NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories is a comprehensive autobiography from one of the world’s most prominent punk bands that worked its way up. New aficionados as well as die-hard long time followers will discover new and interesting facts via the stories of counterfeiting, murder, terminal illness, suicide, addiction, riots, bondage, the Yakuza, and drinking urine and the other fetishes predominantly lead signer Fat Mike indulges in. Each story is a personal account of the individual band members and claiming that the nature of their story can be labelled as “no holds barred” would be an understatement.
Chances are that you are familiar with NOFX and their sound, success and shenanigans at least to some degree as the band has never been shy about having it widely documented via all possible channels.
If you are not, you are in for a ride and the first couple of lines with Fat Mike reminiscing about the first time he willingly consumed urine sets the tone quite well for what is to follow in terms of each band member given the chance to more or less introduce themselves to the audience with a character-defining narrative or anecdote, which more or less cements certain stereotypes or at least continues where the band’s work via other media has left off: With the musical emissions being a mere afterthought, the book openly embraces drugs, drunken debauchery and punk rock attitude at the center of the band’s ethos.
There is sincerity and self-depreciation galore, to the extent of feeling like you have been placed at the receiving end of a confession booth.
For some it might come as a surprise how dark certain episodes get – enter Smelly’s downward spiral into full blown addiction and the toll it takes on his health and family - as opposed to more light hearted escapades that come with the territory of punk rock and the success and accolades that NOFX accumulated along the way.
The book chronicles the history in chronological order with some stories and voices intentionally contradicting each other for desired comedic effect and willingly at the expense of cohesion.
It is refreshing to see how the band actively disassembles any rock stardom that might be attached to them and sheds any egotistical delusions of grandeur for the sheer madness they allow themselves to get lost in, while boycotting the success to no avail.
A less self-important, self-effacing and more relatable punk rock version of The Dirt...
