“I’m terribly anxious, I have anxiety,” NOFX frontman Fat Mike said on stage before they played their first of three swang song sets this weekend in L.A.’s South Bay.
Dressed as his alter ego, "Cokie The Clown," a despondent clown with a coke problem, the band began playing “Backstage Passport.” There was nothing despondent about the atmosphere surrounding the 41-year-old band’s final three shows, which took place from October 4th to 6th on the docks of San Pedro with tens of thousands of fans and several supporting bands in attendance. Co-headliners included Descendents, Pennywise, Buzzcocks, Dropkick Murphys, The Vandals, Lagwagon, and Subhumans.
NOFX’s retirement tour began more than a year ago on April 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Since then, they’ve played throughout Australia and Europe, ultimately coming back to North America for the last leg of the tour. The tour was presented by Brew Ha Ha Productions, Fat Wreck Chords, and Punk in Drublic.
During this year, NOFX performed 40 songs a night, with every set uniquely different, ensuring that every show was a unique experience.
“We had to learn 120 songs for you guys,” various members of the band noted on stage throughout the weekend.
The festival provided a lot to see and do. From food stalls selling pizza, tacos, gyros, noodles, and vegan eats, to merchandise booths, there was something for everyone.
A giant NOFX sign was set up on the festival grounds and fans were lining up every day to take pictures in front of it. Merchants like Dead Rockers and DripTone Records sold stickers, records, clothes, and accessories. And for those who shelled out the big bucks for VIP tickets, they were treated to craft beer tastings from noon to three all weekend.
NOFX set the mood each night by singing and dancing to “The Time Warp,” made famous in the cult classic film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The crowd would sing and dance along, gearing up for the wild and illicit chaos that was to come.
Joy, appreciation, and a hint of sadness were all felt throughout the weekend, as fans knew this was the last time they were seeing their favorite band.
On night one, the fans were not the only ones with these emotions, as NOFX guitarist and trumpeter Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta asked his band mates, “Is this the end of an era?”
Guitarist Eric Melvin jokingly answered, “That was ten years ago.”
Some of the songs from the first night included favorites like “Soul Doubt,” “Stickin’ In My Eye,” “Lori Meyers,” and “Liza and Louise.” They also treated fans with a goodie from 1984, the self-titled “NOFX,” which Fat Mike said was one of the first songs they ever wrote.
Fat Mike promised that night #2 would have a better set than night #1, and he delivered, playing a wider range of songs that spanned all of their albums. They treated fans with “Ant Attack” from their debut album “Maximum Rocknroll”—which Fat Mike openly hates on—and went on to play “The Malachi Crunch,” “Suits and Ladders,” “Eat the Meek,” “Don't Call Me White,” and “Linoleum.”
Multiple pits broke out for each and every song, as the band kept expressing how grateful they were for the fans who were there.
But it wouldn’t be a NOFX show if Fat Mike didn’t also talk shit. In classic Fat Mike fashion, he roasted Huntington Beach, saying it’s one of the worst cities around, emphasizing that the conservative city has a lot of Nazis. With that, NOFX launched into their reggae-inspired song, “Kill All The White Man,” with Fat Mike changing up the lyrics to say, “kill all the white man, but not the Mexicans!”
Night #3 was an impassioned send-off for the infamous punk rock band. Fat Mike got candid several times, telling the crowd, "Hefe cried and I couldn't sleep,” expressing how emotional they felt for the final performance.
Sunday's set-list was different from any of the preceding shows, as the band opened with 2006’s “60%” and later performed songs like “You’re Bleeding” and “Green Corn.”
Although they promised that no song would be repeated, they played “Stickin' In My Eye” and “Linoleum” for a second time, just for the pleasure of the crowd. The circle pit was going insane as fans went all out for NOFX’s final performance.
“This is the weirdest day of my life,” Fat Mike expressed to the tens of thousands of people there. “I've never had so much gratitude and sadness at the same time.”
NOFX ended the monumental tour with their 18 minute epic, “The Decline.” Near the end of the song, friends of the band—many of whom performed at the festival—joined NOFX on stage with guitars, basses, trumpets, and other instruments to help them play the final notes.
When the song ended, the band hugged and cried, taking a moment between themselves as the crowd watched on. Dedicated fans remained in the crowd 40 minutes after the show ended, refusing to end the unforgettable experience. The band stuck around during that time to say goodbye to fans personally, and Fat Mike came down into the crowd and had one-on-one conversations with as many fans as he could.
After 40 years, NOFX ended their storied career next to the waters of San Pedro, beside a sea of loyal fans watching the band go off into the sunset.
