If there is one word that sums up the essence of The Mysterious Beings, it is synergy. When they come together, these talented musicians’ individual brilliance coalesces into something greater than the sum of its parts. Imagine Kit Bashir’s plaintive Afghan nose harp if it wasn’t completely drowned out by the others in the band. It would be very hard to listen to.

Dee Sharpe in 2012

Many critics, however, credit guitarist Dee Sharpe with single-handedly propelling the band to where it is today. The operative word here is “single-handedly.” All keen musical historians will recall that Dee lost his left hand to an infected llama bite prior to a concert on the shores of Lake Titicaca in 2013, but it takes an extra special level of dedication to travel to Peru and actually track down the llama that inflicted musical history’s most influential bite by a member of the camelidae family – but that’s exactly what enterprising young superfan Nigel Sidebotham has done.

Nigel Sidebotham

Thirteen year-old Nigel discovered Lloyd the llama in a field just outside Puno in September of this year. He was able to identify Lloyd by the detailed description furnished by the band and by matching Lloyd’s teeth with the marks on Dee’s hand, preserved in formaldehyde for future display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, while conducting the dental comparison, Nigel himself suffered a serious injury to his own left hand and, sadly, it had to be amputated about a week later. Undeterred, Nigel plans to open a visitor’s center, museum and gift shop in Lloyd’s field. He has also started to learn the guitar.

Nigel is our junior fan of the month.