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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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