“Hear the sound of dystopian cries” ‘Brave New World’
#TheBlinders2018 Ticket links via : http://smarturl.it/BlindersFeb18 Band photography by Nidge Luhg Sanders (Trust A Fox) – Bio continues on 8 pages/...
Revolutionary, incendiary (and necessary), The Blinders have developed rapidly since their first (February/March 2017) headline road show, some of which was captured for posterity by Nasty Man Creations in the video for ‘Ramona Flowers’. One year on from that tour, you’ll need to be at the February 2018 shows to see what those scenes of underground joy have become...
With a naturally passionate and intense presence, this trio mean very much to a growing number of music fans, despite being largely unknown outside of the UK’s currently exploding, under radar alternative rock dimension. Punky and psychedelic, they are partly inspired by poetry and literature. The live experience is a charismatic, theatrical live experience of intensity, possessed by the spirits of musical greatness. Amidst a myriad of widely varying comparisons, fierce energy pulses with a unique, “punkadelic” sound. In turn, the music is building a movement. The Blinders bring with them a youthful, vibrant collective of friends and believers. Musical maverick peers, fresh creators, performers and dreamers, outsiders and insiders, united in support of something new and very now. “a band that will make history, they have all the elements” (Northern Exposure) http://facebook.com/theblindersband | https://soundcloud.com/the-blinders http://twitter.com/theblindersband | https://instagram.com/theblinders/
Left to right (image courtesy of Trust A Fox Photography, Manchester, Spring 2017); The power of three; Matt Neale (drums/percussion/backing vocals), Thomas Haywood (guitar, vocals, word) and Charlie McGough (bass guitar) are The Blinders. A force for good, they attempt to be in your face at all times. Autumn/Winter 2017 Bio Having created their own sound, produced by Gavin Monaghan (Magic Garden Studios), and visualised by Sam Crowston (Nasty Man Creations) The Blinders explode, organically and theatrically, under radar in the vanguard of Britain’s rock music renaissance. They emit smelting loud, raw, visceral political punk rock with enigmatic, psychedelic poetry and diverse beats – a supernatural power takes them over on stage, forcing them to pour everything they’ve got into frenzied performances, leaving only blood-stained instruments behind. This vergingon-madness experience is shocking audiences out of austerity-inflicted apathy, some of them into instant near-obsession. 2014 In the North of England; long time (since school) friends moved from Doncaster to Manchester to study, to be house mates, and through 2015, to start becoming the band for our times. The live video of them performing ‘I Can’t Breathe Blues’ at their regular home town haunt, (a packed) Doncaster’s Social Bar, bears witness to the potential of The Blinders. 2016 The seeds of a fervent following had grown to visibility by January 2016: and, in May of that year, the ‘Hidden Horror Dance’ EP was self released to encouraging, highly impressed reactions.
Following a summer of key shows and landmark festival slots (as well as early BBC Introducing and John Kennedy [Radio X] support), they left their first London gig was a major booking agent (XRay Touring), and the (often stand-offish/over-hip) audience seeking superlatives. To the point that The Blinders found themselves a last minute addition to Music Venue Trust’s #FIGHTBACK event at Camden Roundhouse three weeks later. Debut single from The Blinders - ‘Swine’ - was self released (Rock Art Records) at the end of October. It got played by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1. It brought the band to more attention. The song is a weighty statement of intent. The video ends with the word REVOLT. 2017 In January, two sold out ‘Big In 2017 This Feeling’ events in Manchester “an I was there show if ever there was one” (Clash) and London set the tone for the band’s busiest year so far. Most of their packed first headline tour (February/March), sold out in advance. Radio presenter and early supporter, Chris Hawkins, played the tour’s merchandise 7” vinyl record “B-side”, ‘Ramona Flowers’, on his BBC 6 Music Radio show noting that "The Blinders are “a band about to explode”. They themselves describe the accompanying video of public introduction as “a pseudo-documentation of our recent This Feeling UK tour."
Manchester, February 2017 photographed by Duncan Stafford Hot ticket support slots followed, including shows/tours with Cabbage, The View, King Blues, The Shimmer Band, Idles and Membranes. The trio drove from pulling a (noisily appreciative), headlineset-worthy packed crowd in the afternoon at 2Q Festival in Derby, up to Sheffield to play the finale live stream set for Pirate Studios launch series. Like their lives depended on it.
