thought, “How do you celebrate 25 years of Fat without No Use for a Name?” YOU DON’T.  Fat’s bringing in Matt Riddle, Rory Koff, Dave Nassie, and a collection of Fat band members to sing lead vocals for what is set to be the storybook send off of No Use and celebrate the life and legacy of Tony Sly with some of his dearest friends.

 

I was lucky enough to get in a few words with the bands on the Fat Wrecked for 25 Years Tour, along with Fat Mike, and Erin Burkett, the co-owner of Fat.  If the lineup alone doesn’t simply draw you into this tour, maybe hearing about an incredible label and how amazing this tour is going to be will set you straight:

 

The Label’s side of things...

GNM: Did you ever think when you started Fat, it would become what it is, and be running strong 25+ years later?Fat Mike: As a matter of fact, yes! When I decided to start a record label, I thought this sounds like fun, I think I'll do it for the next 25 or 30 years. So far, sxo good.

Erin Burkett: No. We started Fat for fun… it was more of a hobby than a business, and I never really expected it to make any money.  We were just two college students who really had no idea what we were doing.  We put out NOFX and Lagwagon and didn't expect much to happen.  Then we met No Use for a Name and Propagandhi, and the records kept selling, and we were actually getting paid, and we thought "maybe we could make a living off this."  So I quit my day job, and started running Fat full time.  I just felt lucky to be working with such amazing bands… being able to pay our rent was just an added bonus.  Here we are, 25 years later, and having one of our best years ever!

 

GNM: I’m sure you can’t choose just one, but what are some of your favorite Fat records?

FM: Some of the great underrated albums are:

Western Addiction- Cognicide

Frenzal Rhomb- Sans Souci

Real Mckenzies- Oot and aboot

and

Tony Sly - 12 song program

EB: I could never choose just one.  I am such a huge fan of our catalog.  Lagwagon Hoss was my favorite record for the last 20 years, but it's been replaced by Hang.  To me, Hang is perfection.  No Use For a Name's Leche Con Carne is another one of my all time favorites.  I love the first Masked Intruder record.  I'm pretty stoked on the new Bad Cop/Bad Cop record and recently I can't stop listening to Pears Go To Prison.  Honestly, I could just keep going… we have such awesome bands!

 

GNM: What's your favorite story from 25 years of running Fat Wreck Chords?

FM: When we had an office vacation in Tahoe. I made everyone take E and two unlikely people fucked in the hot tub while a girl got hit in the head with a pool cue. I love seeing people get hit in the head with stuff.

EB: One of my favorite memories is my 30th birthday party.  We rented out Bottom Of the Hill in San Francisco and had a private show.  I asked Joey if Lagwagon would be willing to play my party, and then I asked him if I could write the set list, and he actually agreed. I gave him the list, and it had all these songs on it from their first three releases that the band didn't know because they had a new drummer and a new guitar player, and they were songs that they never play live.  I think it was almost the entire Hoss album.  So they had to learn a bunch of songs just to play my set list.  The Gimmes opened up the show and then Joey flew in Nerfherder as a surprise birthday present to me.  It was one of the greatest nights ever.  I realize this story isn't really about running Fat, but one wouldn't be possible without the other.  All my favorite memories of Fat over the last 25 years are about family moments like these. 

 

The Band’s side of things...

GNM: What was the experience like when you guys became part of the Fat family?

Joey Cape (Lagwagon): It's difficult to remember now but it was a very good feeling being signed and knowing we would release an album. Being on Fat Mike from NOFX's label made sense. Lagwagon and NOFX shared influences and background. All these years later it's amazing to think we have all survived this long. I am very proud to have been apart of this from the start. In many ways Fat Wreck Chords is a second family to me.

Johnny Bonnel (Swingin’ Utters): Well, when we became part of the Fat family our band got serious about touring, writing and having fun. We couldn't ask for a more supportive family. We've got a lot of material that Fat released so we are very lucky. I don't want to slow down!

Paul Oxborrow (toyGuitar): Very casual, but very rad, like if a good friend put out your record.  For half of us, we were already on Fat via the Utters, so it was pretty seamless, but still very cool.  Since day one, they have made the band feel super welcome and part of the family.  We couldn't ask for a better home.

Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners): It was a pretty surreal experience for four nineteen year old kids who grew up on tons of Fat bands. The whole thing seemed so weird to be happening to us. But we felt very lucky and we wanted to prove ourselves worthy of this opportunity from Fat Mike. Amidst the excitement, I remember for a moment back then feeling relieved in a way. Kind of like "We figured it out. We landed ourselves on a label that raised us as young punk fans and musicians… This is insane!” But I kind of thought the hard work was done. Little did I know, all the real work was yet to come.

Stacey Dee (Bad Cop/Bad Cop): Overwhelming excitement and being truly grateful for the validation and belief everyone at Fat has in our band.  

 

GNM: Did you guys grow up listening to Fat music?  What's it like playing alongside bands like NOFX and Lagwagon?

