Probably came up with some unique ideas which is cool in itself. On the other hand, his technique is terrible which is apparent in some of the problems: timing and execution slightly inconsistent, bottom string not under control, limited musical vocabulary etc. But I still value artists like that who are sort of self taught intuitive. He played some interesting variety. Cheers.
@@SpongeBath_ShitPants alternates. One year fucked up, one year sober. Single Album was played on a shit ton of pills and blow. Thing with mike is, he likes drugs but doesn't let himself get addicted.
@@brianfrolo245 I'm guessing you are NOT responding to the comment preceding yours? LOL "Sober 30 years, but if MIKE can pull it off...... slide me some pills and booze yo!" :D
Nofx - Stickin in my eye intro is one of my favorite bass lines to play. 20 years later I still play it when I pick up a bass. I’m not a bassist either haha.
I love that Mike mentioned Bomber from RKL showing him Blocked Out and Hangover. Bomber was the drummer of RKL, but he was amazing on bass and guitar as well. My band used to rehearse in the basement of a club called the Chatterbox where RKL and NOFX used to hang out a lot. And once when we were rehearsing Bomber came down and insisted on showing us some new songs he had written. He grabbed our bass players bass and tore through the song, jumped behind the drum kit, then grabbed my guitar and wailed out the guitar parts stomping on my wah pedal so hard that he broke it. I always look back on those days as a kind of golden age of the SF rock scene.
Crazy!!! LOL! I met Bomber in the early 90s I think, he was doing less RKL back then...I think it was a side project called "Slang" or something...I was friends with the drummer and would roadie for him sometimes. Bomber was nutty but cool!
@@ObsidianLife Yeah, I remember that period. Bomber had Slang, and if I'm remembering correctly, the record he originally intended to release under the name Slang was eventually released as an RKL album called Reactivate on Epitaph records. I think Epitaph just felt it would be smarter to release it under the already established name.
If you isolate Lemmy's and John Enthwistle's basselines from records and live performances, they are full of mistakes as well. It's proably a personality issue.
@@M1tjakaramazov its pretty amazing. The band kind of covers for each other, and the energy in the room masks it. Everyone should experience live shows sometimes. I feel bad my daughters generation doesn't really get to do stuff like that much. Even if she was able to, finding others her age who are into it, is rare.
@@kckillakrack9714 love me some matt freeman but hes more of a scale player. They are both really good bass players in different ways. Matt Freeman just plays scales as fast as possible usually and fat mike plays melodies with the bass.
@@Ogbassist182 Op ivy and rancid is pretty reggae thats why. Fat mike is good but his stuff is kinda simple. Another good one is the guy on face to face Scott schiflet. His brother was in no use for a name and now is on too fighters hes a guitarist really goid one too
@@kckillakrack9714 Simple doesn't mean bad though. Mike always serves the song and is always locked in with Sandin. That's the definition of a great bass player to me.
Can’t believe he’s not mentioning the beginning of “Sticking in my eye”, best bass ever!!!! But I guess that is not strictly a riff, more kinda chord’s progression
When he is sober, he looks so nice and different. his expression is just different, and it is great! living legend. Glad to have their old cassette albums.
Great bass player, great skill with a pick. Unique bass tone on the "So long and thanks for all the shoes" album - never heard anything like that elsewhere.
It was the first NOFX album I bought, and has stayed my favorite album ever since. Was really hoping for Dad’s bad news to be in this video. Just such a cool riff.
I appreciate seeing Mike mess up and keep trying till he gets it right. It shows that even guys who have been playing for 30+ years still have to keep practicing. The dedication to your craft as a musician really is a lifestyle. I'm a guitar player but Mike has always been one of my favorite bassists.
Never been a NOFX fan but went to high school in the Central Coast of CA with a TON of NOFX fans from ‘95-‘99. Much respect to Fat Mike, he’s got the chops. I didn’t know he was that good.
Such an underrated bassist. Only discovered NOFX during the pandemic but I love their mood and energy in their music. Not ignorant of the bad stuff in the world but optimistic in spite of it.
@JPindanga same. Been listening since the early 90s and the music is like seeing old friends sometimes. If you haven't already, you should read their book. It's the best band biography I've ever read and it's a wild ride. It makes you relate to each band member (they all wrote their own stories for the book) and you walk away with a very human outlook on them. I especially gained tons of respect for smelly. He's an awesome guy.
yeah the one with the circular picking looks really hard to play, I don't think I can even count out the rhythm that fast let alone play it and the way he double some notes in a row is my kryptonite for some reason
Fat Mike is one of my biggest influences on my life and music. I’m not a bassist but I do appreciate his tone and style. He just seems like a nice person who you would grave a drink with and talk about life for hours on end.
