Sony BMG Spain: Socio-critical Tones From A Bizarre Band

Spain’s “The Locos” is a band well-known for lyrics rife with criticism of society. Now, the band behind front man Pipi has become involved in an educational commercial against the phenomenon of “mobbing” (a bunch of kids ganging up on one victim) in schools. However, the 20-second short won't be aired on television, but will be available only on DVD. With the song “Resistiré” from the Locos’ latest album “Jaula de Gillos” (Sony BMG) playing in the background, the clip shows snapshots of a day at school for a child who is being mobbed by his fellow students. The clip was directed by Iñaki Huarte. Actors recruited for the project include Sara López, known to teens from the Spanish TV show “Los Serraonos.” Proceeds from the sale of the DVD will be made available to the organization “Fundación Anar” a minority rights lobby established in 1970.

“The Locos” have been together in their current constellation since 2005. Their first album “Jaula de Grillos” was released on the Spanish market at the beginning of the year. Their criticism of environmental pollution, social injustice and unemployment is as strong an influence on their songs as their music style, a mixture of Ska and Punk, is unusual. And the band members themselves are no less unusual. The frontman, Pipi, whose real name is actually Ricardo, is also a member of the Ska combo Ska-P, which is well-known in the international music scene.

But the extrovert singer isn’t the only one who contributes to the group’s bizarre image. His colleagues and their lives are anything but normal. The sax player Gonzo, born in Buenos Aires in 1983 to parents who recognized and supported his talent from an early age, was apparently involved in a bicycle accident during a scholarship at a German music school and remained in a coma until 2000. Shortly after coming out of this coma, he was attacked by radical music fans in South America and fell into a second coma, although this one did not last as long as the first one. Truth or fiction? Only “The Locos” know for sure. The crazy musicians have touring Europe since May and will also be heard and seen at several upcoming open-air festivals.