Punk Voters Unite

Say what you want about the Bush administration, but remember that without it, there’d be no Rock Against Bush Tour. Rather, its founder Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett would be left to his normally mundane existence as (among other things) owner of Fat Wreck Chords, bassist for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and frontman for one of punk rock’s most legendary acts: NOFX.
Perhaps it’s best to first go back to the beginning. In 1983, Berkeley, CA excreted this then-threesome. They didn’t suck, so they soon migrated toward a slightly more thriving punk scene in LA. After some obligatory member-swapping and the unfortunate death of original vocalist Dave Allen, the four-member NOFX makeup eventually took shape. They’ve been established for some years now, and in the process unleashed a string of successful EPs and full-length albums — their releases always bouncing between the famed Epitaph Records and Fat Mike’s own Fat Wreck Chords, which he established in 1987.
NOFX’s comedic fun-poking at their own cultural differences, as well as tongue-in-cheek attacks on the mainstream music scene is no relic of their past. But things have changed slightly. As their career advanced and the humor heightened, so did the nation’s political climate. In recent years, all the goofy stuff has still been there, but it’s been interlaced with more and more socio-political observation. From the all-out anti-corporate assaults found on Punk in Drublic, to NOFX’s take on Bush and his goons via The War on Errorism, their aggression has grown only stronger. These punks are pissed. As the next presidential election nears, a more concerted effort has become mandatory.
So here’s Fat Mike: a self-admitted interview-loather, who goes on to give a fantastic interview. His rationale is that as a celebrity, it’s his responsibility to use his repute for the good of his country. In his own words, “A lot of people don’t think celebrities should get involved in politics, and that’s a load of shit.”
The first phase in Fat Mike’s political path was the Punk Voter cause. This effort describes itself as “a grassroots coalition of punk bands, punk labels, and most importantly, punk fans coming together to form a united front in opposition to the dangerous, deadly, and destructive policies of George Bush, Jr.” The goal is to gain support in order to get the current administration out of office…no matter what.
Within this past election year, Punk Voter has presented the Rock Against Bush tours. Participants have included the likes of Bad Religion, the Circle Jerks, Descendents, Green Day, Pennywise, Anti-Flag, NOFX (of course), Jello Biafra and a couple dozen more of punk’s finest. Of the first Rock Against Bush tour, Fat Mike remembers, “We played to about 50,000 people over three weeks. We got 20 percent to sign up to Punkvoter.com and probably about five percent to register to vote.” According to Fat Mike, the only downside was that of the attendees, many were already registered or too young to vote. But the spirit was still there, and the overall goal was reached. “I think that anyone who wasn’t registered and old enough registered at our shows,” brags Mike.
Yet even among this facet of the anti-Bush campaign, a sub-schism still lies. Heads scratch in contemplation between an unelectable opposite extreme — Ralph Nader — and a likely, but impersonal player of the game — John Kerry. Is this simply the anything-but-Bush campaign, or is there a deeper level worth examining?
Many supporters of independent nominee Ralph Nader likely argue, “It doesn’t really matter who wins, Democrat or Republican....it’s all the same.” But does that still fly? Conversely, many leftists certainly seem to agree that independent Nader has become a political turd they can’t flush; that his progress will only hinder the rock against Bush.
Fat Mike is certainly not shy about articulating his feelings about Nader: “Fuck him. He used to be a hero of mine, and now he’s a fucking pain in my ass.” And unlike the ultra-left alternative, “There’s no one righter than George Bush,” Mike points out, “because he’s the most right-wing conservative president of all time. So, there’s no one to hurt him.”
But the more obvious question remains: who will win…Kerry or Bush? Fat Mike recalls a recent article he read, comparing the timeless conservative / liberal split to that of the video-cassette industry. “When Betamax and VHS was around, VHS won…obviously. But Betamax was a better machine, with a clearer picture and [it was] less expensive, and the marketing people at VHS just kicked their ass. They got their tapes everywhere, instead of worrying about getting the machine everywhere. That’s what’s happening to the Democratic party right now.”
Fat Mike stresses a notion likewise stressed by Michael Moore: “While most people believe in liberal viewpoints, such as cleaning up the environment and health care for everyone, more laws on handguns and the right for an abortion, they don’t consider themselves Democrats, because of some sense of false patriotism.”
Regardless of affiliation, Fat Mike reminds us of yet another element to this campaign. “This is not just a battle for the White House,” he reminds, “it’s a battle for the Supreme Court. If Bush is re-elected, there’s between two and four justices retiring over the next four years, they predict. And the new people will be there for 30 or 40 years. If he wins again, abortion will probably be made illegal.”
And speaking of increased federal restrictions on a person’s right to privacy, the conversation predictably turns toward a still more pertinent issue: gay marriage. “I think it’s the biggest insult to Americans that I’ve ever heard of — that this president wants to put forth the first discriminatory amendment in history, and only the second one that takes away people’s freedoms since prohibition.” Mike emotively expands, “It’s unbelievable that this man has the balls to do this…and I’m insulted. It’s supposed to be a free country.”
For those of you still not getting the impression that Fat Mike is dedicated to this cause, allow his persistence in spite of medical concern to speak for him. Initially, this interview was postponed due to a pulled back muscle. And while the exertion understandably may have been too much for an in-person interview, the stage was absolutely essential. Apparently, he played two shows (bass and lead vocals) reclined on a well-cushioned couch. “Hey, you know, the show must go on,” he clichés. “If it wasn’t a political tour, I probably would’ve cancelled, but I fuckin’ stuck it out.” He closes in substantiation, “The hospital gave me a shot of Demerol anyways, so fuck it.”
It’s a fact: politics have once again seized the front seat of the mainstream punk scene. All it took was a fucked up right-wing administration. Thank God we have one, because without it, there wouldn’t have been a Rock Against Bush Tour, and Fat Mike would have no Demerol.

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