What a legend, I have played guitar for 9 years and uke for 8 years and just started playing bass with James Jamerson being the dude I emulate the most.... wow, this is totally different!
What if you play both? But as a guitarist mainly, I have a similar saying... Clean playing separates the men from the boys. Every man can play with high gain, but not every man can play clean and sound good. Also James Jamerson is one of my favorite bassists ever. Every one of those guys (and gals) at motown were phenomenal players. So much soul.
Don’t know if you’re a fan of the band, but if you’re into Jamerson and rock music check out some of the early STP records. Even if you don’t like the music, the basslines are clearly Motown inspired but in a rock context. Was a big influence on me
@@mrnelsonius5631 Are you talking about Stone Temple Pilots? If so, I'm a huge fan of theirs. Been to quite a few of their concerts back in the day, almost always front row. Scott Weiland was insanely good on stage in those days. And as for the music, yeah the DeLeo brothers are so talented. I never really noticed the similarities to Motown, but now that you mentioned it. I'll definitely be paying more attention now. I used to cover a few of their songs on guitar, especially acoustic sets. But never on bass. Hopefully that's the band you're referring to?
@@LeviBulger yep talking about them :). Listen to the bass in Interstate Love Song for example. It’s straight up Motown licks. I toured opening for them years ago and they are amazing people. Lots of conversations with Robert about old soul and R+B records
@@SpongeBath_ShitPants I swear there have been a few times in the past where people have said he's given it up. I don't even know what to believe anymore.
Fat Mike referred to them as the only band that had both a pimp and a prostitute as members. But I don't know enough about the band to know which particular members he was referring to.
RKL is my all time favorite band, the whole top of my left arm is a beenie tattoo but, and i mean no disrespect, riches to rags is their worst album... Rock & roll nightmare is the pinnacle of that skate punk style, hands down best punk album ever, dave raun still wishes he could play bomers drum parts correctly, and without a lame ass double bass pedal...
musicians like mike are a different breed, you've got people who put 1000x the effort in to nail a few songs by tabs, and you've got dudes like mike who barely practise and still have chops/ can recall from a 30 year-spanning discography almost straight away. that's not to say the hypothetical tab guy couldn't get "better" from a technicality standpoint, but skill and musical intelligence are two different things. if you have the type of brain that thrives on pattern-seeking, with the right imagination you can interpret and compose music like it's second nature. BUT music shouldn't be a meritocracy and some of the most inspired sounds have come from people with hands made of lead.
Saw NOFX play for the first time back in early 1998 (in Quebec city) when I was 13 years old. Hi-Standard and Reset were opening for them. The singer/guitarist for Reset went on to become Simple Plan's singer. Last saw NOFX in 2018, 20 years later. Can't wait to see them play again.
John smith...what a great bass track.occassionally mike still does stuff like that.i always want more.i really want a hard punk album from nofx soon.like some of the snm stuff was borderline metal.i fucking love it.i wish they did more of that
I'm a guitar player but I'm also a NOFX fan... I have to say I enjoyed watching this a lot and I didn't know FatMike was so freaking amazing at playing bass. Some of these lines are not easy at ALL.
Dude totally, finally someone that agrees with me that Ribbed is an awesome record. I think they playing is great on it, I love the drum sound on that album.
Dude! The bass intro for 'Something Sticking in Eye'. It's fucking Epic, and brings back a lot of great memories from the era. Top 5 best NOFX songs! The 10 years of fucking up VHS tape!
I never realized all the upstrokes before. He starts everything on an upstroke. I’ve been listening to these guys for so long and I just now saw it. In my defense I only play guitar and haven’t put an ounce of anything into the bass but I should have know that one sooner.
He was definitely not sober at the show in Edmonton which was my first time seeing them. It was the night Trump won the election so there’s that lol. Killer musician he definitely looks way happier here.
Very cool. Mike definitely can't be copied. Both hands working together at a frantic pace! Self taught musicians are always the most interesting! More interviews like this definitely!
RKL was absolutely one of a few punk bands whose bass playing really struck me as technically proficient. Zero Boys also had talent in that department.
I was glad to see this video! He seems the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Fat Mike is one of my biggest influences for sure. But I wish I could write lyrics like him. He’s still just pumping out the songs like it’s nothing. A True legend 🤘🏻😝🤘🏻
@@eldoabrahamson actually that’s not something you can educate yourself on, because it’s a subjective matter of personal taste. Educate yourself and find out, rather than interpreting your own opinions as fact.
