Inevitably our UK dates in March will not be going ahead. We are working on a plan to re-schedule them. All tickets will be honoured so please keep hold of them. pic.twitter.com/xwhrKLTBhM

— THE BLINDERS (@theblinders) January 18, 2021

When the band can get back on the road again, they will no doubt relish the overdue opportunity to perform songs from their second studio album, 2020’s Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath. That album – the follow-up to their powerful 2018 debut Columbia – also went through its share of disruption, with an initial May 2020 release date pushed back to July. It was worth the wait for fans and critics though, with the record enjoying near-universal acclaim.

Louder Than War hailed the LP as “an essential document and soundtrack for these quite frankly dystopian times”, whilst noting the group’s almost Manics-esque penchant for a slick literary reference with their neat nods to the work of Dylan Thomas, Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allen Poe. Elsewhere Gigwise voiced approval for the album’s flirtation with “an inspired, nuanced feeling that rattles the cages of realism.”

Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath spawned five sonically diverse singles; including the grunge-infused Mule Track, the fizzing post-punk number Forty Days and Forty Nights, and the brooding, Joy Division-esque Black Glass. A real highlight of the set was lead single Circle Song; a dulcet and reflective slice of pop-rock powered by a beautiful combination of melodic and stomping guitar sounds; akin to the classic rock feel of latter day Beatles tracks like Oh! Darling or Dear Prudence.

The Doncaster rock collective are renowned for their political edge; demonstrable both through the combative lyrics of earlier Blinders tracks like Brave New World and their dedication to active campaigning work: the band were participants in a For The Many tour raising funds for the Labour Party ahead of the 2019 General Election. However, in a recent interview with The Boar, bassist Charlie McGough suggested that the group had adopted a less polemical approach on Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath.

He said of the album “There’s a lot of tracks that reference political issues. But it is a more personal record, and global political anxieties feed into those individual anxieties, and exaggerate the feelings that we’re having in our own relationships. As opposed to tackling global issues head on, it’s more reflective of an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.”

When The Blinders next take to the stage they will do so without original drummer Matthew Neale, who departed the group after the release of the LP last summer. However, the band remain firm believers in the unique, bewitching of live performances: in a recent interview with Urbanista, they spoke movingly about how “the best shows make you feel like you’re the only person in the room.“

Hit The North 2020 will now take place on Sun 18 October.

We’ve worked very hard to keep the majority of our line up in tact including our headliner @dmasmusic. Plus @palewaves @Tim_Burgess and many more. Thanks to all the artists, their teams and most importantly you guys! pic.twitter.com/Ns5iyrsp4w

— Hit The North Festival (@hitthenorthfest) April 24, 2020

The one-day festival, which takes over venues across the city, will now take place on Sunday October 18 after being postponed due to coronavirus. In a statement festival organiser, Steve Davis, said: “In these difficult times for all of us, let alone the hospitality and events industry, I’m proud of our staff for managing to reschedule the vast majority of the line-up.

“I’m really excited for this year’s Hit The North Festival and once again, I thank you all for your support. It’s amazing to see all of the agents and artists support the event and hopefully we can all be together to celebrate defeating this terrible virus in October.”

As well as revealing that “almost all of the [festivals originally scheduled] line-up will remain intact”, organisers also revealed that they have added to that original line-up with the additions of Pale Waves and Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess.

The new additions will join an already stellar line-up that includes the likes of DMA’s, The Amazons, The Blinders, and Fickle Friends. The current additions make up for the loss of acts including Dream Wife and The Magic Gang, who are among those artists who no longer feature on the updated bill.