Los Milibanditos: Stoke-on-Trent Sensation the Next Big Thing?

The mind reawakens, new pathways are roused into existence, and connections to a lost time are regained once again... The skies above Staffordshire tremble in unison, the pavements of every borough, parish, and district, crack and divide like no time recalled in living memory (even under a Tory government).  

What has caused such a cataclysmic event to unfold you may ask? Well, there are only two men on earth who may answer that question, and they are...Los Milibanditos (Los is foreigner speak for 'The').

The name may appear aloof, but nothing is obscured in a show by these two fiery performers. Tirelessly working like happy Chinese prisoners of war, Los Milibanditos classically mariachi sound has allowed them to amass a following that would even make the likes of Bob Geldof jealous. 

Yes, swift like Manchester dustbin men, the West-midlands has mostly certainly been rocked by the politician-turned-mariachi musicians, each of whom stepped away from politics after they begrudgingly accepted that there would just never been any place for a Secretary of State for Mexican Folk Music within the Cabinet.     

Not only that, but the siblings had grown tired of the toxic rivalry which had emerged between them as a result of fighting for that potential job in Cabinet. Ed (a shortening of Eduardo), the younger of the two, had nearly reached the limelight when he garnered the support of a prominent Texmex food chain, but that is a story for another day.

Simply, the brothers decided it would be best if they were to make amends by going back to their roots', where it had all started, playing their same favourite mariachi ballads out west, like they had in the beginning on the humble streets of their home borough of Camden.    

Nowadays, the Miliband brothers still play those same favourite ballads, their set-list having not changed in the past 20 years. Among the songs performed are such classics as Hotel California, Don't You Want Me Baby, and Karma Chameleon.

Speaking last week, David (meaning 'David'), the older of the two, said ''Me and Eduardo can't believe the good fortune with which we have been blessed, everyday I wake I thank the stars and the moons through the bathroom window of my portable home, and simply relish the thought of playing our music for yet another day''. 

War and Banter: An Introduction to The D'or Monologues

Home is where one's heart is, and by extension, to some minor degree at least, the same must be true for one's musical sensibilities. It is with this in mind that I start The D'or Monologues, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek blog which seeks to successfully address my local music scene, Bury St. Edmunds' music scene to be precise.

Bury St Edmunds is a market town in my rural home county of Suffolk, in the east of England. Despite this rural character, Bury boasts a population of more than 35,000 (and growing), a prosperous service and business sector, and a thriving, traditional market economy. 

Furthermore, it is in the midst of this humble abode that a platform is created for a range of uniquely British, often DIY, musical acts with local music venues and institutes like The Hunter Club and The Rehearsal Rooms around to give refuge to up-and-coming acts. All this allowing a distinct range of local artistry to germinate and flourish. 

However, this has lead to a journalistic deficit in respect to some areas of the scene, highlighted by the total lack of coverage of the underground arts in local publications such as the Bury Mercury. That is not to say no authentic publications exist, it is simply my intention to contribute to shedding light on this marvellous musical sphere.

So crack open a Biere D'or, come on down to a show, and cheers!