6 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com
W
hen it comes to punk
rock, well, Fat Mike is
punk rock. After founding
and fronting the heavily
influential punk institution
NOFX in the early ’80s, Mike Burkett went on
to create Fat Wreck Chords, one of the most
successful indie labels in the U.S. He’s known
for creating the punk supergroup cover bandMe First & the Gimmie Gimmies, and has
just released the first full-length album as his
alter ego Cokie the Clown. He also created a
Broadway musical, Home Street Home, and
has launched a brand of panties marketed
for men called Fatale. So, as you can see, Fat
Mike makes for one interesting dude. Luckily,
he took a break from his punk rocking and
panty peddling to answer our 10 Questions.with Fat Mike
1
What music have
you been listening
to lately?
I wish I had time
to just listen and
enjoy music, but I’m
too busy making
my own. Music has
turned into a bad
habit for me; I need
to write all the time.
That’s why I’m into
BDSM. Can’t think
about writing a song
when two redheads
are beating you. Oh,
and the Beatles.2
What’s one
element of your
playing that
you most want to
improve?
I wish my bass
playing helped
me remember
the lyrics to my
songs. I remember
bass lines, but not
second verses. The
night before a tour,
I put on my rubber
gas mask and zip it
up so I can’t see a
f’ing thing. I have
to play every song
perfectly that way.If I make a mistake,
I gotta start over.
If I get it right, it’s
a woman in shiny
leather pumps in a
nitrous oxide hit.
I practice a lot the
night before a tour.3
What is the first
concert you ever
attended?
When I was eight,
I saw Donny and
Marie [Osmond] in
Vegas.4
What’s the best
concert you’ve
ever attended?
GG Allin at the
Covered Wagon
in S.F. in the ’80s.
When he spit his
own diarrhea into
the crowd, I hid
behind Jello Biafra
[Dead Kennedys].
Jello makes a good
shit shield!5
If you could have
lunch with any
bass player today,
alive or dead, who
would it be?
Jay Bentley
from Bad Religion.
I just like Jay a lot,
and we’ve never
talked about bass
playing in the 30
years I’ve known
him.10 Questions
ALLAN SNODGRASS