Blossoms had the crowd firmly in their control
(Picture: Handout / Ewan Ogden)Blossoms have been making their mark on the music scene since their 2016 self-titled debut album, which reached No. 1 on the album charts and secured Mercury Prize and Brit Award nominations.
Since then, the five-strong Stockport group has released three further albums placing them firmly at the centre of the UK’s inde rock scene, and they made their own bit of history by headlining a trial festival in Sefton Park last year, which became the first without social distancing since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
As a result they have built a loyal following and from the start of the 21-song set at the O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday night, the band hit fever pitch with their classics At Most A Kiss and Honey Sweet.
Frontman Tom Ogden was on form throughout, banging out the classics and teasing the crowd with his storytelling and short, snippet covers of classic songs, including an unexpected version of Oasis’s Half The World Away to a roar of appreciation.
There were surprises galore throughout the night – within the first 15 minutes or so the band brought out former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm for a rendition of Spice Up Your Life that went down so well with the crowd, it had grown men spilling their pints as they got their shimmy on.
Fans were also treated to an unreleased track midway through the set, the only point at which fans stood fairly still, since they didn’t know the song, and wanted to hear it. It was received with typical enthusiasm.
Still, unsurprisingly, it was hits like How Long Will This Last?, Blown Rose and Your Girlfriend, that set excitement levels rocketing. Your Girlfriend provided the biggest thrill, with the searing guitar intro met with screams from fans, many of whom grabbed and sang along with people they’d never met.
One of the gig’s most special moments came with a rendition of Wham’s Last Christmas – which ended up being sung largely by the bellowing crowd, at which point the band actually stopped performing and let the crowd take over. Ogden was visibly astounded and clearly moved, telling the crowd “thank you”.
There were two other unexpected appearances. Miles Kane came out to close proceedings with fan-favourite track Charlemagne; earlier in the night, the band brought out none other than Rick Astley to sing a medley of The Smiths’ songs This Charming Man and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – playing to a sea of smartphone cameras.
This felt like a new standard for their shows, and proved that Blossoms are blossoming nicely. Maybe the next step will be a graduation to arenas. Until then, they might just have put on the show of their lives.
