Psych-jazz oddballs Bethlehem Casuals dare to be different

Manchester's highly original Bethlehem Casuals are set to serve up something different for Leeds music fans when they head to the city for a gig next week.
Bethlehem Casuals.Bethlehem Casuals.
Bethlehem Casuals.

Expect the unexpected seems to be the motto with this veritable bag of psych-jazz rock oddballs.

Proof that seven heads are always better than one, the group have been magnetising audiences across the North of England and beyond with their infectiously idiosyncratic compositions, strung-out live shows and, of course, their notably laid-back nature. It’s in the name.

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With a whirlwind sound that infuses a world of influences, heady grooves and tribal drum circles all with a distinctly urban twist of folk rock, the music Bethlehem Casuals create is very much in their own world.

Offering a new track for you to make your own mind up, the Casuals are pleased to release: ‘Change’.

Your standard love ballad, this is not. Instead, ’Change’ is one of many songs the band have been inspired to write that apparently follows the narrative: “of a pet dog who is escaping a boring life to find out why there is no music left in Manchester."

Gaining momentum with every one of their releases, the Casuals recently caught the ear of BBC 6Music tastemaker Marc Riley who invited them in for a riotous live session and praised them as: “All over the place in the best kind of way.”

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With word getting out fast, this summer the septet embarked on a summer that was perhaps a little less relaxed than their namesake would usually allow. Invited to a slew of major festivals, the band hit up the stages of Bluedot to Kendal Calling, Moovin’ to Manchester Jazz, and were even invited to make their Glastonbury debut. They even found the time to host their own biannual shindig! ’Keep It Casual Fest’ to a sell-out capacity.

Leaving jaws hanging at every set and crowds hungry for more of their magnanimous madness, audiences will now have another opportunity to grab a piece of the action at their ‘Flaccid Passion’ Tour this Autumn. After kicking-off at Manchester’s Harfest on Sunday, the band will be stopping-off at Leeds at the Hyde Park Book Club next Wednesday (September 25).