NOFX never tires of the small time

Photo by Bryan Wynacht

The members of NOFX say they were always too "unacceptable" to make a play for the big time.

NOFX has no choice but to stay punk.

"Wait a minute. Here comes a cop," says "Fat Mike" Burkett, suddenly going silent. In what sounds like the distance, he says, "I'm not supposed to be on the cell phone."

California has a law against talking on a cell phone while driving, and Burkett is on his way to a meeting with his divorce lawyer.

"OK, he's gone," says Burkett. "Yeah, divorcing after 18 years and today's the first be day with the lawyers."

Other than an impending divorce, though, he says things are going great. NOFX recently released a new EP, "Cokie the Clown," and the group has remained happily intact for nearly 28 years.

"We've had the same guys since 1983. We've never been in a fight. Nothing changes for us. It just keeps on being fun. This is what happens when you start a band for the right reasons. ... I'm having more fun now than ever."

NOFX began when high school buddies Burkett, Erik Sandlin and Eric Melvin decided to form a band. Burkett became the bassist, vocalist and songwriter. Sandlin and Melvin were drummer and guitarist, respectively.

Burkett says he was never a big music fan until he discovered punk:

"The first music that had an effect on me was (the music from) 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' I had a Zeppelin and a Rush album. Then I got 'Urgh! A Music War' and the Sex Pistols' album and I never looked back."

He never studied music or the bass and says it only took "seven or eight years before I got mediocre at it."

Although second guitarists were added through the years (the group's current guitarist is Aaron "El Hefe" Abeyta), the group included another vocalist for a few weeks, and Melvin took a very brief time off from the group, the core trio has remained consistent.

Burkett says the band did everything right. Part of that was not making videos (back in the days when MTV wanted and played them) and not signing with a major label.

Granted, there were temptations. During the 1980s, NOFX's punk contemporaries included The Offspring, Green Day and Rancid - all bands that signed with major labels.

"There was about a six-month period when Offspring, Rancid and Green Day were getting big that we thought, 'Maybe we should do this.' But we decided 'No.' We weren't going to have success in the mainstream. Our songs, our lyrics and our act were completely unacceptable."

Another part of the band's success can probably be chalked up to the members being happy with their roles. Burkett is the de facto songwriter.

"I write everything," he says. "Every part of every song. I'm a total control freak."

He says it's simply each member knowing their own strengths.

"How much better would the Beatles have been if George Harrison hadn't written songs?"

When challenged that George did write some good songs, Burkett backs off only slightly.

"OK, three or four, but what about the 20 others? You don't compete with McCartney! Know your limitations."

Burkett says NOFX never plans much of anything, but the future always looks bright.

"It's the best job in the world, for sure. We get to go to work wasted. We only work about three months of the year and you get to hang out with your best friends!"

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