Credit: Paul Cartwright
Live
The Blinders
Manchester International Festival, Albert Square, Manchester
July 16 2019
Words: Izzy Butler
Pictures: As credits
Nothing better than a summer's night of free entertainment, and when it comes in the form of The Blinders, it is, well, just too blindingly good to miss.
The open-air concert, part of the Festival Square programme at Manchester International Festival curated by Dave Haslam, also brought out Witch Fever and Pagans SOH to warm up proceedings - as if they needed heating up anymore!
Credit: Paul Cartwright
The Blinders, accepted now as the city's own, drew massive support for their commanding, tight set. As they ripped through a powerful delivery of 11 songs, frontman Thomas Haywood dominates the stage as the three-man powerhouse roar through the opening 'Et Tu', 'Wither and 'The Writer', their barrage of ferocious psych-led guitars, and grinding basslines cutting through the Manchester air.
'I Can't Breathe Blues', which originally appeared on their 2016 EP 'Hidden Horror Dance', before, revamped, it graced last year's debut album 'Columbia', and their establishment jibe, the swaggering ‘L Etat Cest Moi’, see Charlie McGough’s bass riffs thunder around the stage, as also demonstrated on penultimate number ‘Brave New World’, their modern anthem for “doomed youth”, with its soaring chorus that saw a single release two years ago.
Credit: Xxx
The dark 'Brutus closes the set, effecting all the same strength as ever did throughout its seven minutes. The drums of Matt Neale and McGough again excel, as Haywood warns, uncompromisingly, "You know they're gonna slit our throats today /
If Brutus has his way". It's loud, punishing and takes no prisoners, much the same as The Blinders themselves.
If Brutus has his way". It's loud, punishing and takes no prisoners, much the same as The Blinders themselves.
Credit: Xxx
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