Our Friends in the North
I went to see Blossoms again recently (1st November 2024) a gig review can on that specific gig can be found here. https://www.beyond-the-grooves.co.uk/gig-reviews/their-kingdom-reigns
Whilst watching that gig, it got me thinking.
Blossoms have been a huge part in my life. I first heard "Charlemagne" on the radio in 2016 and since then I have seen them live more than any other band, I own all of their albums on, they are still a huge part of my listening habits and I have made some of the best memories watching their shows.
Since the first gig in 2017, at Birmingham's O2 Academy I have gone on to see the band 9 times. At some of their huge milestone moments, and even in their more smaller intimate moments.
What has kept us coming back?
The Shows:
Having seen the band 9 times, I have seen them in a whole host of different places, and on a whole host of different stages.
I have seen them play in Birmingham, Manchester, Stockport, Coventry, and Warrington. Playing in 1000 capacity academy venues, festivals, stadiums and arenas. No Blossoms show I have been to has been the same.
The first time in 2017 was at the same venue I saw them in recently, and it was a celebration of the debut album, with all of the b-sides. It was a very different Blossoms show to the shows we get today.
The band were still finding their feet, but even then the gig was a special one. It was the start of our gig journey really. Not only with Blossoms but in general. It set me and my friends up for the next few years.
A couple of years later, I saw them come home. Playing at the home of Stockport County, Edgeley Park. This is still my favourite Blossoms gig. A celebration of the band and the town they call home. Having been in Stockport all day for the concert, and being there with two friends from that town. That whole day felt like one big party.
It was such a short space of time that the band went from playing those small venues to this stadium gig. One of those really special moments. A real triumphant home coming.
It was the gig that they belong on these big stages.
An arena show in Manchester followed two years and one global pandemic later, with the band more confident than ever. Riding off the back of third album "Foolish Loving Spaces". After 18 months with no gigs Blossoms and a stellar support line up put on quite the show. The band lit up Manchester that night and again reinforced the fact they deserve to play big stages.
After a few festival headline slots including Neighborhood Weekender in 2022, the band continued to tour, mostly to academy venues, with some bigger venues chucked in. Before announcing their biggest gig in 2023.
Wythenshawe Park in summer 2024. 30,000 people in Manchester.
An epic homecoming show, that saw the band at the most confident I have ever seen them. With a look back to the journey they have been on and also a look to the future. Which looks brighter than ever.
No Blossoms show is ever the same. It has evolved and changed so much over the years. With the songs changing, the bands style changing, the stage presence and design changing. Blossoms have become better musicians and more confident performers. Embracing both the indie and pop sounds that have come to define their career.
The set lists change, songs come and go, but you will never leave disappointed.
The Band
Blossoms is made up of five members, five very different personalities. Five brilliant musicians.
As well as seeing them evolve as musicians throughout the albums and live shows. Through their social media presence and the Blossoms Pubcast we have been able to see these personalities evolve and grow.
Although each one of them is different. All four of them have remained extremely grounded and appreciative of what they have.
Tom is firmly the front man, and songwriter, and has grown into this role over the years embracing his musical idols on stage and ensuring that the band don't stand still with the music they make. Joe the drummer is the driving force behind the band in more ways than one, often working in tandem with Tom in interviews, and appearances a very funny man and a talented drummer. Charlie keeps things ticking, and he loves the band. The best examples of this can be seen in the Blossoms Back to Stockport documentary. Myles and Josh are the quieter members, but they are both very very funny whether on stage or away from the stage. Both hugely important members of the band.
Having this exposure to the band through watching them and with interviews and the pubcast. Allows fans like myself to see more than just the music. All five of them are extremely likable, they come across as nice people. Blossoms is genuinely five friends making music, having fun. Fans can relate to that they do not come across as stereotypical rock stars or even pop stars. They are musicians and friends.
Watching them play the other night in Birmingham, it was Joe's birthday and the crowd sung happy birthday and watched him blow out his candles. At Edgeley Park, Charlies grandad introduced them to the stage. It's playful its fun, and they have never lost that along the way. No matter the success.
The Music.
Blossoms are five albums in to their careers now. Each one has seen the band try something new. From the bands heavier debut with indie classics like "Blow" and "At Most a Kiss" but also more soulful pieces like 'Blown Rose' and 'My Favourite Room' and of course the brilliant indie masterpiece 'Charlemagne'.
With Cool Like You, the band fully embraced synthesizers, creating an album packed with potential hit singles. The track “I Can’t Stand It” bursts with bittersweet, melancholic pop, while the new-wave energy of “Lying Again” recalls Blondie’s infectious stomp. The title track, “Cool Like You,” feels straight out of the Hot Fuss era, channeling the songwriting style of early The Killers.
"Foolish Loving Spaces" is a pop masterpiece, with elements of disco and Talking Heads. It was an album that saw the band embrace all of the decades. The Stockport five-piece’s look at that time was straight from the ‘70s, with daring flares, silky shoulder-length and the odd porn-star ‘tache. They utilised the same party-vibes as ‘80s bands like Talking Heads. And their playful, often self-deprecating hijinks recreate the mischief of ‘90s Britpop and grunge.
This album for many is the bands best. With monumental singles "If You Think This Is Real Life", "The Keeper" and "Your Girlfriend" but also with a collection of brilliant album tracks. Oh No (I Think I’m in Love)’, as the band embrace disco grooves and ABBA-sized choruses, while the soaring ‘Falling For Someone’ is an ethereal, modern take on Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. It's Blossoms at their pop best.
"Ribbon Around the Bomb" saw the band embrace a new sound again, a more candid approach to song writing. With yet a new style and groove. Its a more mature sound, with sweeping acoustic guitars and reflective tales. A side to the band we hadn't seen before. Almost rewarding the listeners that have grown and matured with them.
A real coming of age release, with some of the bands most underrated songs from the uplifting "The Sulking Poet" to the Simon & Garfunkel meets The Smiths "Edith Machinist" and the soul stirring seven minute anthem "Visions". It's the bands most different and unique record a real jump away from what we are used to.
"Gary" the bands most recent album, is a combination of it all, with collaborations, indie anthems, tales of friendship, reflective tales, and a song about an 8ft Gorilla. It's a real fun record, that perfectly encapsulates Blossoms. It's the bands first record as independent artists and it's one of their best. "Perfect Me" is one of their greatest songs, "I Like Your Look" sees them embrace another new sound, verging on spoken word hip-hop, and "Gary" is already a live favourite.
Away from the albums, the band have released some brilliant singles "I've Seen the Future" perfectly bridges the gap between the first two albums. "This Moment" is a very underrated collaboration with Chase & Status.
Oh and the two Christmas songs released in 2020 are already festive classics. Blossoms have got exceptional music range.
Whenever new music comes round, fans are not disappointed.
So...
I guess all of these factors play a part as to why we keep coming back. Blossoms have a universal appeal. I love them, my friends love them, my mum likes them, my dad is now a fan, my little sister likes them.
Their gigs are communal gatherings where the indie kids, radio one listeners, football fans, and everyone in between gather to listen. Radio X, Absolute Radio love them but so do Radio One and even Radio Two. Blossoms do not have a specific demographic, they are for music fans, of all ages, all backgrounds, all genres.
They have become a huge part of our musical landscape, and a huge part of this website.
Blossoms are more than just a band for us lot.
Thank you for reading x
For:
Mum. Dad, Izzy, Sean, Meg, Archie and Dylan