The Gypsy Pistoleros
The Mescalito Vampires (Welcome to the Hotel De La Muerta)
Review by; Rock Queen Thirteen
The Gypsy Pistoleros - if there’s one thing that can be said for them, they make you do a double take that’s for sure. This genre blending / bending sound they consistently produce by mixing up elements of musical fashion you’d be unlikely to find in the same record store, let alone on the same record – well, it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before. We have Flamenco, Latino, Sleaze, Punk, Glam, Rumba and God knows what else, and this is perfectly showcased in their new single, due out on 7th June, their first release with Off Yer Rocka recordings.
‘The Mescalito Vampires’ is a glorious brew of short, choppy, punk style guitar chords, heavy bass reminiscent of early Clash, power vocals bursting with dramatic effect, and dancing, climactic drums; and is accompanied by a suitably disturbing, creeped out video where you can feast your eyes on the Pistoleros signature image of Mexicana/Latino cross-between-a-circus-and-a-horror-show visuals. Here is a band that understands the allure of good theatrics and knows how to apply them to perfection.
The song itself is a cover version of The Eagles ‘Hotel California’; I wasn’t aware of this when I was sent the copy to review, and it wasn’t immediately obvious, given the way they’ve arranged it and the occasional twist on the lyrics. When it dawns on you that there’s something familiar going on the track just lights up. A Mexican themed, punked up, slightly disconcerting version of ‘Hotel California’ is a wickedly clever concept, it’s been well thought out, and it absolutely works. It’s a gutsy piece of work, every bit as unique as the Pistoleros themselves, and is capable of drawing mass appeal, even the most hardened music snob would be pressed not to feel the joy in it and crack a huge grin.
And there is so much going on in this song!!! The intro features another Pistoleros signature– Lee Jones’s ‘Arriba’ style exclamations, with the underlying wolf howl that immediately give a sense of the sinister and the restless. We’re then taken through the spiky tones of the first verse into the crash of the ‘Welcome to the Hotel De La Muerto’ chorus in which Lee channels his inner Axl Rose by dropping in a little of ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, which fits flawlessly into the atmosphere of the track as a whole. After the second chorus it gets a little darker, great effect from dramatic pauses and an ominous sounding bassline from Gaz Le Bass and if you haven’t got the thrills by now, you’d be incapable of emotion. Jan Vincent Vellazco steps his drums up to an adrenalin pumping acceleration and Lee screams us into the fluidity of a short guitar solo, before taking us all back through it again like another spin round on a roller coaster, right up until the punchy, acicular chords of the finish. There’s no trumpet this time, but the mariachi feels run through it anyway, and there’s no shortage of influence from that ever-intriguing Spanish affect.
The production has a complimentary edginess to it courtesy of guitarist Mark Westwood, there’s a sublime balance of sound and nothing is squashed or overcooked. This will be my go-to piece of music for escapism, in fiery technicolour, and as all Pistoleros songs do – have me reaching for the dancing shoes and the tequila!
‘The Mescalito Vampires (Welcome To The Hotel De La Muerta)’ is released on June 7th and will be available for download on all streaming platforms. The full album ‘The Mescalito Vampires’ will be released on 14thAugust on Moon coloured vinyl and gatefold sleeve just to make it even more special.