Directed by: James Buddy Day
Starring: Fat Mike, Aaron ‘El Hefe’ Abeyta, Eric Melvin and Erik ‘Smelly’ Sandin
The band that seemed to be a precursor to all the other punk bands you have heard of, NOFX were in the headlines back in 2024 for announcing their farewell tour. Having been a formidable part of the underground punk rock scene since 1983, this swan song, unlike that from a lot of other aged rock bands, was an actual goodbye, with frontman and bassist Fat Mike declaring himself done with NOFX.
This documentary, directed by James Buddy Day, is a snorts-and-all roc-doc that captures the band’s anarchic authenticity perfectly right through to their final three shows.
As an audience, we are greeted with a significant amount of turbulence and drama in the band in the opening scenes of the film. We learn that Fat Mike has been recently diagnosed with diabetes (whether he knows which type is another thing) and must give up booze and drugs if he wants to keep living, something he’s not prepared to do at the same time as being a live performer with NOFX. His relationship with alcohol and drugs forms a big chunk of NOFX: 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up. We also learn that fellow band member Eric Melvin is taking legal action against Mike, accusing him of skimming money from their farewell tour.
Known for being a DIY band, James Buddy Day has opted for a similarly unpolished environment for this piece to play out in. At times, it’s hard to determine what’s real drama and what’s tongue-in-cheek playfulness, and there is an anarchic spirit alive in every frame. Whether it’s the raw, live music shows, Mike’s penchant for fetishism and latex, or him openly snorting cocaine on camera, very little is off the table here (just make sure it doesn’t have holes in…the coke falls through). And whilst we are kept on our toes in terms of how much of the drama is theatrical licence, there is an undeniable melancholy to the whole journey.
40 years for any band is a long time, and having stuck it out for so long, eschewing labels and “selling out”, the toll is clear on this gaggle of punk rockers. Now in their late fifties, most of the band are moving on with other projects, calming down with hobbies and new passions, whilst trying to come to terms with the end of something artistically gigantic.
There is an epic timescale for this band’s journey, which deserves the roc-doc treatment. We get some wonderful talking heads from the likes of Sum 41, The Offspring, and Frank Turner, as well as archive footage featuring Blink 182, Green Day and more. The final show itself saw an array of legends hit the stage with the band, playing from combo amps and generally going out with style. This network of ne’er-do-wells shows the immense legacy of NOFX and how far their influence spreads.
With any roc-doc, we are always going to prepare for narcissistic groin rubbing and jolly outings to old haunts, or talking heads waxing lyrical. This feels more like a refreshing clamps-on-the-nipples type of journey with the blood, sweat, and tears (literally in the case of the former) coming out of both ends.
Cue the duelling banjos, please.