No Use For A Name | My 1995 “Soulmate” Music Video Story
1994-1996
More fun times.
I was in Whistler when I got the call asking if I’d be interested in appearing in a Fat Wreck Chords video for the MTV2 debut of “Soulmate.” I’d never been in a music video before, but it sounded like fun. So I flew home to San Francisco, threw some cleaner clothes into my travel bag, and took off again to meet up with the guys in Tahoe. They were on a tight schedule and needed riding footage of me at Boreal. The crew had plowed a big tabletop in half so the band could act out the song while the more skilled riders launched over it for the jump scenes. This was back when a forty-foot road gap was considered epic—before snow parks had features with names like “Widowmaker.” Times have changed fast. I know, I know… dinosaur days. A lot of us had spent so much time riding Boreal and Donner before the shoot, so the place felt comfortable and familiar. That is, until they closed the park just for me to get a solo run. Dude. I flailed so hard. There was way too much pressure being in the spotlight like that, with everyone waiting to see something epic. Instead, I came skirting through, just trying not to bail. And this was after I’d finally gotten my legs dialed in from riding Blackcomb and Whistler all season. Lame-o. Stage fright is real! At least we got some decent footage of me riding Shannon Dunn’s first pro model and a few clips of me not falling on the groomed parts! lol. Afterward, we did some gambling up at North Shore. I remember big money hitting the craps table. I’ve always preferred roulette or blackjack myself. Still do. Then we headed back to the Bay Area to shoot the apartment scenes, the footage of me driving one of the guys’ old cars through Upper Haight, and the impromptu house party near the end of the video at Lower Haight and Fillmore. That party was actually fun—there were quite a few friendly faces in the crowd who came out to join the fun.
From what I recall about my part in the video, the guys represented my inner insecurities. I couldn’t get away from them. Everywhere I went or looked, there they were—haunting me. I couldn’t shake them.I’m not sure of the full extent of what Tony or the rest of the band had in mind, but I tried to meet their requests and fully enjoy the experience. I had a blast. After I moved back up to Oregon, I heard that Tony had passed away in 2012. He was a truly bright and loving human being—gentlemanly in every action. He is missed. I hope the rest of the guys are doing well and thriving.
Vibrantly, M
“Soulmate”
Lyrics by Tony Sly (RIP)
Monday morning you woke up crying
The outcome of a stupid line oh-oh
Said by some punk-ass on the street
It wasn't me, it wasn't you
It wasn't anybody you knew is it
Your old friend insecurity?
The one companion that stuck by your side since you were born
Tuesday night you were in a fight
The same old argument black and white
It's something that's eating your inside
It's not the food, it's not the booze
It isn't anything consumed so is it
becoming a problem you can't hide?
So every time you thought that you were wrong you were right
The devil on your shoulder gives you strength in paranoia
The countless times you called a few
Your best friend till the end of time
They'll always be there by your side
Solidify conditions you've abused
What that means you'll never have a clue
More than just a life long friend
No social life I guess we can pretend
It's not like I care but anyway
You always wanna leave, you never wanna stay
Cause you think if you drink too much then you will lose it
You'll drink your security away
The one companion that stuck by your side since you were born
The little voice inside your head, annoying and confusing
That somehow tells you what to do
Socially you've lost your mind and basically you're out of time
You try to build so much it breaks on you
What that means you'll never have a clue
