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After a good few years avoiding our shores, NOFX arrived in Oxford for their only headliner, fans could also catch them at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens and Winchester’s Boomtown Festival, but real fans come to the club gigs..

Supporting were two pretty established punk bands who could not have been more different. First up were Counterpunch the Chicago outfit touring with their third album ‘Bruises’, the music is good, like manly punk rock- they sound like Four Year Strong with a dash of Day to Remember, it’s just a shame they lacked the energy of either of those bands on stage. Although they provided a pretty solid support performance the crowd didn’t seem moved and so they left to a pitter-patter of applause.

Following Counterpunch a pretty swiftfifteen minutes later was Gooberpatrol representin’straight up British Punk. These guys are punk veterans that have been around near on 30 years, they could probably teach NOFX a thing or two. In that small sweaty venue on that August night Gooberpatrol transported the crowd back to 1977- the heyday of Punk, the crowd were wild, each in their own zone, the band were enjoying the music and the moment without necessarily ‘performing’ yet they still put on a wicked show and created a real connection with the audience. Ending with a great one liner, they hit their last song and left “We’ll play one more and then we’ll fuck off”.

Of all bands in the world NOFX are the ones. They are legends, a band that can make you piss yourself laughing, bring a tear to your eye with sincerity and even make you think, as they tackle various subject matters through their vast catalogue of songs. NOFX constantly push the barriers and because of that Fat Mike, frontman and bass player, is one of the most recognisable faces in modern rock music.

After a good stint of anticipation NOFX finally hit the stage, whipping the crowd into a hurricane-like terrifying frenzy, they wandered on chatting shit as only NOFX can. The tracks came hard and fast, and the fans knew every word- even to the new songs. One lucky fan managed to get up on stage to collaborate on a track- although it wasn’t just any fan it was Frank Turner and it wasn’t just any song it was ‘Linoleum’ one of the guys biggest songs, to say this was the highlight of the night would be disrespectful to NOFX but it was amazing, Frank really is a star, in a tally of great moments- this is right up there. It was debated throughout the crowd that some of the band may have been a little worst for wares, but ever the professionals the set was flawless. Old school punk showing that you don’t need theatrics, special FX, stage dives or crowd participation to make a show epic. The best word to explain a NOFX show is authentic. They’re up their having a good time, if the crowd enjoy it to? Great. If not, they wouldn’t care, and that’s what music should be like, life’s not a performance, and music is life.

Songs to leave the gig listening to? Gooberpatrol ‘Beer’ because it’s great and NOFX ‘Nubs’ because they didn’t play it!

A final note on the venue, gig-going can be a stressful experience, queues, crowds and sweaty anxiety, but the one element that can make a gig experience good or bad is the attitude of the venue staff- two individuals aside the security/crowd staff were lovely and so helpful- but boy those other two.. Give some types of people power and they turn into little dictators. Members of the paying public were pushed, shoved and properly thrown around, and respectful people (like one’s self) whom was there to do a job were sniped at and purposely shoved aggressively by someone who obviously has a major chip on his shoulder. With many crowd control friends, it’s easy to understand that it can be a stressful job, but there is a way to do it and a way not to, there will be a note making its way to the Oxford 02.

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