Punk band NOFX should probably change their name to “NO…Longer Booking Gigs” after remarks they made about the Las Vegas concert shooting, resulting in outrage from the public, and costing them their sponsorship from Stone Brewing Co.
The Los Angeles-based band, who rose to prominence in the 90s, recently played the Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival, which is also unfortunately held in Las Vegas, where band leader Fat Mike, along with guitarist Eric Melvin made some derogatory comments about the October shooting, where 58 people were killed and over 800 more were injured.
“We played a song about Muslims and we didn’t get shot. Hooray,” Fat Mike said. Melvin followed that up with, “I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are in a country band.”
NOFX thought it would be “hilarious” to joke about the October 1 shootings while on stage in Las Vegas. They said “at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans”. This is disgusting and callous. We will never support anything involving this band ever again. pic.twitter.com/am3R8QJIE6
— Dave and Mahoney (@DaveAndMahoney) May 30, 2018
Fat Mike then responded by saying, ‘You know, that sucked, but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans.”
Videos of the show quickly spread on social media, with their words going viral, followed by backlash from fans and sponsors, including Stone Brewing Co. The Escondido–based brewery was a sponsor for the touring Punk in Drublic Festival, and had collaborated with NOFX on the Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager, but cut ties immediately with the band following their comments, and released the following statement:
“We at Stone Brewing are aware of NOFX’s insensitive and indefensible statements this past weekend. As a result, we are severing all our ties with NOFX, including festival sponsorship and the production of our collaboration beer. We respect punk rock, and the DIY ethos for which it stands. To us, it means standing up for things you believe in, and fearlessly committing to what’s right. And it is for that reason that Stone Brewing is immediately disassociating ourselves from the band NOFX. Stone had a sponsorship deal for this summer’s Punk In Drublic festivals. Emphasis “had.” That sponsorship is now canceled.”
The press release went on to note that while the collaboration beer, Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager, is still available for purchase in retail stores, NOFX is not profiting in any way, and the brewery has even decided to donate all of the proceeds of the beer.
“…to try our best to make some good come out of these awful comments, we have decided that we will donate all profits of the beer to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation, which provides post-Route 91 trauma counseling for officers and other first responders alongside other safety programs, training, and funding. We apologize to the fans of the beer itself, but know that we make this decision out of respect to all. Punk rock is cool. These callous comments were the furthest thing from it.”
The Punk in Drublic Festival kicked off at the beginning of May and made stops in Richmond, Austin, Forth Worth, Philly, Brockton, Mass., and Pittsburgh, with the festival wrapping up this weekend in Ohio. NOFX and frontman Fat Mike’s other band Me First And The Gimme Gimmes have been replaced on the bill by Descendants and The Vandals according to a festival spokesperson.
Yesterday, NOFX issue an apology on their Twitter for their remarks, four days later, but looks to be too little too late for this band. The damage is done.
— NOFX (@NOFXband) May 31, 2018
Photo By: Dennis Williford
