‘It’s gonna be a party’: Fat Mike teases new documentary at NOFX retrospective

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Fat Mike doesn’t do birthdays.

It was likely just a coincidence that the NOFX exhibit at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas happened to be on his birthday last weekend.

As the sun set and the lights of Las Vegas began to shine, Michael Burkett, known as Fat Mike, revealed his unusual birthday wish: to be spanked 59 times by his wife. He added that she would then continue with a cane and a paddle, stating, ‘That’s my kind of birthday.’

NOFX fans are used to this kind of response from the band’s singer, who’s famous for his edgy humor and lyrics that don’t hold back. Fat Mike has built his career on being open and not taking things too seriously, and he’s often sparked controversy along the way.

Fat Mike has a long history of intentionally shocking people. From making offensive remarks about country music fans following the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, to a deliberately outrageous story he told at SXSW in 2010 about his clown persona supposedly urinating in tequila, he’s consistently pushed boundaries and courted controversy.

But that’s just one side of the performer.

As the owner of Fat Wreck Chords, the record label responsible for most of NOFX’s albums and those of many other bands, he couldn’t risk not taking things seriously.

He confessed it was a big weight off his shoulders now that NOFX had stopped touring and their record label was sold to Hopeless Records. ‘It’s great to be done with the band,’ he said. ‘I can finally pursue a lot of things I’ve been wanting to do for years.’

Even though he’s not a big fan of birthdays, the museum – which Fat Mike and others started just last year – really went all out and threw him a huge, ‘This Is Your Life’-style party. It was a total surprise and incredibly thoughtful!

An exhibit on the museum’s second floor showcased memorabilia from a small, independent punk rock band that thrived from 1983 to 2024. Though less well-known than bands like The Offspring, Green Day, and Blink-182, they successfully remained free from major record label control, and the exhibit covered their entire history.

The walls were covered with photos and posters, cases overflowed with band keepsakes, and the room echoed with the sound of old demo tapes. “This is by far our biggest and most impressive exhibit yet,” explained Vinnie Fiorello, who helped start the museum.

Downstairs, Mike’s old bandmates, Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta and Eric “Smelly” Sandin, were giving tours of the museum, sharing stories about how they unexpectedly built lasting careers in punk rock. That afternoon, they also held a popular discussion event in the museum’s event space.

The event began with a preview of the new NOFX documentary, “Forty Years of F— Up,” directed by James Buddy Day. True to form for NOFX, they accidentally played the wrong video. The screening was quickly stopped after a few surprising and chaotic scenes showed the band arguing and Fat Mike using cocaine.

Talk about a teaser.

Fat Mike, El Hefe, and Smelly chatted with their close-knit crew – people they consider like family. They told funny, often inappropriate stories and laughed a lot, creating a lighthearted atmosphere that almost made you forget about the serious issue everyone was aware of.

Almost.

The band gave a pre-written announcement explaining why rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin was missing.

Only hours after their last concert, Melvin’s legal team sent Fat Mike documents claiming he had acted illegally and mishandled finances. He then stopped communicating directly with the band, and instructed them to go through his lawyers instead.

After the roundtable, Fat Mike went out on the museum’s rooftop, feeling sad and vulnerable.

After 40 years of successfully avoiding the bitter conflicts that plagued many other bands, NOFX was finally facing similar problems themselves.

Fat Mike said they never had a serious disagreement. While things became difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic because of financial hardship and canceled shows, before that, everyone in the band was close and got along really well. He described it as a uniquely positive and friendly environment, unlike most bands.

NOFX found success by deliberately being different. Unlike many bands, they chose to remain independent instead of seeking a major record label. Even when their signature skate punk sound became popular, the band’s frontman, Fat Mike, refused to change their style to attract more listeners. He believed that staying loyal to their existing fans would ensure those fans remained loyal in return.

Growing up, we often put ourselves in situations where we’d be picked on – by the police, athletes, and just about everyone. I’m not sure why we did it, but it felt empowering, like a way of rejecting the way others lived their lives.

Fat Mike and NOFX have always been driven by a commitment to staying true to themselves, even if others didn’t understand or approve. The new trailer suggests they still feel that way, and that’s what Fat Mike means when he calls NOFX an authentic band.

The members of NOFX were visibly upset during interviews for the documentary. While their final tour was a huge success, some didn’t want the band to break up, and they openly shared those difficult emotions. Despite how painful those moments were to watch, Fat Mike chose to include them in the film.

Fat Mike wasn’t afraid to confront difficult or disturbing subjects, even his own near-fatal experience with a bacterial infection. He described a terrifying scene: lying on the floor covered in blood and vomit. In that moment, he asked his wife to film him, believing he was dying and wanting his final words recorded on camera.

What’s truly surprising about this documentary isn’t just what it reveals, but how you’ll be able to watch it. Forget streaming, downloading, or buying a copy – the only way to see it is to attend a showing in person.

Fat Mike urged me to see the movie, explaining that it would be shown in over 100 theaters globally once a month.

I’ve always loved the experience of seeing “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at midnight screenings, and that inspired me to come up with a really ambitious plan for how to show my documentary. I reached out to Cisco Adler – his dad, Lou Adler, actually co-produced “Rocky Horror” and helped make Tim Curry a star! – and we started figuring things out. Luckily, Alamo Drafthouse and Landmark Theaters loved the idea and are helping to make it happen. It’s a dream come true!

“I want our fans to have a place to go,” Fat Mike said.

It’s a reasonable DIY strategy that feels completely radical. NOFX in a nutshell.

The documentary features new music from El Hefe, Fat Mike, and Smelly, and the band is also making fun merchandise for viewers, including popcorn buckets, chocolate bars, and NOFX-branded 3D glasses.

“It’s gonna be a party,” Fat Mike promises. Would you expect anything less?

I’m really excited for the premiere of “Forty Years of F— Up”! It’s going to debut at South by Southwest in Austin on March 15th and 16th, and then have a showing at the Nuart Theater on March 19th. After that, it’ll be released worldwide on April 10th – I’ve already marked my calendar!

Jim Ruland wrote the book “Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records” and regularly contributes as a columnist for Razorcake Fanzine, a unique nonprofit magazine dedicated to independent music in America.

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2026-01-20 22:02