I can't be the only one who absolutely lost their s*** when he played "Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden! I mean come on that's a bassist special and there's no way every bassist hasn't at least tried to learn it. Lol. Thanks Fat Mike this was amazing! Thank Loudwire for having him on.
i lost it too hahahaha. he played paranoid, which was also one of my first. then blocked out which was always my goal to play when i started which i then went on to learn. then wrathchild and i became convinced theres some interdimensional trickery going on
@@Suavratman Really? I didn't see it that way at all. It seemed more like a "it's the obvious choice" kind of scenario like when a guitarist is talking about the 1st guitar riff they learned and they play "Smoke on the Water" Lol.
took me a while but now i see where the sound comes from - soft nylon picks and playing closer to the neck. could have gotten it from live videos but this one really shows where the sound come from
At 33 years old, and being the metalhead that grew up with punk friends, i feel sooooo fucking ashamed i didn't check NOFX out earlier. Fat Mike is such a dude. Respect!!!
LOL! There's a LOT to know about him. I suggest you read the NOFX book and watch their series, Backstage Passport. And watch their live concerts, of course.
I went to a show in 1995 only having heard one record a couple of times. He was sitting out front of the venue on the steps, playing an acoustic guitar and drinking with a few people that had shown up early. I thought that was cool.
Melodic hardcore takes heavily from thrash metal. RKL are like the godfathers of that whole genre of punk, of which NOFX falls under. Joe Raposo of RKL is now the bassist for Lagwagon, another really fun and legendary band on Fat Wreck to check out. Cheers!
My favorite NOFX song on bass is Pimps and Prostitutes simply for the fact that Fat completely stops playing when the chorus hits. I don't think any other bass player in the world would have thought to do that and for whatever reason it sounds amazing!
Whats the trendy term? "horror vacui"? Mus's who arent too uptight abt what others think can do that - like Ol' Keith Moon would just stop for a bar or 2 ,something about being loose and in the moment? Very Zen
Fuck yeah, love that he still mentions Bomer from RKL. Those guys were way ahead of their time, and don't get enough love. Always happy to see RKL remembered.
Even when he gives 60% his picking hand is insanely fast when skipping strings, it looks like it's in fast motion! ALSO I wonder if this is the precision bass he bought because he's a huge fan of Bad Religon :D it's more yellow than brown though...
@@Hamletshandle It's an 18 minute long punk song with multiple riff changes and breakdowns/bridges, and it doesn't follow the typical punk verse/chorus format. If you haven't heard it, I highly suggest it.
i’ve been playing with a dunlop nylon 60mm for 20 years and people think it’s so weird. i started doing it because i play the bass with a full strum on fast rhythms, but definitely soften the touch for intricate parts. basically using the 60mm pick as a compressor.
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It's admirable seeing such a good player who is not afraid of making mistakes.
i like it when humans are human
Good?😂
Trust me he's made a lot of mistakes, and stands by most of them.
Probably came up with some unique ideas which is cool in itself.
On the other hand, his technique is terrible which is apparent in some of the problems: timing and execution slightly inconsistent, bottom string not under control, limited musical vocabulary etc.
But I still value artists like that who are sort of self taught intuitive. He played some interesting variety. Cheers.
He's so enthusiastic, positive and not toxic here, can't believe it's him!
Well, he's not wasted, for one thing.
Back when NOFX started, I doubt most punk bands were concerned about being considered "nontoxic."
I heard that he went to rehab a while back and got completely clean.
@@SpongeBath_ShitPants alternates. One year fucked up, one year sober. Single Album was played on a shit ton of pills and blow. Thing with mike is, he likes drugs but doesn't let himself get addicted.
@@brianfrolo245 I'm guessing you are NOT responding to the comment preceding yours? LOL
"Sober 30 years, but if MIKE can pull it off...... slide me some pills and booze yo!"
:D
Nofx - Stickin in my eye intro is one of my favorite bass lines to play. 20 years later I still play it when I pick up a bass. I’m not a bassist either haha.
That was one of the first things I ever learned to play on bass. I think it was actually the 3rd lol
Sober Fat Mike is awesome to see, he seems happy and is playing more correct notes than I've ever seen before
LOL! Its great to see!
You lose a certain amount of charm though.
@Connor Davis Not just himself, but the music as well.
Sober? Lol no
I was wondering why he looks so good and healthy, Makes me so happy to see.
My left ear enjoyed this
Yeah, did no one actually watch this or edit before posting?
Yeah, wtf I really like when I get to use both ears
talking on the left playing on the right lol
I thought my ears were dying like damn I'm going deaf even more
I had him talking in only the left, and playing in both. But it was thin and slightly tinny sounding.
Playing his instrument, that's where you'll find the real Fat Mike. Fragile, authentic and vulnerable. He can't hide behind it.
Very true.
