There’s unmistakably a huge amount of anticipation around the group of five from Stockport; Blossoms is the name on the tip of everybody’s tongue throughout Manchester, and arguably growing throughout the rest of the U.K too. Following a sold out show at the beautifully elegant Deaf Institute back at the start of November last year, the crowd are as equally excited as they were then, with a buzz in the air that is clear to everyone in the room.

Before the time arrives for the headline act however, the crowd are welcomed by the exuberantly vibrant Ratboy, whose upbeat melodies combined the well-balanced attitude and stance, create a perfect atmosphere in the room; inevitable comparisons with Jamie T in his early days quickly come to mind. The Circles then have a stab at wooing the Manchester crowd, with their romantically atmospheric riffs and beats, it’s a success for them also, a job well done for both support acts on the night.

The next thing the crowd know is that it’s only a few minutes till nine o’clock strikes, and every single member of the crowd is as eager as ever – the lights go dark, leaving only a red light descending over the stage. Before the anticipation can settle, the mysterious yet intriguing opening notes to ‘You Pulled A Gun On Me’ fill the not so empty air of the room. Heads begin swaying to the music from the off, and the lips and hips are moving in perfect synch with frontman Tom Ogden.  Following the opener comes tracks such as ‘Lava’ and B-side to the latest single from the band, ‘The Urge’, where the keys truly come alive, accompanied by the vocals, creating an almost eerie sense, but being one that pulls you in and leaves you with a lust deep down for more.

The set is only in its early stages and that lust in the stomachs of those in the audience is then fulfilled with the likes of ‘Scattered Rain’, which can be simply summed up with one word, which is “cool” – ‘Scattered Rain’ is just a cool song, and there’s no two ways about it. ‘Come Sunday’ and ‘Blown Rose’ also accompany, followed by ‘My Favourite Room’, a beautiful moment in the set where a sentimental atmosphere fills the room, ‘Favourite Room’ is a gem in the set, as it was a few months back at the Deaf Institute. It undoubtedly has the potential to become a hit for the band, and if they continue to produce songs of this quality and of the variety in which they are already doing so, exciting times lie ahead for the lads indeed.

As the set begins to approach its final third, the aura in the room undoubtedly holds some sort of resemblance towards the Humbug era of Arctic Monkeys, arguably Turner’s dark stage. Although that era is divided amongst the fans in terms of popularity, it appears that Blossoms adopt the keys aspects from it perfectly; it undoubtedly suits them, with every member on the stage oozing with style and charisma, and the crowd feeding off every bit of it.

The set then comes to its close with new single ‘Cut Me And I’ll Bleed’, as well as an exclusive performance of the humbling ‘Winter’s Kiss’ for the hometown crowd, before a final number in the form of the simply exquisite ‘Blow’, the song that put Blossoms on the map. Although the whole set was full of great songs, it must be said that ultimately the best was saved for last, leaving the room filled with satisfaction to every corner.

James Cummins.

@CummyBear