The punk band whose bassist and vocalist was Fat Mike is NOFX.
Born Michael John Burkett, Fat Mike helped form NOFX in Los Angeles in 1983 with guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin. He became the band’s bassist and lead vocalist, while also contributing keyboards, piano, songwriting, and production. His distinctive voice and comic, politically pointed lyrics became central to NOFX’s identity.
NOFX developed from the early-1980s hardcore scene into one of the best-known melodic skate-punk bands. Albums such as Punk in Drublic and So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes expanded their audience, while Fat Mike founded Fat Wreck Chords, an influential independent punk label.
A common mix-up is confusing Fat Mike with other prominent punk bassists, such as Bad Religion’s Jay Bentley or The Descendents’ Karl Alvarez. Fat Mike also played bass in Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, but NOFX is the band most directly associated with him.