NOFX is probably the most successful punk band still performing that has stayed true to the punk rock ethos throughout the entirety of its almost 30-year career.

The band first formed in 1983 and began putting out albums on labesl created by front man and bass player Mike Burkett, better known as Fat Mike. Since then, the band has adhered to DIY ethics and shied away from the publicity, the money and the fame that comes with major labels. It has avoided MTV and radio play, and didn’t suffer in the least for doing so.

The band has undergone some changes, however, as Fat Mike explained to Casino Connection Managing Editor Greg Jones in December. They have, as he explains below, become more serious about what they are doing and what they are saying. While there was always a political component to their music, it has never really been as overt as it it is on more current releases like The Decline, The War on Errorism and Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing.

NOFX plays the Joint at Hard Rock January 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.50.

Casino Connection: I’m not saying you were up there singing about vapid nothingness, it’s just that your songs didn’t seem to be so overtly political before.

NOFX: Our first record has political lyrics, and some magazine did a story about the Top 25 politically dissenting records and they picked Punk in Drublic from us, which was out in ‘94.

What happened was that we just got serious. We’ve always been a funny band live, and we’ve always had funny songs, but we became more serious so everyone thinks our records are more serious now, too.

Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing was a more serious record, but most of the songs are not political, they are mostly about serious stuff.

The Decline was the most political thing we ever did and that was in ‘99.

I think it is the album covers, George Bush on the cover and Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing, which is a metaphor for the United States. Yeah, it’s the album covers.

You are not a fan of George W. Bush. Now that he is gone, you have to feel pretty good.

I’m pretty happy about how things are going, even though I have absolutely no faith that this country is ever going to recover.

We had hope for this country in 2004, but I think, I really think all hope is lost.

People talk about stock market and housing market (I was pooping that whole time, by the way) now, I don’t think the housing market is ever coming back. I don’t think it is a year thing. I think it is done.

That is one of the things that we benefited from traveling the world. We’ve been to a lot of countries that used to be something and now they are nothing.

I bet being exposed to those cultures is an eye-opening experience.

Definitely. That is the problem with Americans. More than 90 percent of Americans have never left this country. They just have no idea what is going on in the world. They just see what they see on Fox News or MSNBC or CNN, if they watch that, and it’s a very ethnocentric country.

Well, American Idol is a strong draw. It’s good for the kids, good for the whole family really.

That’s the mentality.

But no one ever said that this country can’t fall. And I just, it’s starting and I see no way out of it. I’m liquid. I sold my house. I sold all my stocks. I’m ready for the storm.

So you’re going to buy a gun and move up to the hills?

No. I think San Francisco is about as safe as you can get.

Foreclosures haven’t hit San Francisco. There are a few, but people with money move to San Francisco and there are a lot of liberals. It is not a gun-toting, crystal meth-ridden city, as opposed to Vegas.

I heard you’re working on a new album for 2009. What are you singing about?

Yeah, I’m in the studio right now. It’s going to be out in probably April.

I lost my disdain for Bush when I realized it wasn’t really him as much as it was the people who were voting for him. And those are Christians. So really, my hatred toward Christians is at an all-time high. I include Muslims and Jews of course, because they’re no better.

Kind of the whole organized religion thing?

I’m just so sick of liberals saying the platitude of “live and let live” and let people have their belief system.

No. I’m sick of that.

These people believe in mythology. It’s just, it’s crazy how you can live your entire life believing in Noah’s Ark. If people went around thinking the Earth was flat, you wouldn’t talk to them. You would say, “You’re a f—-ing idiot. The world is not flat.”

“Well, that’s my belief system so let me believe it.” They believe the same stupid s—-. And we still put up with it. It’s incredible to me.

I can’t put up with it anymore. I have a few friends who are religious and I can’t keep them anymore. I can’t talk to them.

Wow! That is pretty intolerant.

I don’t think so.

I think if you put it how I put it, if someone believed the world is flat, if you’re talking about any subject, you can’t take that person seriously.

Yeah, or dinosaur bones are a trick.

A distraction that God put there.

OK. So how are we supposed to talk about anything in the real world if that is your belief system or if that’s the foundation of your beliefs?

You can’t logically think about anything. That’s how I see it.

It is a waste of time to talk about anything, to talk about gay rights, or to talk about politics because there is always something. “Oh, God has a plan,” or “It’s God’s way.” Really? God has a plan to prevent civil rights?

The other stuff I’ve been writing about is my alcohol and drug problems. And what I mean by problems, is not having any problems. ‘Cause, you know, I do use things like that, I do use alcohol and drugs for my benefit, but I really don’t have any problems with that. So there are a few songs about that.

So if you’re in the studio now, are we going to hear some of those new songs at the show in January?

Yeah, we’ll do a few. We’ll be doing some new songs.

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.