No Use For A Name

Sometimes there are good excuses to cancel an interview. For instance, if your sister-in-law just had a baby then most people would understand that you don't really want to do it. Of course, there are some people that stick to their commitments no matter what, and Tony Sly is one of them. The interview takes place while he's in the hospital just minutes after his second nephew's birth. He's giving directions to family members while I complain about the weather and other chit-chat.

No Use For A Name have just recently released their ninth album proper (not including live albums, compilations and splits) with the ironic title of 'Feel Good Album Of The Year.' I couldn't help noticing that almost every song on the album contains a reference to lying. I bring this up and Sly sounds genuinely surprised that I have picked up on it. More surprising is that he himself was quite unaware of the fact.

"It's mainly the overall feeling of about how greedy the world can be in general. It's not really politically charged lyrics. They are just social lyrics - not aimed at anyone in particular, but a lot of people."

With so many of the bands from the 90s pop-punk explosion still around with original members, it is inevitable that their thinking will evolve and take a new focus.

"A lot of bands get older and it's not as easy to write songs about girls or drinking anymore. Those sorts of lyrics just don't do it anymore. You get older and you get more politically involved. For me, having kids, I think about their future and what they're going to have to endure because of how screwed up our country and our system is. That's the reason I write lyrics like that."

No Use For A Name are also about to hit our shores, (and everywhere in between) with a massive all stops tour with Strung Out. Strung Out are seasoned veterans of touring in Australia so having them in the role of a big brother is sure to be very helpful. I point out that even the bigger shows here would be much smaller than what he is used to back home, but that doesn't faze Sly at all.

"We figure with Strung Out the shows are going to be packed out anyway, so they're going to be a lot of fun. I definitely prefer that to half sold ballrooms with massive barricades - I hate that shit. Playing shows where people are up on stage, they're the best shows for me."

Australia is a very common place for bands to say they love to tour, but Sly makes an interesting comment on exactly where he is looking forward to revisiting. He cites the common love for Sydney and Melbourne, but what really shocked me was his desire to return to Tasmania. Yes, Tasmania.

"I just thought it was a really odd place to go. I felt it was just a really nice countryside and scenery. We only had a day or two there last time and I didn't really get to see as much as I wanted to."

Probing him a bit more about the tour I bring up the fact that Adelaide will be the first show and the possibility that we might get the unrehearsed, practice show. His response makes me realise just how much time the band puts into practicing and touring.

"Everyone practices and we play those songs about 200 times a year. If you're on tour you really know how to do that more than a lot of other things that you don't do every day."

The thought of playing songs to thousands of people more frequently than paying an electricity bill really does put things in perspective, but I doubt it will stop young fans dreaming of becoming rock stars rather than meter readers.

Mat Woods

No Use for a Name play with Strung Out at Live on Light Square on Wed July 2.

'The Feel Good Album Of The Year' is out now on Fat Wreck Chords through Shock.