NOFX: Backstage Passport
DVD Reviews | Apr 2nd, 2009
Starring: Fat Mike, Eric Melvin, El Hefe, Erik Sandin
Studio: Fat Wreck Chords
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NOFX: Backstage Passport was a documentary TV series that aired on FUSE for 8 episodes. The result is an extremely entertaining look at the band’s ventures or misadventures traveling to countries they never played in before. I wasn’t really a fan of NOFX but this series made me become one.
The series begins when the band plans out their unusual tour; places they never played or where most bands don’t play. They plan on going to Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Israel, Russia, and South Africa. As you can tell, besides Japan; those countries don’t always get frequent stops by punk rock bands. The first episode sees the band say goodbye to their families, and head to Brazil and Chile. The band’s manager Kent gets shitface and causes trouble outside a hotel in Brazil. Their first show ends up going awful when Melvin plays with his guitar for 15 minutes and the crowd turns on the band. But things get better for the band when they play Chile. The second episode is perhaps one of the craziest episodes of the series. In Peru, they have to deal with a shady promoter and the show ends up getting shut down by police. The band has to sneak out in trucks to not cause a bigger riot, which was happening in result of the cancelation. The fans greet the band at their hotel the next day where Fat Mike plays a couple of songs for the crowd with his guitar. The other episodes include the band going to a Japanese S&M bar, the band rides the very illegal “The Green Dragon” in Singapore, NOFX plays a great show in China only they get dicked out of money, and getting dicked out of money again in Bali. The last few episodes see the band struggling to be happy as they miss their families, have to continue to deal with stupid promoters, and other problems they face in countries they never been in. Whether or not the band had a good time filming this or not, it’s certainly makes for great TV.
I loved watching this on Fuse and wish they were more and documentaries like this. I’m not sure if every band is entertaining as NOFX and their crew. The band almost seems like a side note compared to their manager and roadies. They were just as amusing, and Kent certainly had his fair share of screen time. The guy got drunk in just about every episode. He’s certainly a funny guy when he’s drunk that’s for sure, it makes for good TV. I hope Fuse or NOFX continue this series and continue to document their adventures (err misadventures) for music fans to enjoy.
I have to admit, I wasn’t always a NOFX fan but this series made me a fan. I don’t know why, but I just found myself tolerated them a lot more. First, the band is hilarious. But seeing their personal side made me appreciate their music even more. They hardly do interviews so I finally got to see how the band really is when they aren’t on stage. I thought highly of them when they get screwed over with money, but if the show was a success; they don’t care as much. You can’t say most bands think that way. The DVD is awesome because it features over 2 hours of bonus footage. You practically get an entire alternate episode of the Peru incident. You get to see a lot more of Kent acting like a wild & loud drunk. What’s even better is the entire bonus feature is uncensored. Unfortunately, the episodes are still censored because Fuse fucked up and lost the original footage. Yeah sure they did. There’s so much to watch after you’re done with the 8 episodes that you’ll think you’re watching another series or the series over again. I can’t say how many times, on how great this TV series was and wish there was more to NOFX Backstage Passport.
Features:
2.5 Hours Of Bonus Footage
Video:
Standard 1.33:1 Color
Audio:
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Stereo
Bottom Line: Fantastic documentary series that’s worth watching if you’re not a fan of the band.
Rating: NR
Running Time: 330 min
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:
