The Bedlam Six now has a snazzy new electronic press kit featuring interviews, promo and live footage plus rare clips of the band. Hopefully this five minute film will capture pretty much everything anyone needs to know about the band.
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“Three Down, Four To Go” Cover Art
This is the cover art for our upcoming single. Once again photography is courtesy of the brilliant Grebo Gray (who also provided images for our Memoir Noir EP sleeve). Released on Debt Records 22nd October.
New Article: “‘Twixt Underdog And Overlord: On Amanda Palmer”
The problem with success is that it can be expensive to maintain. You might enter a raffle and win a Rolls Royce, but what’s the point if you can’t afford the fuel?
There’s been a lot of Amanda Palmer bashing going on over the last few days. If you haven’t heard about it (or her) here’s the brief gist:
Former Dresden Doll famed for dramatic and inclusive stage shows raises over a million dollars ($1,192,793 to be exact) to fund her self-released album and its accompanying tour through the crowd-sourcing website/phenomenon Kickstarter. As a consequence she is promptly crowned empress of the modern DIY model, “Exhibit A” for any anti-label argument and general pin-up for the “pay-what-you-want” philosophy. She then angers the artistic community for putting an advert on her website asking string and brass players to join her regular salaried ensemble for selected dates on her tour and perform for NO PAY.
Impressive numbers and recent controversy aside, she is pretty amazing, proving to possess almost Christ-like powers in converting her audience into acolytes, not to mention investors and contributors.
But the rules change when you become one of life’s winners. Palmer has drawn damning criticism for extending the crowd-sourcing model into the human realm, calling for fans to accompany her for “beer and hugs”.
Press Release: “Three Down, Four To Go”
In 1895 an express train travelling from Granville to Paris overran a buffer stop and crossed over thirty metres of concourse before plummeting through a window at the Gare Montparnasse. One hundred and seventeen years to the day after that catastrophic but oh-so-photogenic moment, Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six release their latest single “Three Down, Four To Go” like a steam locomotive through a station wall.
In the manner of most train wrecks, however, this release has not been on the cards for long.
“We hadn’t originally planned on releasing the track at this time” says Louis, “but we’ve been playing this new number throughout festival season and at the end of each performance it’s the one that gets singled out by people we meet afterwards, they’ve been asking where they can get hold of a copy so we figured we’d better record and release it ASAP.”
The release date itself is an auspicious one throughout history, full of great leaps (both literal and metaphoric – some positive and some, like the train, less so). 22nd October was, in 1797, the day of the first recorded parachute jump (by André-Jacques Garnerin) and, in 1879, Thomas Edison’s first successful test of the incandescent light bulb.
“The song itself is loosely based on the Seven Ages Of Man and the Seven Deadly Sins as well as the usual stuff about love and revenge” says Louis, “but we’re trying not to be too fancy with this one as those are old themes that very much speak for themselves. Really the whole thing is just a vehicle for a massive, face-melting riff – indeed it’s our most unashamed rock number yet – that’s probably why it’s had such an enthusiastic response.”
The accompanying music video is also a little different from The Bedlam Six’s usual promotional material. This one is being created entirely by the audience.
“We sent out messages via social media announcing the upcoming release and calling for weird and wonderful footage to edit into a music video. We’ve had a great response in all sorts of visual styles; it’s great to include more people in the process. Thinking about it, this whole release has been a collaboration with the audience – from choosing what song to record, to how it’s marketed etc… it’s been a fantastic journey and I hope they enjoy the results!”
NOTES TO EDITORS
“Three Down, Four To Go” by Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six is released through Debt Records on Monday 22nd October 2012.
There will be two launch parties: the first at Islington Mill in Salford on Thursday 18th October and the second at The Picket in Liverpool on Saturday 20th October.
Un-Conversations
As you may know I do some work with Un-Convention and occupy a place on their board. They are currently putting together a series of short videos made by people who work in the music business. I’m very flattered that they invited me to take part and say a few words about my experiences as an independent musician and general plate-spinner.
