"Mike is a complicated person, but he is not a thief." NOFX reveal that guitarist Eric Melvin is suing band leader Fat Mike, accusing him of "financial malfeasance" after 42 years together

NOFX have revealed that guitarist Eric Melvin is suing bandleader Fat Mike.

The Los Angeles punk band played their final show on October 6, 2024, after 42 years together, and it was thought that their decision to split, although ultimately Fat Mike's decision, was entirely amicable.

“That’s it, guys, thank you!" he declared at the close of the quartet's set in San Pedro, California. "We’re not doing this like fucking Black Sabbath. You have no idea how grateful we are. Thank you all.”

But, last week, in a roundtable discussion on the opening day of a photo retrospective dedicated to the band at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, drummer Erik Sandin revealed that, on the morning of October 7, 2024, the day after their farewell show, lawyers acting on behalf of guitarist Melvin served vocalist/bassist Fat Mike (aka Michael Burkett) with legal papers accusing him of "financial malfeasance", which is defined in law as intentionally committing an illegal or wrongful act that causes financial harm to another. Melvin was not present at the Punk Rock Museum retrospective, which Sandin acknowledged as "the elephant in the room".

The statement read out by Sandin read:

"Eric Melvin is not here today with us because of the following reason: at 8am on Monday morning, after the final NOFX show ever, Eric Melvin's lawyers served Fat Mike legal papers accusing him of financial malfeasance. Ten hours earlier we finished playing the final show of our 42-year career. It was the most amazing and emotional send-off ever, nothing but love, family, tears and love. That letter broke my heart, as well as the rest of the band and the crew. It still hurts today, and it hurts right now saying it.

"Melvin has made it clear, and perfectly clear, on this matter" he continued, "that to talk about it with him, or anybody, it must go through his counsel. I've known Mike for 43 years - I knew him for a year before NOFX: Mike is a lot of things, we all know that, he's a complicated person, but he is not a thief. I will go on record saying he is not a thief.

"We hope this gets resolved soon," the statement continued, "But until then, here we are, and it is what it is. And for the obvious reasons we can not, and will not, discuss any further."

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Also last week, NOFX announced that they will release a career-spanning documentary, titled 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up, which is currently in post-production.

“Most people wouldn't be OK with releasing a film that shows footage of getting whipped in their dungeon, or their drug use for the past 20 years, or dressing up like a rubber cheap whore, or the ambulance ride when they were naked while puking and shitting blood," Fat Mike said in a statement. "I'm not like most people."

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.

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