La Linea Battle of the Brass Bands

The two heavyweights took their places and stared each other down. It was clear to see the respect they held for each other but the differences were just as clear: on the right of the stage, led by their black clad leader Marko Markovic, were the Balkan Brass. Dressed in simple white shirts with black pants the dozen Europeans gazed across at their opponents for the night: Banda Estrellas de Sinaloa de German Lizzarraga in matching suits of muted gold with black shirts, all seventeen looked resplendent.

The audience were similarly looking as though they were ready for the off with sombreros, cowboy hats and Mexican flags set against the more ramshackle fans of the Balkans.

The introductory music blared and to the final tones of Frankies ‘Two Tribes’ the announcer called out the immortal phrase – “Aaaaare you ready to rrrrrrrrrumble?” – and battle was started.

First blows were from the Mexicans with their syncopated dancing and shimmying, the crowd already sensing something special was going to happen.
After ten minutes of brilliant playing the Mexicans paused for breath and now it was the European’s turn and they immediately stepped in with a combination, starting slowly but playing with great emotion and as they kicked up a gear they had the crowd clapping along fervently and dancing in the aisles.
Definitely round 1 to the Balkans and this was looking to be a great battle for the hearts and minds of the neutrals in the crowd.

Now the Mexicans came out again but they were three horns short. As the bandleader announced the number, ‘The Lost Child’, a lonely trumpet sounded from right of the crowd, heads turning to see where the lost boy was and now we hear him on the right. Suddenly the horns can be heard from the right and the left and the centre and half of the crowd are out of their seats dancing with the wandering musicians, the rest of the band cooking up a furious salsa heat; a great comeback from the Latins but what could the Balkan players respond with?
They began with a solid and even beat, the feeling in the hall was that the battle was now to the Mexicans but out stepped Marko Markovic playing the familiar strains of ‘Hava Nagila’ and the initiative was back with the Eastern crew as the audience got into the song with as much gusto as the band. It seemed as though everything that the Mexicans threw at the Balkans was returned with equal power and the crowd were going nuts.

When the Mexican horns struck up ‘Mambo Tequila’ you sensed that this was getting to the peak of their offering but it wasn’t enough to put the Balkans away and the two sides threw blast after blast at each other until half the crowd started a conga and the stage was suddenly filled with dancers and Mexican flags, sombreros and hats flying. Surely this was the killer blow but no – the Balkans and Serbs and Bosnians and the like swarmed out for their band’s response and the dancing was not just in the aisles and on stage – Boban Markovic looked as though he would be lost into the swarm on the stage while the band cooked up faster and harder and sweeter.

The neutrals might say that the honours were shared and each side’s supporters will definitely say that their team won but the final sight of all of the musicians on stage together playing each others style and beaming with smiles suggests that the most honourable of draws was the result.

I have never seen scenes like it at the Barbican but the sheer energy and fun transcended the music or the ‘performance’ and while they were both top notch it was the crowd that tipped the balance.