A summer of festival appearances around the country, including being one of the first Jack Rocks 7 (new heritage bands, potential future headliners, hand picked by Jack Daniels UK to play four of the UK’s major festivals in association with This Feeling live music club). They were also invited to be part of The Charlatans all day take-over of Manchester’s Northern Quarter at the end of May. In Summer 2017, The Blinders and Strange Bones played landmark shows - London, Birmingham and Manchester - supporting Cabbage. Youth powered, packed out crowds went crazy for the energy and excitement of political punk, a year after Brexit. It was a key tour of the year that has sparked increased voltage into the UK’s emerging alternative and independent music industries.
Above, supporting Cabbage at Manchester Ritz, 1st July 2017 by Sam Crowston) On the Fourth Of July, the mother of Independence Day rock anthems and statements, ‘Brave New World’, was unleashed, accompanied with an acclaimed video by Nasty Man Creations; "The dystopian anthem of the Idiot King rises to the surface of the murk-filled-mire. Take the song for what it is; an ugly, brown portrayal of the modern day 'free world', and the inevitable 'helter skelter' we would face, so long as things continued this way." (The Blinders). The reactions’? Credible. Incredible. Played by all the previous radio stations, and many more independents, ‘Brave New World’ also picked up plays on Kerrang!, Radio and made Top Top 10 (twice) on the taste maker station, Amazing Radio, chart show where it was the longest release over September and October. "The Blinders are the hottest new band in the UK." (Louder Than War)
In Summer 2017, The Blinders had become a key name on the best bills, living up to their swelling word of mouth reputation for hard work (while studying) and unique live thrill. “Catch them live. One of the most exciting new bands around.� (Tim Burgess, The Charlatans, watching the show at his Tim Peaks stage, Festival No.6). This is no ordinary band. No hype necessary. By Autumn, The Blinders have been working on new material, have signed a partnership deal with ModernSkyUK, announced Winter shows as main support to The Charlatans and their first gig abroad. If their achievements so far are anything to go by, Ones To Watch for 2018 is an understatement. Bring on #TheBlinders2018
This is set to be a thing of beauty. Definitely recommended viewing for the disenfranchised youth and the young at heart, rock aficionado, alike.
Tour promotion designs by Sam Crowston/Nasty Man Creations. " Best band in the country right now. You'd be a fool to ignore them." (CABBAGE)
“Their confidence on stage is scary: no fear at all.”; Must-read report from the Healing Brexit Towns Experiment Tour Music x politics with CABBAGE, Queen Zee & The Sasstones "thrilling and confrontational..." "... a powerful and caustic political wake up call, allied to dislocated blues riffs and feral noise rush" (Team Rock) "The Blinders songs are anthemic and huge, as is their potential." (GigSlutz) “The voice of youth: raw, untutored, and telling it like it is" (Clash Music) Brave New World’ "shows just how close The Blinders are to taking the step up from a band with potential - to bloody massive." (Little Indie Blogs Track Of The Day) "I think it would be fair to say that there aren’t many more exciting bands to be coming from these shores than The Blinders." (Emerging North) "Britain’s most 'switched on' emerging rock band." (God Is In The TV) "It's only a matter of time before they take over the world." (Foxes Magazine) "One of the definitive musical moments of the weekend" (GigSlutz at Isle Of Wight Festival) "one of the best live bands around right now, fact." (Indie Underground) "few superlatives remain to bestow upon The Blinders. In any case, we will give it a crack. Tumultuous, anthemic, and just downright dirty, the trio’s vociferous live outings are simply eruptive." (The Pentatonic - 'Brave New World') “Part furious indignation and part erudite resistance." (GigWise) "This is what youth should be, shaking electrified in a pool of sweat, rage and hope." (Sonic Shocks) “one of the most exciting bands we've seen in years” (Music News) “A lesson in Grade A carnage” (Get Into This) "They are the new face of protest songs, they are the new face of change." (The Girls At The Rock Show – USA) “It probably won't be long before you won't be able to get away from seeing their name plastered everywhere.” (Little Indie Blogs) "Potentially one of the most important bands you will see all weekend." (Clash Magazine, festival preview) "The band are on the brink of total, unassailable stardom (to say the least)” “This is the second coming." (Optica Music - Top 10 Festival Bands of 2017)
Images this/last page by Autumn 2017; read the most in depth - band and members interviews – to date, by Kitmonsters http://kitmonsters.com/bands/b/the-blinders
https://facebook.com/theblindersband http://blinders.bigcartel.com/ https://twitter.com/theblindersband The Blinders on Spotify https://instagram.com/theblinders/ The Blinders mailing list
Management Paul ‘Fass’ Fassam/Tim Abbot Bookings: Jamie Wade at X-Ray Touring