By Andy Lee
After four decades of churning out melodic four-chord punk rock, NOFX delivered their final Toronto shows on a wet weekend at Downsview Park as part of their Punk in Drublic farewell circuit. Like their career, the weather had its ups and downs, precipitating schedule changes and poncho sales on both days. Sporting a bushy blue mohawk and black leather skirt, vocalist and bassist Fat Mike kicked off their 75-minute Sunday set by quipping that they couldn’t get cancelled (again), referring to the backlash from their glib onstage remarks about the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
Later, he gave heartfelt thanks to Canada for its support over the years and puffed up the country’s punk cred. “You should be proud of yourselves for being such nice people and having great punk bands,” he said, shouting out West Coast legends DOA, Neos and Subhumans—not to be confused with the similarly named U.K. opening band—as well as Sum 41 and Billy Talent, who were both hanging out backstage.
Notwithstanding the gnarly weather and some technical difficulties, NOFX served up a satisfying set that ran the gamut from classic anthems “Don’t Call Me White” (the only song that day to emerge from their 1994 breakthrough album Punk in Drublic), “Bob,” “Please Play This Song on the Radio” and “It’s My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite,” to early tracks “Six Pack Girls” and “Day to Daze” and, in Fat Mike’s words, “neither good nor popular” rarities like “Timmy the Turtle.”
The final Toronto show culminated with the epic 18-minute “The Decline,” for which Sum 41’s Brown Sound joined on guitar as NOFX’s El Hefe blasted a triumphant trombone. Afterwards, Fat Mike met teary-eyed fans in the front row for hugs, back pats and punk love all around.
Sunday’s line-up included Descendents, Face to Face, The Flatliners, Codefendants, Outspoken and local female punk quartet Wise Guise. For those who missed out on the past 40 years, NOFX’s final tour will wrap in their hometown of L.A. on Oct. 4-6, 2024, after which everyone will have to settle for archival recordings I Heard They Suck Live!! (1995), They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live! (2007) and Ribbed: Live in a Dive (2018) to experience one of punk rock’s most original, fiercely independent and influential bands of all time.
Photography by Andy Lee
Originally published on MetRadio.ca
Andy Lee 