Fat Mike

About

Photo by: @susanmossphotography It's probably an understatement to say that Michael' Fat Mike' Burkett is a bit of a contentious figure. Whether through NOFX —the punk band he formed in 1983, which is currently on its farewell tour—or outside of it, he likes to provoke and prod people. Because of that, people often dismiss NOFX as little more than an amusing pop-punk band. They're wrong, but that doesn't stop them from thinking it or that punk is just sloppy dudes playing sloppy songs sloppily. That's one of the reasons Burkett decided to sit down with his good friend and (fairly) frequent musical collaborator Baz The Frenchman and make Fat Mike Gets Strung Out, a record of (mostly) NOFX songs recast and reimagined as classical compositions. It's a way of setting the record straight for those who think NOFX are—and, after they break up in a few months, were—just another punk band who can't really play their instruments. Or worse, just another dumb punk band that can't really play their instruments. This record is the latest in a string of happenings and projects that should dispel that myth. Not only is Burkett quitting touring and putting NOFX to bed, he recently opened the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, and he was also behind a sold-out live show in LA that was a live predecessor to this record. He also collaborated with renowned composer Joseph Bishara on music for the EPIX TV series Blumhouse's Compendium Of Horror. Suffice it to say, it's all been quite an addition to his resume, one that most people would likely not expect, and designed to dispel dumb punk musician stereotype. It does so comprehensively—and this record only solidifies that fact. "The thing is," says Mike, "I really want people to understand my songwriting. For example, most reggae songs have two chords and 16-bar verses. Our reggae song, "Eat The Meek," has 16 chords in each verse, but they're also different in each verse. "Eat The Meek"—from NOFX's 1997 album, So Long And Thanks For All The S