I love that Mike mentioned Bomber from RKL showing him Blocked Out and Hangover. Bomber was the drummer of RKL, but he was amazing on bass and guitar as well. My band used to rehearse in the basement of a club called the Chatterbox where RKL and NOFX used to hang out a lot. And once when we were rehearsing Bomber came down and insisted on showing us some new songs he had written. He grabbed our bass players bass and tore through the song, jumped behind the drum kit, then grabbed my guitar and wailed out the guitar parts stomping on my wah pedal so hard that he broke it. I always look back on those days as a kind of golden age of the SF rock scene.
Wow that must have been awesome! I'm a little jealous myself, as a bass player lol
Thank you for this! Thank you
Crazy!!! LOL! I met Bomber in the early 90s I think, he was doing less RKL back then...I think it was a side project called "Slang" or something...I was friends with the drummer and would roadie for him sometimes. Bomber was nutty but cool!
@@ObsidianLife Yeah, I remember that period. Bomber had Slang, and if I'm remembering correctly, the record he originally intended to release under the name Slang was eventually released as an RKL album called Reactivate on Epitaph records. I think Epitaph just felt it would be smarter to release it under the already established name.
Great story haha thanks for sharing
Seriously underrated bass player. I’ve always loved his style and his subtle runs and lines. He can really play but doesn’t shove it in your face.
I've always been fascinated with his picking style. Dominant upstrokes and hybrid picking, always fun to watch
After listening to the Decline 200+ times, watching Fat Mike struggle to play it is charming and classic. I'll have to dig out my CD.
I like a bass player who can't even play one of his own riffs that he wrote himself...reminds me of myself
Ya im the same.....
Some crazy shit my brain makes up that my fingers can't keep up
If you isolate Lemmy's and John Enthwistle's basselines from records and live performances, they are full of mistakes as well. It's proably a personality issue.
@@M1tjakaramazov Lemmy was probably just too drunk
@@M1tjakaramazov its pretty amazing. The band kind of covers for each other, and the energy in the room masks it. Everyone should experience live shows sometimes. I feel bad my daughters generation doesn't really get to do stuff like that much. Even if she was able to, finding others her age who are into it, is rare.
Me to but guitar 🤣.
I don’t remember how to play that
You wrote it
Still don’t remember
"our job as a bass player ; we make other people sounds better" -fat mike 2021
les claypool: "well actually..."
Not that fat mike is bad but if you wanna play punk bass you should learn matt freeman
@@kckillakrack9714 love me some matt freeman but hes more of a scale player. They are both really good bass players in different ways. Matt Freeman just plays scales as fast as possible usually and fat mike plays melodies with the bass.
@@Ogbassist182 Op ivy and rancid is pretty reggae thats why. Fat mike is good but his stuff is kinda simple. Another good one is the guy on face to face Scott schiflet. His brother was in no use for a name and now is on too fighters hes a guitarist really goid one too
@@kckillakrack9714 Simple doesn't mean bad though. Mike always serves the song and is always locked in with Sandin. That's the definition of a great bass player to me.
The Decline is such an underrated EP. The horns on it -- and the bass lines -- are just A+.
Underrated? Dude most people think it's a masterpiece
If You Haven't Already, Check Out The Newest Recording With BAZ's Orchestra Playing With Them
@@ronjames4151 agreed. It's the opus of punk rock.
@@missmaynard2310 Saw them play it at Jera On Air (festival in the Netherlands NOFX was headlining) a few years back! Goddamn that was amazing!
@@ronjames4151 100000000%
Proof that you don’t need to be the best player in the world. You just need to make songs that are undeniably catchy and that’s exactly what NOFX is.
Hes a really good player tho
all jokes aside he's actually a decent bass player
He’s one of the best bass players in punk
Hey you've got the Band Maid logo!!!!!
@@stevebanning902 No one said he wasn't good, just not the best in the world.
"I have a really good idea, let's pan his voice hard left and we'll pan the bass audio hard right. I'm sure people will love that."
bad video to watch with only one headphone
60s style!! I fuckn love it. YESS.
This comment helped me finally hear his bass not I've got to watch it all again lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dude, I thought my headphones broke. Ended up being helpful, because I had some brick dust in the jack from work. 🤣
Slightly less fat mike. Good
@Ivory_ Lagiacrus_YT he looks like he’s a member of ween now
Him being in good health is good and ween is cool too.
Kinda fit Mike
@Ivory_ Lagiacrus_YT Nothing wrong with that! 😎
Fit Mike
I like the sober fat Mike so much better. Hope he keeps it up
Agreed! Unfortunately it's not the same for Billy Joe...
Bruh billie is sober, he has been since iHeart Radio
@@thiccbasscovers Nah he isn't, he was drinking on the entire longshot tour.
@@pollyanna147 can confirm. Met him and had drinks with him in December of 2019
@@PedroFigs I think Billie has better control over it compared to before because he doesn’t seem to be in the same state he was back in 2012
Fatty is genuinely a monster on the bass. Always has such cool and unique basslines and a crazy tone.
