Antony and the Johnsons Demand Stop to Illegal Downloads

Antony Hegarty, frontman of cabaret pop outfit Antony and the Johnsons, is fed up with fans pirating his material on the web. "Please stop recording my concerts and trading them, it makes me feel terrible," Hegarty posted to justonestar.com, a fan website. "I feel like the thing I have to offer an audience is the live experience. But for them to record my concerts sort of feels like I am being stolen from," Hegarty wrote. "It's kind of like inviting people over for dinner and before they leave they go into your fridge and clear you out, take everything you have." Hegarty, who appears on Volta, Bjork's newest record dropping May 7, also blames pirating for thwarting efforts towards fresh material. "I was hoping to develop ideas for the new album and some live concerts, but at this rate I am feeling discouraged because of the bootlegging," Hegarty divulged. "So do me a favour ...be my fan and my friend and don't record my shows."

>> Listen to Antony & the Johnsons on Napster

On the Web:
antonyandthejohnsons.com

Talk: Is Hegarty's request valid or completely ridiculous?