NOFX’s Punk In Drublic final three shows in LA: Friday- Day One

October 4th marked the kickoff of what would be the first of three incredible days of some of the best punk rock bands around, as NOFX’s Final Shows festival took over the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. According to NOFX frontman Fat Mike, the bands playing during this weekend’s farewell celebration are their friends, bands they love, bands that inspired them, and bands they grew up listening to.

After setting off on their final tour in April 2023 and traveling around the world, it was one hell of a way to send off and celebrate one of the all-time great pop-punk bands.

Day One, Friday, was an absolute banger with a diverse lineup of veteran bands, hardcore bands, and pop-punk bands that had the crowd as diverse as the music. From old heads to young crust punks, senior citizens to preschoolers, it was an awesome mix of punks there for great music, a great time, and more importantly, community.

Like any festival, the day wasn’t without its hiccups. Gates were supposed to open at noon with Escape From the ZOO and Knuckleheadz starting shortly after. However, some last-minute requests from the fire marshal delayed things considerably. Thankfully, the crowd kept their cool, knowing full well there was great music, great vendors, and dozens of brewers waiting in the beer tasting garden. Sadly, due to the delayed entry, the first two bands played to extremely limited crowds. Escape From the ZOO took the time to sincerely thank Fat Mike for putting them on the bill and to “the nine fans who came out to see us play!” 

The vendor area was a punk rock marketplace paradise. While there were multiple vendors selling everything from punk rock themed pottery to every type of punk attire imaginable, a few deserve special recognition. First up, the always awesome Punk Rock and Paintbrushes brought their mobile art gallery, displaying and selling one-of-a-kind artwork made by punk musicians and artists. They came prepared with some simply awesome NOFX art and photos that had fans drooling. Dr. Strange Records deserves a special mention for holding down the vinyl front at the festival, giving punks old and new a chance to expand their collections between sets.

The most unique vendor award goes to the Wheel of Misfortune, where brave patrons could spin the wheel and receive their punishment from a handful of dominatrixes.

Despite the flogs, whips, and assorted punishment devices, the dominatrixes were all simply awesome. It was — without a doubt — one of the singularly most unique booths I’ve ever seen at a punk show of any size and, judging by the constant crowds around the booth, it was a hit, er um, smash, uh… it was really popular.

A crucial shoutout goes to Punk Rock Saves Lives, a charity organization promoting self-care within the punk community. This awesome group of devoted punks is out to make the world a better and more supportive place for everyone — especially punks. They distribute festival must-haves, like sunscreen, bandages, and other handy items, plus crucial lifesaving supplies like Narcan for reversing opioid overdoses. Major hat tip to them for caring so much and doing amazing work to make the world, especially our beloved punk community, a better and safer place.

The first band I caught after getting through the gates was Luicidal, featuring former members of Suicidal Tendencies. As a first-time viewer, holy crap, they brought the hardcore energy in spades, with their rendition of “Institutionalized” standing out as a clear highlight. This set was the first to begin to gather a crowd and one that really got the crowd going. 

A really cool thing about this festival was the side-by-side stage setup, eliminating the usual half-mile trek between stages.

A short stroll from the main stage to second stage brought me to The Last Gang, fronted by the extraordinary Brenna Red. They delivered a no-holds-barred, high-energy punk show that proved they could have easily handled a later time slot. Brenna Red’s commanding stage presence had the crowd eating out of her hand.

Back on the main stage, Canadian hardcore pioneers D.O.A. took things up several notches. Fronted by sole original member Joey Shithead, they showed why they’re considered one of hardcore punk’s founding fathers. Joey’s presence and vocal strength remain as powerful as ever, igniting a frenzied pit that wouldn’t quit.

Another short walk back to the second stage. This time for one of Orange County’s finest, D.I., fronted by Fullerton’s true king, Casey Royer. The crowd packed in tight as Clinton Calton’s guitar riffs and Casey’s classic lyrics had the pit spinning from the first note. “Guns” and “Richard Hung Himself” got things moving, but “Amoeba” sent the pit into overdrive. Where else but a punk show can you catch the Macho Man, Banana Man, and Nacho Libre in the circle pit? The “Amoeba” singalong was deafening — a testament to D.I.’s enduring fandom.

Rarely will you hear a crowd singalong with a song this loud. It’s always a highlight for me.

Back over to the main stage for New Jersey’s own The Bouncing Souls. Hide the Yoo-Hoo! Their set was packed with classics like “East Coast! Fuck You!”, “Lean on Sheena”, and “Gone”. The crowd density finally reached critical mass, launching the day’s first wave of crowd-surfers, with Banana Man (of course) flying high above the pit. IYKYK. Frontman Greg Attonito closed their set with a rare and touching moment, jumping down to walk the front rail, high-fiving and hugging fans while thanking them for their support.