I must admit I find this kind of thing difficult though. I enjoy writing my thoughts down and I also enjoy talking to people. What I am not good at is sitting alone having a one-way conversation with a camera prompted only by a list of questions such as “what advice would you give young musicians” (every path is different and no two artists are alike – it is hard to give any useful tips when one is addressing oneself to a void). I guess that’s why they’re called “Un-Conversations” – they are about as far from a conversation as it is possible to get!
My friend Andrew Dubber recorded the one before mine and he is a hard act to follow, a very confident man who knows his own mind. I imagine he filmed his in the ten minutes between finishing his latest book and hopping on a plane to Guatemala. I, on the other hand, ended up talking for about half an hour at least, rambling on about juggling roles, definitions of success and staying motivated, spinning one questionable analogy after another and generally tying myself in knots. In the end I managed to cut it down to just under ten minutes of content that I hope is vague enough not to alienate anyone but also honest enough to be of some use to emerging artists. The stuff I edited out (mostly personal gripes about industry con-men and the occasional moment where I bang my head against the desk and cry “what the hell am I going on about?!”) is the usual ranting that happens in my Keyhole Observations series of articles so feel free to peruse those whenever you have a couple of idle months to spare).
The Un-Converations series can be found at the Un-Convention website (more to be uploaded soon I gather).
Would You Like To Contribute To The Next Bedlam Six Music Video?
I really like music videos. I mean REALLY like them. Personally I think they’re one of the greatest short formats for art and entertainment there is. They require no excuse, no narrative, no reason, no agenda – they can be anything they want to be. It’s sad that so many bands/artists settle for so little. Many modern mobile phones are capable of capturing better quality footage than Hitchcock ever could (let alone “Video Killed The Radio Star”) – so why then feature a bunch of sulky youths pouting into the lens for three minutes? It doesn’t make sense.
Anyway, I’ve ranted about this plenty of times in the past and that’s not why I’m writing this note.
We’re set to release our next single in October and we’d like to try a different kind of music video to accompany it. Up to now our videos have been created by some incredible people in all sorts of styles, each and every one has been a real joy to make for different reasons. We always try to do something different from the last one, we don’t want to become stale. The only real similarity between them all (besides the band) is that they have all been put together in closed sets worked on by clearly defined teams, each participant with a role of their own, all very planned, disciplined and focused.
This time we’d like to open the project up to anyone that wants to take part. It could get a bit messy but what have we got to lose? I’d like to try it and see what happens.
What I’m thinking is simple: We announce a vague theme and then anyone with an interesting visual concept gets hold of a camera from somewhere and makes it a reality (or a fiction masquerading as a reality – which is as good a definition of film as I can think of right now). Then people email the footage to us (or a download link). Then we go through the submitted footage and edit together a video to accompany the single. High quality footage is, of course, preferable but we don’t expect David Lean standards of cinematography!
All contributors will receive the new single for free plus our entire digital back catalogue and free tickets to a show of your choice (excluding festivals – as we don’t control those guest lists) to be redeemed whenever. You will also be credited at the end of the video so please include full names with any material you send over. You will retain all rights to your work.
The only brief is that I’d like this video to be quite disturbing. Nothing too gruesome though, just lots of quick-fire images, lots of movement, stark tableaus, shadows, confusion etc. Could also incorporate animation if that’s your thing (any kind – claymation, cartoon, puppets, abstract shapes…) along with live action of any animal, vegetable or mineral.
What do you think? Would you like to be involved?
Please don’t hesitate to fire any questions at me. I can be reached via this website’s contact page
I think it could be a really interesting project.
Deadline for footage is Monday 17th September.
And the vague theme to spark your imagination (but hopefully not limit it): “The Seven Deadly Sins” (treat that as you will, ignore it even, there are no rules here)
I look forward to hearing from you!
