One Last Sip (A Tribute to Tony Sly)

Описание: “One Last Sip” is a punk song I started years ago, something I had been playing around with but never fully completed. Now, I have dedicated it to Tony Sly of No Use For A Name, an artist whose music and words meant so much to me and countless others, and I am finally working on finishing the lyrics and bringing it to life.

The title recalls one of Tony’s last shows prior to his death, when, after a long period of sobriety, he was given a bottle of vodka as a gift. That bittersweet and tragic image has stayed with me and shaped the song’s meaning. Here’s the video of him mentioning it:    • TONY SLY - COMING TOO CLOSE (MUSIC4CANCER)  

When the news of his passing broke, it hit hard: “It is with great sorrow that we must say goodbye to Tony Sly of No Use For A Name. We received a call earlier today of his passing, and are devastated. We have lost an incredible talent, friend, and father – one of the true greats. Fat Mike had this to say: ‘One of my dearest friends and favorite songwriters has gone way too soon. Tony, you will be greatly missed.’ ”

I saw No Use For A Name many years ago at Barrymore’s in Ottawa as a teen, and it was probably the best punk show I had ever been to. I also saw Tony Sly and Joey Cape of Lagwagon perform an acoustic show at Mavericks on Rideau Street in Ottawa in 2010.

Over the years, I have self-labeled myself a kind of “theological obituarist.” I have written many reflections on death, and even in my tribute to Phil Lynott I mentioned Tony Sly as part of that ongoing meditation, "Phil Lynott in Retrospect & the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy": https://scottventureyra.com/phil-lyno...

This song is my dedication to Tony, one more thread in that long engagement with loss, memory, and hope.

The track carries the grit and urgency of the bands that shaped me, One Man Army, Rancid, and the melodic honesty Tony himself brought to punk. It is raw, imperfect, and heartfelt, just like the scene that raised us.

The images chosen for this video reflect that same spirit: sweaty underground shows, skateboards, and graffiti-stained walls. They are snapshots of punk’s DIY heart, and of the chaos and community that made it real.

“One Last Sip” is both a tribute and a reminder. Punk was never about polish. It was about truth, catharsis, and connection.

#TonySly #NoUseForAName #NUFAN #Rancid #OneManArmy #Lagwagon #JoeyCape #FatMike #PhilLynott #ScottVentureyra #PunkRock #PunkTribute #TheologicalObituarist #PunkForever