoy it so much; I’ve never enjoyed being in the studio as much as this. Cause you know, we do it all on a keyboard – all the melodies, on a keyboard, and then you start switching shit around. And then once we have it all written… Then you give it to the string players. It’s uh, It’s a lot of work. But uh, It’s so fun to put in parts you can hear perfectly, and, to hear strings work together. It’s, It’s such a different experience than rock.”

It’s important to remember, the composition of these songs are still original, just with some good base material to work with, as Mike explains. “Well, those are originals. I mean, uh, there’s some NOFX songs, but there’s also, uh, Cokie, and, uh, Home Street Home songs, and our Art of Protest is an original. But I don’t really know what that means because it’s like, every song has so many original parts in it. We’re just, you know, we’ve taken the root note of the chord and the melody. But, um, the melody is changing from the original melody. And, it’s so much different. I consider them to be originals even though they’re based on other songs. And, I went with the songs that have the most complicated chord structures. Because that makes very interesting string music. But, unlike, you know, the Royal Philharmonic doing Nirvana songs, which is boring as fuck – they were great songs, but they’re not meant to be played on, with four different pieces. Because there’s not that many parts in them. The song, I’m a Rat, that’s wasn’t out when recorded the string album. It’s got 54 chords in a row, and none of them repeat. So, there’s your original song!”

So after 40 years, what is Fat Mike most proud of? “I’m proud of, uh, being in a band with the same dudes for 40 years, and changing music, somewhat. And, for living a life of honour; I’ve never been sued by a band on Fat Wreck. I’ve never been in a lawsuit. I’ve never taken revenge. I live an honourable life.”

What about regrets? “Uh, nothing that matters.” He grins. “I mean, I really regret missing my golf game with Mark Calcavecchia [to do interviews] today, but, no, there’s nothing I haven’t done that I’ve always wanted to do. But I’m doing fun things now, you know, I’m starting a, uh, A new company that has nothing to do with music. it’s like nothing that’s ever been done, really. And it’s simple. Anyway. I still have things I want to do. But regrets? nah. Not really.”

Burkett has often spoken of his love for the cult musical classic Rocky Horror Picture Show, and sports a large tattoo that reads Don’t dream it, be it – a resounding message throughout the story and the makeshift mantra behind his public openness with BDSM and sexuality – a revelation that came later in life, but he’s making up for lost time, as he explains. “I’ve lived that; I’ve done everything I’ve ever dreamt and, you know, it took me until I was like 46 before I was like: I’m absolutely free. Which is why I want to help people be able to find that. If someone said you can only do one of your favourite things from now on, I’d probably do BDSM; I’m gonna go out that way – that’s how I’m going out. I’ll have a Dom in my ass, a bag over my head, I’m going to have an orgasm and fucking die right then.”

And his ideal last words for this spectacular end? “Whoops, I OD’d.”

NOFX are touring Australia one last time, kicking of in Sydney on January 20, 2024, and concluding in Melbourne on January 27.