When: 7.30pm on Saturday 4 May 2013
Where: The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HE

We’re proud to announce a new show for Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six at our favourite venue – this time, paired up with Leeds’ Hope & Social for a one-off event entitled ‘The Bedlam Social Club’.

While relentlessly peddling their peculiar brand of Lyric-Driven Dirt-Swing (an incomparable rendering of jive-smitten cabaret blues), Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six have captured the imaginations of every species of listenership – both at home and overseas.

Since forming in late 2006, their music has infiltrated almost every creative niche, being adapted into animated short films, burlesque routines, musical theatre, fringe festival revues, documentary soundtracks, motion picture scores and even a comic strip. Over the years they have won praise and support from the likes of Supergrass, The Mighty Boosh, Har Mar Superstar, UB40, Mark Steel, The Hell’s Angels, BBC Radio and even the Beat Poet biographer Barry Miles – both for their furious onstage energy and Louis’ manic lyrical gymnastics.

Their infamous live shows – incorporating rock, jazz, folk and theatre influences – have proved time and time again that the group is at home on any line-up, even sharing the bill with such disparate acts as Motorhead, Sun Ra’s Arkestra, I Am Kloot, Eliza Carthy, The Blockheads, Emmanuel Jal and The Buzzcocks. In the last year alone they have toured Europe, the States and Mexico, inspiring stage invasions, dancing in the aisles and a confused mixture of exhaustion and bonhomie wherever they go.

‘ Exceptional and unique’ – Andy Crane

Hope & Social are a band who do things a little bit differently. They play mind-blowing, balls-to-the-floor, anything-for-a-laugh, much-more-for-a-tear, heart-on-your-sleeve, foot-on-your-monitor gigs. Not gigs. Shows. No, not shows… events. They’re gloriously and fiercely independent. They formed the UK’s first fan-funded record label, Alamo Music. They’ve made just about every mistake a ‘professional’ band can make, and decided that entertaining people and making the songs they love is the most important thing in music. And they like people. They like involving people.

The band are prolific. They have released three studio albums in three years. There’s also been an EP, a live album, countless live shows, thousands of kazoos, Glastonbury, many Living Room Gigs, the JD Set, a Come Dine With Us event, a Big Band Christmas romp, a trip to the seaside on an open top bus, a Brass Band session, a live recording in their studio The Crypt, numerous music videos, music-industry events… and a baby. In the tradition of the travelling bands, they describe themselves as ‘a bit like a Yorkshire E-Street Band… meets Arcade Fire… meets The Faces… meets Dexys Midnight Runners… meets Prefab Sprout… at a party… in an argument about who gets to have sex with David Bowie’. Here’s what others say:

‘One of the UK’s top five live bands’ – The Independent

‘Brilliant, uplifting and inclusive. That was amazing’ – Michael Eavis, Glastonbury Festival

The two bands recently came together to record a new arrangement of Simon & Garfunkel’s Keep The Customer Satisfied – a project that the ensemble found so enjoyable they resolved to get together for a special double-headliner event entitled The Bedlam Social Club. As well as their own material, the two groups will combine forces on the night into one formidable supergroup. Do not miss this unique event!

Paul Wallfisch will open the show.

Book tickets now. Tickets are also available from the bar, Common (both no booking fee), Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Seetickets.com, WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk and on 0871 220 0260.

Attend on: Facebook | Last.fm