Fat Mike To Oversee World's First Comprehensive Punk Rock Museum

NOFX vocalist Mike "Fat Mike" Burkett has transformed his dream of opening a punk store with rare merchandise into a reality: the Punk Rock Museum will swing its doors open on 13 January 2023.

As announced by SPIN, the Las Vegas 12,000-square-foot space is the first of its kind to document punk music and the first to welcome any band with the right attitude, from Devo to Blondie to Rise Against. 

Debbie Harry's infamous Vultures shirt, Devo's energy dome helmets, and the fluorescent green chainsaw Sum 41 brought on stage during their bonkers Does This Look Infected? era are only some of the notable items that pack the Punk Rock Museum. The venue will also contain interactive exhibits, such as one where you can play your favourite musician's guitar and amp. But can you turn it up to 11?

Better still is the criteria for which bands can be displayed: the museum doesn't discriminate. "If you're a punk band, you're fucking in," Fat Mike says. "It's that simple."

Ten talented, passionate punk rock lovers joined Fat Mike in planning, building and curating this "Church of punk rock." Fat Mike's goal is to showcase all of punk music's legends and stories that have left a cultural shoeprint over the last five decades. Main characters in the genre's stories are also investors in the museum, so you know that it's going to be authentic and a good time when Pat Smear of The Germs and Foo Fighters, Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, and Tony Hawk have poured money into it. 

Fat Mike believes that the Punk Rock Museum will give a voice to people who are often misunderstood and dismissed based on the music they love. "We want people to come from Indonesia and see the flier of their band on the wall," he says. "You know how proud they would feel? I want anyone in a punk band around the world to have that opportunity."

However, there are worries that the museum will promote ties to hate groups, such as neo-Nazis. As reported by Consequence Of Sound, the collection also contains the leather jacket which belonged to Sab Grey of Iron Cross. The band, despite arguing that they "hate Nazis," have been accused of fascism due to the band name's links to an award with Nazi connotations and the fact that many members were skinheads. 

Check out the Punk Rock Museum website here.

NOFX will be hitting our shores this December to perform their 1994 Punk In Drublic album at Good Things Festival in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Good Things Festival
Friday 2nd December - Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)