Intruder Blue (Masked Intruder): Most definitely! We all grew up listening to Fat bands and it's crazy to be one now. It's just an honor. Also, it's a hella bad ass time!

 

GNM: What’s the best part about being on Fat?

JB: I think meeting and touring with all the bands on Fat. And, of course, Erin Burkett.

PO: The people.  They're some of the nicest, most supportive, and professional people you could hope to work with.  They make it easier to be a band and let us focus more on music and less on business-y bullshit.

Jake Kiley (Strung Out): Oh lots of things, but I'd say mainly the fact that they give us creative and artistic control and have always been very generous with us. We've never had a reason to consider leaving.

CC: The friendships I’ve made. The people I’ve met. The opportunities we’ve been given. They’re all great things about being on Fat. We’ve found ourselves befriending so many of our heroes, because we’re a Fat band.

IB: Debating Fat Mike about what's cooler: drugs, or theft. He makes some good points, but you can't trust him, cause he's probably high.

SD: Being included in the pedigree of the best punk rock bands around.  Fat is known for putting out, "quality music,” which makes people all over the world take notice of what we are doing and the music we are making. It's a very family oriented label that cares about it's artists and we couldn't be happier to do all we can to let the world know that. 

 

GNM: Are you planning anything special for the tour, like playing some songs you don't normally play live? Bringing other band members on stage with you? If it's top secret, is it anything you can allude to?

FM: I'm not sure what I can allude to, but I wish I had a lude. It’s been awhile since I had one. I actually have 6 714's in my safe at home. Waiting for a special occasion. Oh, surprise stuff on the Fat tour. Joey Cape stopped drinking. That's a surprise! Besides that, I'm not sure.  No one tells me anything.

JC: This is already such a special event to me. I'll have to think on that though. Maybe there is something special we can do. Our plan for now is to play a song or more from each record we have released on Fat.

JB: We are planning something special for the tour. We're playing some songs we don't normally play. I'm bringing other band members on stage with me. It's top secret so that's all I can allude to.

PO: Other than playing some new songs and possibly busting out a cover or two, we don't really have anything top secret planned for this tour… or do we?  Dun dun dun…  You'll have to come see us to find out!

JK: Nothing so far, but I have a feeling there will be some fun jamming situations! We will have a fairly short set, so we will try to get a good mix of old and new!

CC: We’ll do what we normally do I think, but with a resounding “just happy to be here” kind of shit-eating grin on our faces.

IB: Our only plan for the tour is to have as much fun as possible and deliver the best show we can every night. And also to sneak onto the headlining bands' buses and gank all their cool stuff!

SD: We will probably be switching up our set so we don't play the same songs every show. We will be playing new songs for sure.  We also have an extra surprise for a few dates of the tour! 

 

GNM: What should we, the fans, be most excited for on this tour? What are you guys most excited for?

JC: The most exciting thing is this possibility to hear a large part of Fat's history at one gig. I think It's going be nostalgic for us and fans of the label. I love the bands that Fat has released and while I'm biased, It's going to be a great show.

JB: You should be excited about all the bands you get to see. We're most excited about No Use and friends in SF!

EB: It's going to be so epic!  We just announced No Use and Friends, with NUFAN alumni Matt Riddle, Dave Nassie, Rory Koff (and more).  The band is going to play a set in San Francisco with guest vocals from other Fat bands.  It will be the first time they have played together since their 2012 tribute to Tony shortly after his passing.  Tilt got back together just to play our party in San Francisco; Bracket and Propagandhi are going to play sets as well.  These surprises are specific to the San Francisco show, but the entire tour is going to be legendary.  I still can't believe we managed to get NOFX, Lagwagon, Strung Out, the Swingin' Utters, The Flatliners, Masked Intruder, toyGuitar, and Bad Cop/Bad Cop on the same bill!

PO: We're stoked to hit the road again as a band and play lots of cool places along with a bunch of good friends.  YOU should be stoked for hours of rad Fat jams coming your way!  See you in August!

JK: The chance to see the top OG Fat bands all one one bill is pretty rad, it hasn't happened in a long time. This is the first time all of us will be playing together since the mid 90s, and it might not happen again.

CC: There will be a lot of puke in the parking lot. Guaranteed.

IB: The lineup! I think when you get a group of bands like this together, it's just gonna be an incredible amount of fun. Like, infinity fun. Now, the more fun a band has, the better the show is. Therefore, I predict that this tour will produce infinitely good sets every night from all of the bands. I mean, how could you miss that?

SD: Everyone should be excited to see all of us playing together!  We are just really excited to be playing with our friends and heroes.  It's amazing.  That and getting the opportunity to play to new and huge crowds of people. 

 

The North American tour kicks off August 6th in Toronto and will culminate in Los Angeles August 24th.  Japan will get to celebrate Fat on November 23rd, when the tour hits Tokyo. Make sure you get your tickets early; this is truly something you won’t want to miss!