For a Fat guy, he's pretty outspoken.

Fat Mike, frontman of punk rock icons NOFX, and co-founder of Fat Wreck Chords, is not one of those guys who is afraid to share his opinions.

He doesn't side-step questions or look to appease all and displease none.

Nope, not Mike. That's not his style.

He's more of a, "religious groups are ruining the world," kind of guy.

More likely to offer up a "If you spend too much time together, you tend to (expletive) each other off," as opposed to a "we get along great on the road."

So when he and his band of horn-blowing, anthem pushing braggarts take the stage during the Vans Warped Tour at Race City Speedway today, fans can bet safe money they'll get to see some of that unbridled punkitude.

Formed in 1983, NOFX has been giving fans an excuse to throw out their best middle finger salute longer than many of today's Vans Warped fans have been alive.

The key to such success?

"We all live in different cities," says Mike. "We don't rehearse that often."

A statement one might question considering the band learned 80 songs for this tour, so they could play a different set every time they stepped on stage.

To Mike, the Vans Warped tour is the perfect chance to, "hang out, gamble, golf and party with bands that are good friends."

But it's not all cookies and cream on the Warped Tour.

Mike says a few bands, whose sound focuses on their religious beliefs, are really starting to get under his skin.

"They (expletive) us off on a daily basis," says Mike, referring to two bands in particular who talk about their religious beliefs on stage.

"It bothers us when they get up there and try and convert people. People who preach to other people inherently think they are better than everyone else, it's impossible not to when you think you're the ones going to heaven and the rest of us are sinners ... you just can't go around talking down to everyone like that without it coming off as if you think you're better."

But that's not to say Mike doesn't feel presenting a message while on stage should be forbidden.

"I think you should preach about good things when you're up there, you know, like treating people with respect and getting this Bush administration out of office ... that sort of thing," he says.

This is Mike's eighth time on the Warped Tour -- six times with NOFX, and twice with his other band, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

The Gimmes are punk rock's premier cover artists. Their next album, Mike says, is going to be a country and western album, which will see the band adding their classic flavour to songs by such artists as Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and the Dixie Chicks.