Punk bassists like fat mike are so underrated. Their playing is so melodic and unique and by no means easy to play well.
2:48 Wrathchild by Iron Maiden has got to be one of the most recognizable bass intros ever! I loved every bit of it in GH Rock the 80s.
Early Maiden was so obviously punk influenced, no matter how much they (except for Paul Di’Anno) deny it.
I didn't realize how great Fat Mike is. Now I do.
Check out The Decline Live at Red Rocks. Such a difficult song to play and he was flawless.
Yeah this young fella may have a promising future.
@@MrBlahdiblahdi He's very street, very gang, very hispanic. He'll do just fine.
@@Dincorta yes u did. haha
As a longtime singing bass player myself, this guy is one of my heros.
Can’t believe he’s not mentioning the beginning of “Sticking in my eye”, best bass ever!!!! But I guess that is not strictly a riff, more kinda chord’s progression
he kinda hates the song tbf, doesn't even sing it live
It also is the bass line from Epiphany by Bad Religion which is why he probably didn't mention it haha
@@iamjoehill Epiphany was on their Process of Belief album, which was like 2002 if I recall. Sticking in my Eye was early 90s
@@timothyhansen8967 the man is right!!
Agreed, but that riff is nearly impossible, since you gotta start by breaking the bass backwards.
When he is sober, he looks so nice and different. his expression is just different, and it is great! living legend. Glad to have their old cassette albums.
People sleep on how great a bassist Fat Mike is. Reminds me to start on the upstroke sometimes...Long live NOFX.
Matt Freeman next please!
Yes please!
Yes
Oh man that would be awesome
Matt is the MAN!!
Joe raposo would be even better
Great bass player, great skill with a pick. Unique bass tone on the "So long and thanks for all the shoes" album - never heard anything like that elsewhere.
@@JonnyBartsch 96 iirc
Super trebly tone on that album -- and not just in the bass. But it's so crisp sounding.
It was the first NOFX album I bought, and has stayed my favorite album ever since. Was really hoping for Dad’s bad news to be in this video. Just such a cool riff.
All those albums produced by Ryan Green have a really lightweight sound with hardly any bottom end, but it works great for the music in there.
Underrated for sure. I dig the tone on NoFX songs. He can move those fangers around the fretboard
I appreciate seeing Mike mess up and keep trying till he gets it right. It shows that even guys who have been playing for 30+ years still have to keep practicing. The dedication to your craft as a musician really is a lifestyle. I'm a guitar player but Mike has always been one of my favorite bassists.
Never been a NOFX fan but went to high school in the Central Coast of CA with a TON of NOFX fans from ‘95-‘99. Much respect to Fat Mike, he’s got the chops. I didn’t know he was that good.
Such an underrated bassist. Only discovered NOFX during the pandemic but I love their mood and energy in their music. Not ignorant of the bad stuff in the world but optimistic in spite of it.
Wow im stoked man... been listenin to nofx since 2001 and still one of my favs
@JPindanga same. Been listening since the early 90s and the music is like seeing old friends sometimes. If you haven't already, you should read their book. It's the best band biography I've ever read and it's a wild ride. It makes you relate to each band member (they all wrote their own stories for the book) and you walk away with a very human outlook on them. I especially gained tons of respect for smelly. He's an awesome guy.
The Decline Solo is the best bass riff I have heard in punk rock! Fat Mike is a legend!
Was so refreshing to see a musician who has to try a couple of times to get it right. Makes you feel less shit about yourself
Mikes a really underrated bassist, so many great riffs!
yeah the one with the circular picking looks really hard to play, I don't think I can even count out the rhythm that fast let alone play it and the way he double some notes in a row is my kryptonite for some reason
@jesus h gunn thank you so much! Very appreciated!
I love when non-musicians make a compliment on musicianship. He wouldn't make the top 100 bass players.
@@stevethecross2727 you referring to yourself?
No, he just sucks…
Fat Mike is one of my biggest influences on my life and music. I’m not a bassist but I do appreciate his tone and style. He just seems like a nice person who you would grave a drink with and talk about life for hours on end.
What a legend, I have played guitar for 9 years and uke for 8 years and just started playing bass with James Jamerson being the dude I emulate the most.... wow, this is totally different!
teenboys play guitar,
gentleman play bass
What if you play both?
But as a guitarist mainly, I have a similar saying... Clean playing separates the men from the boys. Every man can play with high gain, but not every man can play clean and sound good.
Also James Jamerson is one of my favorite bassists ever. Every one of those guys (and gals) at motown were phenomenal players. So much soul.
