Q & A with John Thomas
The body artist

By Dan J. Szczesny
HippoPress.com

The bottom line: Alternative Sun / Spider Bite owner John Thomas only has three piercings. Not too many for the owner of a business best known for its body piercing service. He has tattoos, though, lots of them. And long hair.

But he's also funny, and he loves Manchester, the city where he was born and raised.

The 37-year-old Central High School graduate is actually on his second career. The first lasted more than 20 years. He used to help run, then owned for a time, the family grocery store, Mr. Market on Spruce Street.

"I needed to find something that I would like to do in my own shop, and body piercing is just something I like," he says.

Alternative Sun/Spider Bite opened on Elm Street in 1996, but in a city like Manchester, where tattooing and piercings do not always fit into the future many city fathers envision for Manchester, Thomas has not always had it easy. There was a move to ban piercings in the city last year that failed. And the battle over whether or not and where the city will allow tattoo parlors still rages on.

But Thomas points out that his business is about more than tattoos and putting metal into people's skin. The shop is a hair and nail salon with tanning booths and a massage therapist. He offers a limousine service and a new Internet radio station. And Thomas recently started up Spider Bite Productions to help local bands with press and gigs.

But even if it were all about tattoos and piercings, Thomas says it ought not to make a difference.

"You might not like the way I look, but once you talk to me you'll see that I'm a good business person," he says.

And yes, that's his real name.

How did you become interested in your line of work?

You don't even realize it, but you get a tattoo, then you get another one and I've always enjoyed jewelry. I used to fix jewelry in my basement. Then all of a sudden, one day, here I am. I needed to find something that I would like to do in my own shop and body piercing is just something I like.

I got my first piercing, a nipple, over 10 years ago at Rights of Passage in Cambridge. I thought it was cool. Then, next thing you know, here I am. My first tattoo was in California so my father wouldn't know about it. It's on my left shoulder, a dragon. I have a total of 89 hours of (tattoo) work on my body.

What makes body piercing popular?

It's like anything. People wear an earring because it's fashionable or in style. It's the same thing with body piercing. I got into body piercing because I enjoy it, but you can also do it to express yourself. That's what's nice about it.

So some people come in not knowing what they want?

There are a lot of people out there who are very particular about what they would wear. You might have a very upscale person who would only want to wear a real diamond. Well I'll show you a real diamond. It is available in body jewelry. So she never thought she'd never get pierced until she ended up talking to me. I'm a jeweler. I'm like Belman's Jeweler down the street. The only difference is it's not on your finger. It's your nipple; it's on your navel. I'm able to put it anywhere you want to put exotic jewelry.

How do you handle someone who has never had a piercing before? What are some common fears?

I ask them what they are afraid of. If they ask how it feels, I'll ask what their tolerance to pain is. I need to get details out of them. Once they tell me what they want, then I'll get into it deeper with them ... For whatever piercing you have, if there is a problem with it at work, I can make it so it's less noticeable or adjust it for your work. You can adapt to whatever you need. There are times when you should be appropriate for wherever you're going.

What about pain?

Some people enjoy the pain. It's all about mind control. I have a very high tolerance for pain. All my tattoos are in spots that are very tender, the neck, the ribs ... people do it for their own reasons. You can express yourself. People should be able to do what they want to do. You respect me and I'll respect you. I don't care who you are.

Many perceive tattoos and piercings negatively. Is it easy to be in business in Manchester?

No, but I am here to make sure you get best of everything, Look, I started a business where you either like me or hate me, but not everybody is what you think they are. If you are going to judge me by how I look and you think that you can't trust me, well, look at my business and what I do, then tell me. The guy in the three-piece suit is the guy stealing your wallet. Just because he's walking around in a big suit, doesn't mean he's a better man.

Why stay here if it's difficult?

I live in New Hampshire and I feel New Hampshire needs to grow up and stop living in the past. Is New York smarter than us? Is California smarter than us? We're all the same. I'd like to be the guy in New Hampshire to show you that I can be just as good as everybody else out there. Why should I go to New York? Then nobody in New Hampshire gets quality service. Somebody's got to advance this.

What are your feelings about the tattoo ban in Manchester where only a licensed MD can give a tattoo?

Manchester for some reason thinks that tattooing is going to bring in bad people. Then you're automatically calling me a bad person. Come in my shop. You should want people like me running shops because I do everything by the book. These are the people always telling the public why we're bad, but I'll show you I'm doing it safely. You don't want people doing it underground. They might know how to do it, but they don't have the education about cross-contamination, blood work, etc. It's those little technical things that cause infection. I run this place like I'm a hospital.

Do you want to offer tattooing services at your shop?

If tattooing became legal on Monday, Tuesday morning we would be tattooing. My place is set up and ready to go. I have all the sinks, all the proper sterilization.

Tell me about your new music production company.

It's called Spiderbite Music Production. What we are trying to do here is help local bands look better and give them better quality. A lot of people don't give you your money's worth. I've been in music all my life. I enjoy it. I'm not a musician. I just love it. So why not somebody like me to put on events where people will really get to see a good local music show? Our first show will be held at the Boston Billiard Club on July 17 with Purge d.i., Angry Hill, Sleepwalk etc.

What do you think of extreme types of body modification like tongue splitting?

It's very cool, but we don't do it. We'd learn it, but I want to do one thing at a time. And something like real extreme modification … I want my piercers to get better educated. I don't want to get into anything like that unless they go to school. Besides, there isn't really a demand for it.

How do you learn to be a body piercer?

Most of it is self taught, though they are certified in blood work, CPR, etc. You need to know what to do if somebody goes into shock. Anybody can poke anybody with a needle. But you have got to know the human body. They do have American Professional Piercers courses. Still, you can sit there and read it in a book, but there is nothing like hands-on training-being an apprentice under somebody who knows what he's doing is the best.

Have you ever had any emergency situations at your shop?
Nope, never. My track record is very good.

Dan J. Szczesny can be reached at: hippo@hippopress.com