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A trip to Mexitown with Puta Madre Brothers

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Puta Madre Brothers is billed as the world’s biggest one-man band.  The brothers are also described as playing Mexitown music – a play on Motown.  What we got at the Space Theatre was a fantastic romp through many things Para-Mexican.

There are three Puta Madre brothers with a heritage much closer to Frankston than Mexico City.  Their name is a reference to the possible professional involvement of their dear imaginary “Madre” or mother.   Bedecked in paramilitary-style uniforms, strange haircuts and smudged greasy faces, the visual effect is very effective in setting the scene.

On the surface it appears to be just rollicking good fun, delving into familiar Mexican and Spanish styles of music, although somewhat more manic in presentation, with distorted guitar and driving rhythms somehow always bordering just this side of chaos.

If you dig a little deeper, you find an exceptional level of musicianship from two skilled guitarists and one rock-solid bass player.  As if that wasn’t enough, the Puta Madre Brothers also play a range of percussion instruments with their feet, while plucking the stringed instruments in a more conventional manner.  Each has a bass drum of different size to occupy one foot, while the other plays a snare drum with stick on a pedal, high hat cymbal or tambourine, just for good measure.

This, of course, is where the “one-man band” reference comes in.  Each could just about carry a show by himself.  The sum of the parts, however, is a different matter.  The percussion effect is fantastic, driven by the bass drums – either one or two, or sometimes all three in action together – with the snare, high-hat and tambourine providing the crackle.

But wait, there’s more: with both hands and feet fully occupied, how do these boys play the cymbals?  With the headstock end of their guitars, of course, while still not missing a note of what they are playing.  The result is fantastic – a big, big sound, with infectious beat and rhythm that had the crowd, if not dancing ecstatically, at least moving and swaying, tapping their feet and generally having a good time.

The music, both vocal and instrumental, plus one very effective whistling cowboy-style tune, recalled familiar melodies and at times quite complex arrangements, but was always fun and entertaining.

We were told these two Adelaide performances were to be the Brothers’ last, which would be a shame, because it is a very entertaining show.   The biggest response from the audience was reserved for their best-known tune, “Grandes Pelotas del Fuego” (Spanish for “Great Balls of Fire”) – the closest thing to their big hit single.

They were allowed back for one just short encore, and the evening finished, all too quickly, with the traditional favourite “Malaguena”, complete with a damned fine mouth percussion solo from the Brother on the right, who apparently hadn’t yet contributed enough with just hands and feet!

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