Don’t know if you’re a fan of the band, but if you’re into Jamerson and rock music check out some of the early STP records. Even if you don’t like the music, the basslines are clearly Motown inspired but in a rock context. Was a big influence on me
@@mrnelsonius5631 Are you talking about Stone Temple Pilots? If so, I'm a huge fan of theirs. Been to quite a few of their concerts back in the day, almost always front row. Scott Weiland was insanely good on stage in those days. And as for the music, yeah the DeLeo brothers are so talented. I never really noticed the similarities to Motown, but now that you mentioned it. I'll definitely be paying more attention now. I used to cover a few of their songs on guitar, especially acoustic sets. But never on bass. Hopefully that's the band you're referring to?
@@LeviBulger yep talking about them :). Listen to the bass in Interstate Love Song for example. It’s straight up Motown licks. I toured opening for them years ago and they are amazing people. Lots of conversations with Robert about old soul and R+B records
Please interview Fatty every week about bass and songwriting. I would pay for that.
I've never seen Fat Mike look so healthy
Quitting the drugs and booze did wonders for him. He seems much happier too.
@@SpongeBath_ShitPants I swear there have been a few times in the past where people have said he's given it up. I don't even know what to believe anymore.
@@isetmfriendsofire i’m pretty sure (take this with a grain of salt) he quit both for a while, but now he drinks again
Fit Mike.
That was cool. Ive always loved NOFX. Discovered them in the 90s. I miss the 90s Pittsburgh punk scene. Fun times.
YINZ GOIN DAHNTAHNNA WACHA STILLERS?
Those sliding diad riffs are so juicy, and he delivers everything with so much energy and commitment. Great playing.
I have a fever, and the only cure is more bassist interviews!
It sounds like you have the most bassist of human desire.
Also more cowbell
Same but I need medicine
You got COVID?
Sameee
a national treasure this man, wether you like it or not
Is it me or does Fat Mike seem more mellowed out as he's getting older? I really kinda love it.
I agree - he used to be kinda….scary. I liked this one .!
One of my favourite riffs... " Place a wager on your greed, a wager on your pride..."
Nice Mike.
He looks happy and healthy AF. How not to love this guy! He has been so influential for a lot of people including myself
Man rkl goes so hard riches to rags is IMO the best skate punk album ever
AGREED!!
Yes!!
Fat Mike referred to them as the only band that had both a pimp and a prostitute as members. But I don't know enough about the band to know which particular members he was referring to.
Yeah, and he got RKL's drummer Dave Raun as a original member for Me First And Gimme Gimmes his supergroup which only has massive hits.
RKL is my all time favorite band, the whole top of my left arm is a beenie tattoo but, and i mean no disrespect, riches to rags is their worst album... Rock & roll nightmare is the pinnacle of that skate punk style, hands down best punk album ever, dave raun still wishes he could play bomers drum parts correctly, and without a lame ass double bass pedal...
He is a very laid-back and cool guy!
He is until you meet Cokie the Clown
Until you get on stage and he doc martin stomps you
Yeah I bet you hang out with him all the time. So you would know.
@@rbeforme lol ok
@@shipwreckedonapopulatedisland to be fair he had a beer with the guy a few days later
Wow, he's looking a lot better since he's been not partying.
Getting sober is always a good choice.
Or not wearing a dress .
@@twomindz79 He';s got a skirt on still
@@twomindz79 wearing dresses is punk rock
He looks fantastic. Positive reinforcement! New album kicks my ass btw.
Fat mike is a really good bass player! NOFX Was definitely the band all my friends talked about in high school!
That "Kids in a K hole" riff is the punk equivalent to Bleed by Meshuggah
Thought he was going to say "punk rock saved my life" was the hardest riff. Mike is fine wine, getting better with age
it might be but it's not him playing this one
I love the joy you can see in Mike's face when he's playing those first riffs he learned. Like the memories just flood right back to the beginnings
Just in case people are wondering, the Adolescents song he plays is No Friends. It's on their debut album.
fat mike is actually a better bass player than I thought when you hear just him playing.
Actually he’s not
@@muke392 based on your opinion? Or are you more accomplished.
A lot of these punk dudes are a lot better than you'd think at a first glance actually.
I've been playing for 15 years and Mike is a solid bassist
I’m pretty sure it’s “Robust Micheal” now.
hah! Please make that be his new name. I'd crack up if that caught on! XD
😂😂😂
That is friggin’ hilarious 😂
Mike is such an underrated bass player. His riffs in the decline alone are legendary. Such a unique sound and style.
he's good and everybody knows it. no underated at all
It’s refreshing to see an established musician struggle with his own material...I do the same lol.
It’s kinda nice to see that even professional musicians can have a difficult time nailing their own riffs on the first try.