New Article: “On Writing”
Sustainability is the biggest buzz-word on the circuit at the moment. Not just in music circles, it’s a hot topic in every industry.
When I’m invited to speak on panels this is the subject I’m most often asked to comment on: How To Build A Sustainable Career In Music. Well, that subject is going to get its own article one day (or perhaps a book) but for now I thought I’d write a little piece about the first thing that suffers when one is wrestling with the finer points of a so-called-sustainable self-managed independent music career…
The Writing.
Interview for Snakebite Magazine
I just did an interview for Snakebite magazine. In it I talk about influences, touring, guilty pleasures and condiment preferences. This interview is something of a landmark for me as it is the first time I have been featured in a publication that is principally devoted to pictures of naked women. So if you don’t find the interview stimulating then chances are there will be something else there to divert/enrage you.
Here it is…
http://www.snakebitemagazine.com/interview-louis-barabbas/
Other interviews with me can be found in the “interviews” section of this website.
Touring the United States of America
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To the audience across the sea…
This year I have had more emails from people in the USA than ever before. Many ask if the Bedlam Six and I have any plans to tour on that side of the Atlantic in the foreseeable future.
This is a tricky one.
As you probably know, obtaining musician visas to play in the USA is an utter pain (and touring without them comes with the risk of receiving a five year ban on entering the country).
But we can’t let a little bit of bureaucracy get in the way can we?
(no)
I’d love to come over and play some shows over there, it’s a country I really love and I haven’t seen enough of it (I lived in Philadelphia for a while – one of the best times in my entire life).
Touring-wise, what’s happened in the past is I generally do solo shows in places the band hasn’t played before and then gradually build up enough interest to make it financially possible to book a full Bedlam Six gig there at a later date. I propose trying the same thing in the USA. I think the best way of doing this without getting pestered by immigration is to book a bunch of house gigs, low-key unplugged invitation-only affairs. Perhaps a potluck?
So here’s the big question:
Who would like me to come over and play an acoustic set in their house/garden/shed/kennel next year?
If there’s enough interest and it’s possible to raise sufficient funds to cover travel and general living costs for, say, two weeks by passing a hat round then let’s do it. I think it’d be really fun and it’d be nice to meet some of you in person.
So please float the idea around your social circle, see if the notion has legs. If you have an offer/suggestion or any thoughts/questions please email me.
Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Louis
Keeping The Customer Satisfied
A few of The Bedlam Six and I got together with Hope & Social in their crypt studio to arrange, record and mix a classic cover suggested by our combined social network. The only rule was that everything had to be begun and completed in the space of a day. We spent the morning going through the longlist of about sixty suggestions and whittled them down to about a dozen we thought could yield interesting results. We then pinned them to a big spinning wheel and let fate decide. There were all sorts of potentials, from Duran Duran to Whitney Houston to Eurythmics to Small Faces. But the wheel could choose only one. And it chose Simon & Garfunkel‘s “Keep The Customer Satisfied”.
Initially I was a little worried about this. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the Bridge Over Troubled Water album and I didn’t want to butcher it. We hoped to put our own stamp on the piece but not at the expense of the original’s personality. It’s a really fun song with a lovely groove. We opted to dirty it up, lots of distorted sounds at the beginning, a hakka-like vocal grunt, some low brass and an ominous rumbling beat from two drum kits. Simon and I split the vocal sections up to make them call and response and we overlayed some thick harmonies with the others for the long vowels and choruses. Hope & Social are a really lovely bunch to work with, a good work ethic but always time for a few japes when the microphone is turned off.
The day was live-blogged here.
I think we stayed true to the spirit of the original whilst bringing our own personalities to the song, that was the idea anyway. Whether we succeeded or not is up to the listener, but I had a great time working on it and look forward to getting together with those guys again for future projects.
Gee but it’s great to be back home…
