Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six

Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six

Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six are a Manchester group formed in 2006, led by street performer Louis Barabbas. The band begins under the name The Black Velvet Band before adopting its current name. Their line-up is presented in the available information as centred on Louis Barabbas.

Style and instrumentation

Their music mixes folk, blues, cabaret and swing jazz, with alternative influences. The songs are built around twisted, darkly comic writing about lust, loathing, grief, theft and betrayal. Their performances use growling vocal narration and a wide range of instruments, including trombone, banjo, trumpet, saxophone, mandolin, cello, violin, lap steel, accordion, piano and spoons. They are described as heavy, hairy and mostly in harmony.

Live work and reputation

The band is noted for energetic live shows and detailed arrangements. They play with a wide range of acts, including Supergrass, Motörhead, Chas & Dave, Sun Ra’s Arkestra, Bob Log III and Eliza Carthy. Their credits also include a rent-free residency at the Hill Street Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a commission to arrange work by John Cooper Clarke, and two main-stage sets on the same day at Solfest, where they are the only band in the festival’s history to do so. They are also described as the youngest band to play the main stage at the Bulldog Bash by at least a decade.

Recordings and associations

The band receives financial support to release its first album, Found Drowned, and has already written further albums. It has also been offered tours of Spain, Mexico and the USA. The group acts as the in-house band for Manchester independent label Debt Records.

Recognition

Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six are described by radio presenter Richard Cartridge as “the next big thing”, and by USA Weekly News as one of the best and most distinctive UK bands for music, theatre and entertainment in the century. They also receive support from BBC DJs including Tom Robinson, Marc Riley, Andy Crane, Chris Hawkins, Sam Walker and Christopher Holliday.