Hahahaha yep man
musicians like mike are a different breed, you've got people who put 1000x the effort in to nail a few songs by tabs, and you've got dudes like mike who barely practise and still have chops/ can recall from a 30 year-spanning discography almost straight away.
that's not to say the hypothetical tab guy couldn't get "better" from a technicality standpoint, but skill and musical intelligence are two different things. if you have the type of brain that thrives on pattern-seeking, with the right imagination you can interpret and compose music like it's second nature. BUT music shouldn't be a meritocracy and some of the most inspired sounds have come from people with hands made of lead.
I've written songs that I can hardly play on the 10th try lol.
Or absolutely pathetic 😂
Nah it’s straight up pathetic
He is way better than a lot of ppl realize. Most punk rock bass players are better than average. They play so insanely fast.
Saw NOFX play for the first time back in early 1998 (in Quebec city) when I was 13 years old. Hi-Standard and Reset were opening for them. The singer/guitarist for Reset went on to become Simple Plan's singer. Last saw NOFX in 2018, 20 years later. Can't wait to see them play again.
Stickin in my eye is my Favorite NOFX bass riff
Fun to play to
John smith...what a great bass track.occassionally mike still does stuff like that.i always want more.i really want a hard punk album from nofx soon.like some of the snm stuff was borderline metal.i fucking love it.i wish they did more of that
Fat mike is a living legend
I'm a guitar player but I'm also a NOFX fan... I have to say I enjoyed watching this a lot and I didn't know FatMike was so freaking amazing at playing bass. Some of these lines are not easy at ALL.
I like how he took the time to identify which Bad Religion song he learned, and then proceeded the bass line from every Bad Religion song.
RKL is the best. "Scab on my Brain" is basically everything that NOFX was trying to be on Ribbed, and Ribbed is my fave NOFX album.
Malachi crunch is my favorite bassline to play on that album
@@punklyrics1 Great tune, I love playing Food, Sex, and Ewe. That walking bass line is rad.
Dude totally, finally someone that agrees with me that Ribbed is an awesome record. I think they playing is great on it, I love the drum sound on that album.
yeah, long time ago they said they wanted to sound like RKL and bad religion. Ribbed is awesome
Never clicked a link faster. I heard him talk about this in an interview the other day and immediately checked youtube for it.
Dude! The bass intro for 'Something Sticking in Eye'. It's fucking Epic, and brings back a lot of great memories from the era. Top 5 best NOFX songs! The 10 years of fucking up VHS tape!
Wasn’t aware of him! What a bass player.....great dexterity and very fast!
I never realized all the upstrokes before. He starts everything on an upstroke. I’ve been listening to these guys for so long and I just now saw it. In my defense I only play guitar and haven’t put an ounce of anything into the bass but I should have know that one sooner.
Dude is looking pretty healthy
Slim mike
He went to rehab!
He was definitely not sober at the show in Edmonton which was my first time seeing them. It was the night Trump won the election so there’s that lol. Killer musician he definitely looks way happier here.
He's Midsize Mike now.
@@fridgeonion hes been clean for 3 months
Very cool. Mike definitely can't be copied. Both hands working together at a frantic pace! Self taught musicians are always the most interesting! More interviews like this definitely!
Even with no one else around him he's still playing with NO FX
3:43 that triplet thing is really cool because some of the notes are swung and cascade differently than others.
I love that he knows he invented that. He has probably been told that a lot because it's true.
@@SocialSecretion😂 he didn’t invent anything….
RKL was absolutely one of a few punk bands whose bass playing really struck me as technically proficient. Zero Boys also had talent in that department.
Not really a punk band but kinda a post punk band, Bow Wow Wow also had superb basslines. The RKL basslines kind of reminded me of that
Mecht mensch definitely had a lot of sick basslines
RKL borderlined metal at times.
I was glad to see this video! He seems the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Fat Mike is one of my biggest influences for sure. But I wish I could write lyrics like him. He’s still just pumping out the songs like it’s nothing. A True legend 🤘🏻😝🤘🏻
yeah I can relate to all of what you said lol
Mike's a great bassist
No, he's a good bassist. Big difference. Educate yourself and find out.
@@eldoabrahamson no, hes great. I'm not uneducated.
@@eldoabrahamson Some of his bass lines are exceptionally hard to play. Educate yourself and find out.
@@eldoabrahamson actually that’s not something you can educate yourself on, because it’s a subjective matter of personal taste. Educate yourself and find out, rather than interpreting your own opinions as fact.
@@eldoabrahamson you're so closeminded, no friends huh?
damn..mike is sober af..good to see him getting better and better. nice to know it!
Kids of the Khole is my fave bassline from nofx so cool he played it
He's a good bassist. What floors me is doing this well AND singing at the same time
The older I get the more I realise how much we owe Mike for dragging punk through the 90s
Blocked Out nice!!! When he said RKL, I was hoping that would be the one!
