US punk rock icons NOFX have revealed they will be breaking up in 2023. The unexpected split will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Californian band’s formation and the 35th anniversary of their debut album, Liberal Animation.
The announcement was made on Friday, 2nd September when band leader Fat Mike responded to a fan on Instagram who asked why the group don’t perform in Canada more frequently. “Actually, we love Canada, it’s just that next year will be our last year,” he wrote. “We will be announcing our final shows soon. It’s been an amazing run….”
NOFX – ‘Seeing Double At The Triple Rock’
A separate comment about future NOFX shows in Los Angeles prompted another message from Mike, which seemed to confirm the news. “Los Angeles will be the last place we’ll play,” he explained. “It’s where we started, it’s where we’ll end.”
Rolling Stone reportedly reached out to the group’s management and received confirmation of their impending split. Fans on Reddit also screenshotted a comment from manager Kent Jamieson who said that an “extensive farewell tour” will be announced in the near future.
NOFX formed in Los Angeles in 1983, releasing the EP’s NOFX and So What If We’re On Mystic! before Liberal Animation came out in 1988. The found wider fame with 1992’s White Trash, Two Heebs And A Bean and 1994’s Punk In Drublic, the latter of which featured two of the band’s most enduring songs, ‘Leave It Alone’ and ‘Don’t Call Me White’.
In the course of their four decade career, NOFX have become one of the most popular and influential pop punk groups of all time, and one of the most successful independent groups in music history. They haven’t been immune to controversy, however, with comments in the aftermath of the 2018 Las Vegas Shooting being deemed insensitive, offensive and resulting in the cancellation of a number of tour dates.
It’s currently unclear whether NOFX’s farewell tour will extend to Australia, but the group are on the lineup for December’s Good Things festival, where they will perform Punk In Drublic in full.
Further Reading
Watch Fat Mike Bribe A Hipster $100 To GTFO Of A NOFX Concert
Social Distortion & Bad Religion Announce Australian Co-Headline Tour
