From out of nowhere, legendary rock airband AirSpray grew to be one of the most critically-acclaimed airbands the Bangles tour bus has ever known. In a world where most bands require actual instruments, or the ability to play music rather than just mime along to the radio, AirSpray succeeded on sheer charisma...

Tonight we bring you their story. AirSpray - next on B'nM' s Behind the Music.

From humble beginnings and an unparalleled love of playing the radio at ear-splitting decibels, AirSpray rose to enjoy a 4-month reign as the lords of the Bangles tour bus, playing to standing room only crowds of up to eight people at a time.

Legendary air guitarist and lead lipsynch singer Debbi ("Deborah Airy") and air bassist Vicki ("Airen Arpenter") Peterson met at a young age and soon became fast friends, based mostly upon the fact that they are sisters. Although they played together in several mainstream, instrument-oriented bands over the years, it wasn't until their tenure together in the Bangles that they hit on magic, with the discovery of their air-drumming charismatic Bangles Security Chief John ("Airball") Calacci.

Although both Debbi and Vicki had known Calacci for many years, his incredible air-drumming talent had remained a mystery. Fate intervened late one night in 1989 aboard the Bangles' tour bus, when, unable to resist the beat of ACDC's seminal hit "Mistress for Christmas" Calacci erupted in a frenzy of invisible skins-slamming.

 Instantly, the sisters knew that their future was not in the sold-out arenas and Superbowl halftimes of their past, but in the invisible-instrument world of air rock. Reinventing themselves overnight, they became AirSpray, adopting the air-names that would soon take the bus by storm.

When fellow Bangles bandmates Susanna Hoffs and Michael Steele arose the next morning, they discovered that Debbi, Vicki, and John had been replaced by Deborah Airy, Airen Arpenter, and Airball.

Steele and Hoffs' decisions to get a good night's sleep would haunt them for the rest of the tour.

With no time to spare, AirSpray quickly began to build their infrastructure. Air-guitarist Airy proved to be a multi-talent, wielding marker and crayons to produce tour laminates for the group, while Airball headed up the merchandise development department, with plans to produce Official "AirBrushes," "AirDye," and  of course "AirSpray," as well as specialty items like "AirPlanes" and "AirBears."

Although they had no real instruments or songs of their own, AirSpray wasn't exempt from the struggles that face every band. Late night rehearsals on top of an already demanding Bangles tour schedule pushed the group to the edge of exhaustion, and the fact that the bus could only hold 10 or 11 people at a time meant that word of mouth about the band was slow to get around. The group remained optimistic however, expanding their repertoire to include everything from classics to cutting edge underground tracks.

The future looked bright for AirSpray -but unfortunately, trouble was just around the corner.

In 1989, Airy and Arpenter's other band decided to take a hiatus. Although initially it seemed like this would pave the way for AirSpray's greater success, it proved to be the fatal blow. As Airball himself is quoted as saying;

"Unfortunately when the Bangles broke up we kind of drifted apart as well. We did a few live shows, but they were only on the bus, so they weren't really well attended. It was tough - we hardly made any profits, we paid for all our merch and laminates out of our own pockets...Of course, we saved a lot on instruments, but just the same, we couldn't make ends meet."

Determined to go forward despite the challenges, AirSpray released a self-produced concert video. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure the rights to any of the music, so the entire tape consisted of 90 minutes of the band playing air instruments to a background of total silence. It was a move that not only alienated their hardcore fan base, but ensured that no record company would work with them. It was the final straw. AirSpray officially broke up in December of 1989.

When the Bangles got back together in 2000, hopes were high that AirSpray might enjoy a similar comeback, but although the members have reportedly gotten together for some impromptu jam sessions, there are no plans for a professional reunion in the immediate future. For AirSpray fans buswide, AirSpray's moment in the spotlight will have to remain part of air rock history.

AirSpray seems content to live off their past success, while hoping for a brighter future. They know their time has probably come and gone, but also they know they have made a difference in the world of music.

As long as anyone anywhere is air-drumming to their favorite song, doing windmills on an invisible guitar, or mouthing lyrics into their toothbrush - AirSpray will live on.

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