I can't be the only one who absolutely lost their s*** when he played "Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden! I mean come on that's a bassist special and there's no way every bassist hasn't at least tried to learn it. Lol. Thanks Fat Mike this was amazing! Thank Loudwire for having him on.
i lost it too hahahaha. he played paranoid, which was also one of my first. then blocked out which was always my goal to play when i started which i then went on to learn. then wrathchild and i became convinced theres some interdimensional trickery going on
He seemed to dismiss Wrathchild though ... like it’s beneath him
@@Suavratman Really? I didn't see it that way at all. It seemed more like a "it's the obvious choice" kind of scenario like when a guitarist is talking about the 1st guitar riff they learned and they play "Smoke on the Water" Lol.
@@khrashingphantom9632 I like your interpretation more ...
I taught myself how to play the decline on bass when I was about 16...the riff he played from it is my favorite thing to play on bass to this day.
took me a while but now i see where the sound comes from - soft nylon picks and playing closer to the neck. could have gotten it from live videos but this one really shows where the sound come from
At 33 years old, and being the metalhead that grew up with punk friends, i feel sooooo fucking ashamed i didn't check NOFX out earlier. Fat Mike is such a dude. Respect!!!
LOL! There's a LOT to know about him. I suggest you read the NOFX book and watch their series, Backstage Passport. And watch their live concerts, of course.
First record i ever bought "heavy petting zoo" 1996 i never looked back..
I went to a show in 1995 only having heard one record a couple of times. He was sitting out front of the venue on the steps, playing an acoustic guitar and drinking with a few people that had shown up early. I thought that was cool.
@@PedroFigs the nofx book, the hepatitis bathtub is fucking amazing....
Melodic hardcore takes heavily from thrash metal. RKL are like the godfathers of that whole genre of punk, of which NOFX falls under. Joe Raposo of RKL is now the bassist for Lagwagon, another really fun and legendary band on Fat Wreck to check out. Cheers!
He’s starting to look like a slim Louie Anderson.
Oh damn..
Louie Anderson was actually funny.
absolute crucifixion
Mike looks like Jack Black
@@mikemavz7279
fuck that louie anderson is still awesome..baskets is great
Dickies' "Paranoid" bass cover was an early go-to when I was learning to play.
i love all the upstrokes and two-string sweeps, he has a really unique style
Bro....THANK YOU for leaving the mistakes in! I needed the reminder that none of us are perfect...you rock, man!
It's kind of fun to watch how much he enjoys still playing these riffs. Love this.
I could watch him play idiots taking over all day
Me too! That's a magical riff!
RKL kicks ass! Blocked out is my favorite song
My favorite NOFX song on bass is Pimps and Prostitutes simply for the fact that Fat completely stops playing when the chorus hits. I don't think any other bass player in the world would have thought to do that and for whatever reason it sounds amazing!
Whats the trendy term? "horror vacui"?
Mus's who arent too uptight abt what others think can do that - like Ol' Keith Moon would just stop for a bar or 2 ,something about being loose and in the moment? Very Zen
Fuck yeah, love that he still mentions Bomer from RKL. Those guys were way ahead of their time, and don't get enough love. Always happy to see RKL remembered.
I didn't realize he was actually a good bass player. I'm impressed.
Really?
Then you must not listen to NOFX. Hmmmmmmm.
He always has been. All the guys in nofx are great players and songwriters.
Is he?
yeah always thought he was super lazy, maybe its just his writing though
Even when he gives 60% his picking hand is insanely fast when skipping strings, it looks like it's in fast motion!
ALSO I wonder if this is the precision bass he bought because he's a huge fan of Bad Religon :D it's more yellow than brown though...
That finish is called Antigua! That's a really cool old bass.
Fun fact his most "famous" bass line "Stickin In My Eye" is basically Bad Religions "Epiphany"
@@iamjoehill other way around
@@adampitcher7075 Oooh, good to know, I dig the look!
The Decline is arguably the most ambitious punk song ever written.
could you elaborate, interested as to in what sense you mean this. check out girl band's music, it's fuckin intense
@@Hamletshandle It's an 18 minute long punk song with multiple riff changes and breakdowns/bridges, and it doesn't follow the typical punk verse/chorus format. If you haven't heard it, I highly suggest it.
@@stlchucko Will do mate. Check out Paul by Girl Band and even their KEXP
This was fun to watch. I miss the days when I was discovering music and NOFX was new to me....
i’ve been playing with a dunlop nylon 60mm for 20 years and people think it’s so weird. i started doing it because i play the bass with a full strum on fast rhythms, but definitely soften the touch for intricate parts. basically using the 60mm pick as a compressor.
60mm? you sure?