Back to the second stage. Reno’s hardcore heroes 7seconds reminded everyone why they’re legends. This was the first time in a hot minute for me to see them; I had forgotten just how good they are! This set did not disappoint. It was high-energy throughout and had the crowd going off! One of the best moments of their set was watching them perform the 80s new wave hit “99 Red Balloons”. The crowd ate it up and sang along. Always awesome to see a bunch of young punks singing along to an 80s New Wave classic!

Back to the Main Stage for the one and only MxPx.

The Bremerton, Washington founded band has been killing since the early 90s and they have not lost a step. With frontman and bassist Mike Herrera leading the way, the band brings a hot set, including flying bass guitar exchanges and a nonstop moving band. The crowd was absolutely behind the band and going crazy singing along, moshing their hearts out. The highlights of the set were the songs “Let’s Ride” and “My Life Story”. 

Over to the second stage for the iconic Buzzcocks. The band sounds as good now as they have for the last nearly 50 years! Steve Diggle fronts the band on guitar and vocals and is such a consummate performer. He engaged the crowd throughout, yet kept the banter to a minimum, letting the classic Buzzcock tunes do the talking. The set highlights included “Orgasm Addict”, “What Do I Get?”, “Senses Out of Control”, “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve”, and my absolute favorite, “Why Can’t I Touch It?” This set, while more mellow than some of the earlier hardcore bands, still engaged the crowd and had them singing along with every word. Before the set, I even chatted with a young 20-year-old punk who said she has wanted to see the Buzzcocks her entire life and was beyond excited.

After the set I approached her to see how she liked it and she was literally crying happy tears. That was something. 

With that, the second stage was done for the day and we were back to the Main Stage for our two headliners. First up, the always freaking awesome Dropkick Murphys. I have had the pleasure of seeing DKM several times now, covering a couple of their shows, and I cannot tell you how much I love this band. Ken Casey and the fellas are just so damn good: they have so much energy and put on an amazing performance every single time.

One of my favorite things about Casey as a frontman is his banter and willingness to talk with limited filter. Partway through their set, Casey called for a halt in the show to alert security to an injured fan in the pit. During the break, the band stood in supportive silence. By the time the EMTs got to the person, it was clear that it was nothing too serious and Casey began to banter with the crowd. He began making jokes about how to fill the time. He teased the crowd, bravely, or perhaps something else, about how great Boston is and how great the Celtics are. This brought a loud round of boos from the crowd.

After several minutes, the EMTs removed the injured fan and DKM was jamming again. And then… shit, stop the music, “we have another fan injured”. After a few minutes, Casey joked about whether or not to restart the song from where they left off or just move on. The crowd cheered for a continuation and Casey laughed saying, “Well, don’t expect much, we are just a punk band and don’t know how to start from the middle!” After finishing “Rose Tattoo”, Casey had to once again stop the show due to an injury in the crowd. This time he joked “Jesus, SoCal, you go hard! Or maybe you don’t and that’s the problem!” This brought a loud cheer from the crowd. The highlights of their set, not of course counting the “Foggy Dew” entrance song, included “The Boys Are Back”, “Rose Tattoo”, “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya”, “Barroom Hero”, and “The State of Massachusetts”.

It was a brilliant set albeit cut short for injury timeouts. 

Finally, it was time for NOFX‘s third-to-last show ever. Fat Mike, El Hefe, Smelly, and Eric Melvin took the stage to the “Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Never knowing what to expect, Fatty walked out, not in a dress, but dressed as Cokie the Clown. He and the boys spent several minutes dancing to the “Time Warp”, talking with friends and family onstage, and greeting the crowd of over 25,000! 

Now, if you have never been to a NOFX show, then you might be confused by the onstage antics and “fighting” between members. They constantly joke around and act more like four drunk friends at a party, rather than one of the most beloved pop-punk bands of all time. Fatty and Melvin frequently teamed up this night to tease and joke with bassist El Hefe. Smelly, rarely said much, but did playfully throw several sets of sticks at Fat Mike throughout the night. Fatty, being Fatty, made crude and inappropriate jokes throughout the entire night, jokingly saying, “what are they going to do… cancel us?!” 

The show included 34 songs, many of which Fatty would joke were two or three in a row without stopping.

About 90 minutes into the set, Fatty started joking they had only one more before Smelly had to stop and take a bathroom break. During the break, a Caribbean steel drum song played through twice before the guys took the stage again for their encore. Highlights of the night included “Drugs Are Good”, “Don’t Call Me White”, “Franco Unamerican”, and — of course — “Linoleum”. It was an awesome set. 

Overall, it was an unforgettable day of great punk rock music across various genres, great beer, great vendors, and a simply great crowd. Day One done — and it was one for the books! Onto the final two days in the NOFX career. But… wait… what’s this shirt hanging in the merch booth? A “NOFX Reunion, 2028” t-shirt???

Photography by Shane Pase

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