Tribute music video to Leicester becomes internet sensation

A music video posted on You Tube by the singer of an unsigned '90s indie band from Leicester has become a mini internet sensation. In the few days since it was uploaded to the internet, music fans and sons and daughters of the city have been logging on in their thousands to watch a video featuring the song Well Leicester, by Mike Willis. Accompanied by images of the city's famous, and not so famous, people and landmarks, Mike has described the song as a "bittersweet love letter" to his home city. The 40-year-old, who grew up in Humberstone but now lives in Syston and was lead singer and bass player in the four-piece outfit Victor, wrote the song five years ago. PLEASE NOTE: There is swearing in the video. "I was listening to it again on Friday," said Mike. "I'd always wanted to make a slide show video to go with it. "Originally, I thought it would be good if I did Bob Dylan-style cue cards with me stood in front of the various places referenced in the song. "But, clearly that would require an un-Victor-like, massive effort of co-ordination and hard work, so instead I plumped for mining Google image search and my old photos for the various elements I needed. "Then it was just a matter of cobbling the thing together and getting the timings right – which took me most of Friday night and Saturday." Mike shared his creation with a few friends via Facebook on Saturday, and was totally unprepared for what was awaiting him the next time he logged on to his computer. "I took the dog for a walk around the block and when I got back it had been shared 250 times, then it was 500 – I thought 'bloody hell! what's going on here?'" Since Saturday, his video has been watched more than 11,160 times on You Tube, and been shared by more than 7,000 people on Facebook. "In the past few days it's just gone crazy," he said. "It's bizarre!" Victor formed in 1994 out of the ashes of unknown Leicester bands Stand and Hs Excuse. They began with the cassette-only, "strictly limited" edition EP Cortina, followed up by "near-zero-selling" CDs Mr Bighead Is Back In Town and Burt Reynolds Bar Fight. "We were a melting pot of styles and influenced by the great British pop traditions of The Kinks, Madness, New Order and James," said Mike. "But we were a bit rubbish really. We were extraordinarily unambitious but we did have some great nights, playing the Charlotte and other venues – I remember a particularly cracking night at the old Pump and Tap pub in Braunstone Gate in 1996." While never actually splitting up, long periods of inactivity from the 2000s to today – occasionally punctuated by wedding gigs for friends and a Mod covers set – saw the band grow apart. "I went to university in London and we all went our own way, having families, that sort of thing," said Mike, who is now a systems analyst in Lutterworth. Well Leicester was written by Mike in the list style of Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues as a demo just in case Victor ever reformed. It name drops icons such as Gary Lineker and Mike's beloved Leicester City, along with many of his old haunts. "I worked for Corah's and before that McDdonald's at Fosse Park," he said. "I tried to make it autobiographical and also try and link feelings of underachievement and self-doubt together with just being from Leicester - and that's not a negative thing, because although Leicester can make you feel like that, it also gives you a great sense of identity, resilience and self-deprecation, and a certain pride emerges from that too." He added: "I wished I'd done it sooner - like when we still had a functioning band! "But I'm just happy - and amazed - at how its been received and would like to say thanks to everyone who has watched, listened and shared. "I hope it's put a smile on people's faces." Well Leicester lyrics: Ayup, Oweeya? Ooyah fighter, Ooyah ****** Dywanote? Gorrago, Doinote? Jewonnah? Spendo, 'Safto, Sainsbo's for me tucker Riders, Tigers, Space Centre, Attenborough Filbert Fox, Foxton Locks, Thurnby Lodge, Brauny Dodge Hard Knocks, Make Socks, Cornershop, Mark Adcock Paste Ya, Tax Ya, Meet at the Clock Tower Dintya, Dontya, Catherine, Mundella Drop out of school and work at Corah's sewing polyester... That's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah St Marks, St Maggies, Old John, Goin' Braggy Brucciani, Blue Army, Giz a Croggy, Flickin' Laggys Orton, Deacon, Shilton, Goin' Mardy Spittin Choddy, Stinging Wabby, Heskey, Showaddywaddy TJ's, AJ's, Vaughn Way, Mill Lane Charlotte Stage, Gorilla's Cage, Up Silver Arcade Town Hall Indie kids, 'ence and squids, wear a coggie Soar, Wreake, Welland, Swift, Nona knows everybody Get out while you're young enough before your dreams start to fester... That's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Take the 38 Into Humbo Gate Meet up with me mates Then it's Globe, Firkin, Orange Tree Sector 5 or Fanny Knees Up, **** Up Chippy til I'm full up Stagger home, all alone Throw up all over the floor... Cos that's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Gorrit, Gizzit, Muzzy Izzet, Ain't there ote else on? Lineker, Ospikul, Shires, Mark Morrison Daniel Lambert, David Icke - he's gorra cob on Northfields, Highfields, Saff, Monsell, Syston Fish market, Haymarket, Frank Wortho hits the target Reet frit, Walker's Crisps, Goin' **** over tit Guildhall, Jewry Wall, The Shed, The Musician Cob Van, Elephant Man, Semper Eadum Nagging doubts of underachievement pull at you til they pester... That's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Take the 38 Into Humbo Gate Meet up with me mates Then it's Globe, Firkin, Orange Tree Sector 5 or Fanny Knees Up, **** Up Chippy til I'm full up Stagger home, all alone Throw up all over the floor... Cos that's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Up town, Ground down, Humperdinck, Ooyah byooty Frog Island, Willie Thorne, Gok Wan, Oadby, Wiggy DeMontfort, Monk's Rest, Melton Road for a curry Vicky Park, False Starts, Satdee up the Spinny Hosiery, Footwear, Me Duck, Irish Menswear Steve Walsh, Chav Stare, Beaumont Leys if you dare Fast food career start, Reg's Mart, Well Scretty Diwali Lights, ***** Nights, Slagging off the City Wind up so self-deprecating like your own ****-taking jester... That's Well Leicester, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah