NOFX — Backstage Passport

Backstage Passport

Fat Wreck Chords

Ian Gormely (CHARTattack)

04/23/2009 5:00pm

Have you ever wondered why your favourite band cancelled that gig in your town? This DVD will answer that and so much more.

Backstage Passport is an eight-episode reality show that originally aired on Fuse TV and was meant as a document of California punk band NOFX's 2007 world tour. But rather than mount another tour across North America, the band chose to play gigs in countries that they've never played, including Chile, Singapore, Israel and South Africa.

Familiarity with NOFX is by no means a requirement for this show. In fact, their music is hardly featured at all. Instead, Backstage Passport is a surprisingly revealing look at the mechanics of a touring band and focuses on the dynamics between group members, their (often very drunk) manager and crew. The band are faced with sketchy promoters, shifty club owners, cancelled gigs and foreign cultures and customs as they criss-cross the globe.

Longtime fans will also appreciate the chance to see a band that rarely gives interviews laid bare. Despite remaining vehemently independent, the band behave more like rock stars than they'd like to admit. This is particularly the case with singer/bassist Fat Mike, whose mood is easily sullied by bad sound or crappy venues.

The band's typical "ugly American" lack of cultural sensitivity is also revealed. Guitarist El Hefe wrapped a hijab (Muslim headscarf) around his head as a joke after it was thrown on stage in Malaysia. But it's amazing that the group's four members — Mike, El Hefe, guitarist Melvin and drummer Smelly — remain good friends after beng together for so long and are capable of mounting such a cramped, stressful tour without any major blow-ups.