AntiProduct - are they a punk band, a rock band or just a good fun psyched
up, psychedelic, rock n roll band that have party in mind and want
everyone along for the ride?
We caught up with the band, who are now attracting a cult following, at
their birthday bash at the offices of "Changes One" music store.
Lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and all round eccentric, Alex a.k.a. A
Product told us about his loves, influences and life in such an up and
coming influential band.
We nabbed a natter with him on the porcelain pew, in honour of the title
of their tour "Every toilet in this Fucking Country 2001".
Alex: AntiProduct just came together totally organically!! Milena and
Clare were the first people in the band, aside from myself. I tried to
pick them up to have sex with them, Really!! Then I heard Milena sing and
she plays keyboards, and saxophone, drums, guitar and bass, so as soon as
I saw how talented she was I thought well I will only blow it if I screw
her so I said "Want to Be In a Band?"
With Clare it was pretty much the same thing. She is a classically trained
violinist and we just became really good friends and I said to her, "Hey,
Want To Be in A Band Together" and she said "Yeah Sure" and when she said
that she could play violin, I thought "Umm, not the most rock'n'roll thing
to play on stage". So I asked her if she wanted to play guitar, so a year
ago she started to learn how to play, and after a 150 gigs she knows how
to play in front of hundreds of people.
Anti-Products music is a very defined style with tons of different
influences in it. It may be the range of different bands that Alex has
been in like "Clam Abuse", "Bubble" and even "Enuff ZNuff".
We asked Alex to describe how he would sum it up and how influential he
thought it was to his audience.
Alex: Our music is lots of melodies, big guitars, lots of fuckin heavy,
with pretty harmonies. Someone once described us as take some "AC/DC",
some "ABBA" and "The Beatles" and put them in a blender and it would
probably sound like Anti-Product.
The people who like AP not only have really good taste, but they really,
really support the band more than an other band than I have seen in my
whole like including AC/DC or Ozzy or anything like that.
The feeling that we get from the people who like the band is influential,
but the feeling that I get makes me do it for THEM anyhow.
My job is to try and make them feel good.
On the Anti-Product album there are other rather well known faces, Robin
Guy from "Rachel Stamp" and Chris Dale from "Sack Trick". How did they get
involved with the album?
Alex: The guys either got involved or had to do parole!! So they chose
making the album with me and the funny thing is that they wished they had
made the other decision!!
The truth is we were just hanging out and went into the studio for a
couple of weeks and made the album.
I haven't really got a favourite song on the album, different songs,
different days!
I really like "Weekend Vacation On Mars" because it is the most personal -
but it depends some days I like the noisy shit and other days I like the
melodies.
So with all these different people and influences and energetic stage
shows, do you think that the man himself has had two minutes to write any
more tunes? You bet ya.
Alex: We have got enough tunes for about three albums, we are spoilt for
choice as far as songs go.
It really depends on which album we decide to make at the time. We could
do an intense weird Syd Barratt, Pink Floyd type album or do an AC/DC,
ABBA style one. So, yes another album.
So all this music and weird lyrics and stuff, there has to be some musical
sway in this guys life that was his major influence from being a child?
Tiny hint…..face make-up!!!
Alex: I wanted to be a musician from being in the 6th grade (11years old)
after I went to see KISS. It was amazing 'cos I met them, me and Tom Crew,
we found out where they were staying at. He was the guy I got through
Chemistry class with and I cheated off him, he was really smart 'cos he
figured out where KISS were staying.
We went down there, with our homework and sat in the lobby doing our
homework waiting for KISS to come down. And we met them and hung with them
and stuff.
That event influenced me more than any other - that made me go "Whoowww!!"
I saw a lot of bands after that and it all helped me think, "that is what
I am going to do with my life"! Today, to be honest I don't get that much
of a chance to listen to music or watch TV because I would like to think
that it is a way of not letting the music around you influence you.
Alex has another goal to life other than being a rock star. It is a
passion that he has for the UK as a whole, rather than just for himself or
the band. It is to be the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
Alex: Very good point!! Now the 1st thing I would do, as we're into the
21st century (he goes to the sink and starts to run the taps) and cold
water is cold and hot water is hot! Water is inefficiently wasted in this
country and are we trying to kill this planet as fast as possible!
Get the two to come down to one. You know, set the proportions to hot/cold
so we don't burn ourselves.
And the 2nd thing I would do, would be to get the cars driving on the
right side of the road, with the steering wheel on the other side so that
way, "in my country many oceans away, many moons across the water ... hee"
when we make a right turn and stop at a round-a-bout, we make a right turn
rather than going doodle, doodle, do (pretend it is a whistle) all the way
a round-a-bout!!!
Finally, Alex is a very passionate guy about the band and the support that
they have received over here in the UK from all the fans and friends, that
AntiProduct have made in the past year. So this is for all you fans out
there.
Alex: You guys are the greatest. It is a weird thing because when you
really want to tell someone about it, you can say it too much and wear it
out! When I do say this I mean this, it is exhilarating the kind of things
that you guys have done to help us out, it really makes me proud of what I
have decided to do as far as making music and stuff.
I promise I will always try my very best and not let you down. All the
respect that you are giving me, I will do all I can to deserve that by the
music that I make.
You guys just kick ass and we are just going to rock'n'roll and play as
hard as we can, so that when you guys come and see us, we just go nuts and
that's why we came to you town.
You can visit Alex, Clare, Milena, Toshi and Gonk at their website:
www.antiproduct.com
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