The Tonight Show, AntiProduct and the DIY vibrator movement - By N.L. Belardes

When publicist Karin Tobiason sent me a press release about the U.K. band AntiProduct passing out 5000 vibrators, and lead man A. Product nearly getting arrested in Austin’s SxSW festival, AND their strange on-the-streets interview with The Tonight Show, I instantly had to see who this band was, and what the story was all about.

In this case I’ve narrowed it down to punk make-up karma and the idea of DIY on the rampage. Let’s get straight to the punk make-up. I’m talking about a lead singer who claims shades of Kermit the Frog with a dastardly smile. And you know this just means more ties to Bakersfield with the idea of make-up. That’s karma. There was the recent Marilyn Manson make-up artist in town for Halloween, the hairdressor of Anna Nicole Smith who told all to Matt Munoz of Bakotopia, and Matildakay’s punk make-up envy article that still gets traffic.

AntiProduct is a fun-loving multicultural U.K. band of misfits who are into DIY, into causing a ruckus, and into reaching out to share their behavior for those like me who are willing to tell their tales of on-the-streets debauchery.

I listened to some of their tunes. It’s not metal. It’s not punk. Or is it? It’s not Spinal Tap, though this band mocks the very fabric of rock and roll through leather, face paint and self-declared demi-god status. Wait, Spinal Tap didn’t do that. They say they are “Kiss meets Abba”, but I think they’re just crazy rockers wanting to achieve every form of Rock God status they can get their hands on. Not a bad thing to wish for when you have two hot babes in your band.


AntiProduct and their legion of followers on the streets of Austin, TX

Did I mention the two very HOT babes? They’re untouchable though. Only look from afar or the lead singer will threaten you for your thought-crimes.

And A. Product. He seems to be the glam king, and sings a little Bowie-ish if you ask me. Their last album came out in 2003. But they’ve been in the States for two months stirring the pot of American culture as they go. They’re sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts and an adult toy company. It’s dildos and donuts, people. They’ve had their music in film, on the radio, but now they’ve been in Bakersfield via Paperback Writer. Will Buck Owens turn in his grave? We can only hope.

I wonder if Borat is an inspiration?

Either way, giving away vibrators is a definite trademark of this band. They want their lady fans pleased. Either that or they don’t trust the libido of their male fans. They’ve given away carloads over the radio and on the streets.

If I were a lady fan I would write the band and demand one. Hell, do it anyway even if you’re not a fan.

So here’s the email I got from Karin (By the way, I hear Karin is a budding author?):

I thought you may be interested in this SxSW story. British Indie exports AntiProduct, and their US Street Team, took to the streets for Austin's annual SxSW music festival, giving away over $5,000 worth of vibrators in 15 minutes and barely avoiding jail. (Having more than 4 vibrators in your possession is a felony in Texas) After their close call, they found themselves interviewed by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as part the legendary program's coverage of the music event. Get more info about the band and their exploits at www.myspace.com/antiproduct

So I called their lead man. I pictured him in a bathtub, only his face paint on, trapped in an L.A. hotel, and ignoring the screaming hordes of young ladies demanding batteries for all the vibrators the band has been handing out.

AntiProduct did something right, because their gimmicks got them an on-the-streets interview with The Tonight Show that airs this Thursday night. Here’s some of what A. had to say as I heard water splash from his hotel penthouse. He spoke about commercial labels, DIY, and all the attention seeking mayhem at SxSW.

Keep reading because it gets funny:


Don't mess with Texas unless you're wearin' green

We went down there as a DIY Indie band in the truest sense of the word. I saw friends with record deals. But we were the ones cleaning up on the press in the street. We made the cover of the Austin Statesman. That’s the equivalent of the L.A. Times for the area…

So we get invited to SxSW and everyone is telling me it’s such a zoo… Most were scrambling to get press and using that event to generate PR, trying to get people to know they’re out there. ‘Just do what we do,’ I say. Walk down the middle of the street. ‘Here comes the green guy Gene Simmons with jaundice!’ Clare was there like a 6’5’’ lightning rod for attention…

If you follow the pack you’re just going to be your relative position in the pack. By pack I mean there were 1700 bands there doing it the way the labels say…We’re not keen to do what others do. We literally had a pack of 20 kids… 13, 14, 15, 16 age group, got them all painted up.

I have a lot of faith in the kids… kids need to hear they’re not alone… anyone can be Lincoln Park… it’s that market of kids… they’re extraordinary and so smart… and a sense of wonder in their eyes…

We gave them our song “bungee jumping people die”…



So we’re marching down the street. The kids have these 99-cent tambourines… Some dude comes up…‘Mind if we videotape you?’ I look at the name tag and it says, ‘Tonight Show with Jay Leno’… and I’m quickly thinking, I’m your bitch what do you want…So we re-enacted with an army of kids, and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips interviewed… as good as anything, right? We talk, do our thing… don’t want to ruin it…you’ll have to see the show this Thursday night. Didn’t cost a penny, just add the power of the kids…

All these bands and here’s a spectacle of a green man and his giant henchman and chanting kids… this is the new business model!

I was getting recognized by the third day there…



We don’t mind working super hard and enjoy talking to people…Go betweens and middle men feel the heat. It’s the ambitious artists who make a difference…If you have myspace and you can type, you can book a tour…

On Indie 103.1 we were on the show and announced that the first ten people to myspace would get a free vibrator. We had our guy moderating… you gotta work harder if you’re Indie… So we sent everyone their vibrators… I never thought being this militantly Indie taught me so much about social dynamics… Now if you’re in England… the women have no compunction about robbing you to get one. It actually does say many negative things about the prowess of English men… Moms and 18 year olds and emails in droves… the dudes want nothing to do with it… this attitude is why your British girlfriend wants to be my friend to get my American made vibrator!

Now in Austin I had my requisite megaphone. I got a tub 3ft by 2 ft… There were 20 kids running up the street. The adult toys: You can’t call them dildos or vibrators in Austin…they were ‘personal massagers’.

So I have this huge ass trunk…

I was screaming my ass off let alone the make-up and costume… it’s getting more comfortable than normal clothes…

‘Free personal massagers!’

…not vibrators or dildos. I’m not holding them, or possessing them. Flipped them open like Zombies, dawn of the dead. I thought would be a little polarizing… a lot of visual information to take in…And then there they were: homeless guys, old ladies, hip trendy guys, big fat Mexican mamas, and lifted the lid off, got 3 feet away and all was gone…Only in America! ‘I want you to think of my face!’ I screamed…

It’s good fun… but also can’t take too seriously… the business end is a big circle jerk… trendy is uptight… make a fool of yourself because you don’t know when you’re going to die…


Antiproduct jams at SxSW

Now about the policeman. It wasn’t contributing to delinquency of a minor or public inciting a riot or dressing goofy… It was having a megaphone without a permit… It was going to be a night in jail. He didn’t see the humor in the presentation. I gave zero attitude… he had a choice… he used an existent law to take away my right of free speech…So it was squeaking past a near fucking catastrophe…

It’s not kids we have to watch out for. It’s their grandparents. The bankers and politicians… The most exciting revelation? If you’re not afraid of doing things to make your ambitions known to many… Everyone else is towing a company line. You have to get out and meet the people… We literally got over here in America in beginning of the year… It’s two months later… and on commercial and on Leno… It’s because we’re not afraid to make stuff happen.