Blossoms - Deaf Institute, Manchester, 1/11/2014

  by Harry Sherriff

published: 13 / 11 / 2014

intro

Harry Sherriff finds much to admire in the much touted Blossoms' sold-out show at the Deaf Institute in Manchester, but one wonders if they are rising too rapidly and quickly

To my ears, Stockport band Blossoms sound reminiscent of the Beatles, the Coral and the Doors, but does that amount to anything new? I first saw Blossoms supporting the Courteeners a few months back, and they were very impressive. The four-piece donned matching outfits that made them look like they had a stylist, which to be fair to them is a good move for a young band aspiring towards a deal. As a support act, they obviously played less songs and now seeing them twice I know they have an amazing 4-5 track EP in their back pocket. I imagine it’s an amazing time to be in this band. The hard work definitely starts now, but having just finished a UK tour they’re going about it the right way to spread the word. The sold out headline gig at the Deaf Institute was an ambitious step up, and for the most part the band showed they can put on a tidy show. Being from Stockport, the gig had an heir of friends and family about it, but, irrespective of that, they are developing a following quickly. T-shirts at the merch stand were nice to see, but it seems too soon to see them in the crowd. A little bit of ‘try hard’ crept into the set now and then; maybe a few too many shapes thrown by frontman Tom Ogden and an encore that started with each musician walking on to the stage and playing a few bars before all four kicked into the final song. To me, this is a little self-indulgent and frankly a bit Pontins holiday especially coupled with the matching attire, but ‘Blow’ and ‘You Pulled A Gun On Me’ are strong tunes. With support slots with the Charlatans and again the Courteeners approaching, hype will definitely rev up and deservedly so. They're infectious, enthusiastic musicians that clearly have great influences; Ogden’s vocals on 'My Favourite Room' has definite echoes of Richard Ashcroft, but you are left wanting that little bit extra when it comes to the lyrics: “When you were mine, you were so kind/But you went and changed your mind.” Even this, however, makes me feel pedantic because for such a new, young band, they’re brilliant. It’s almost impossible now for an unknown band to come out of nowhere with a strong debut album. So much touring and social media is involved. You’re getting constant updates whether you like it or not: “We’re in the studio!” “We play KOKO London tonight!” “Watch our new video HERE.” I fear that Blossoms will try and record an album in time for the festival season in 2015. I hope they don’t. They have a lot of potential, but they’re not there yet. Also a debut album has never been more important. It has to be something special or a band can quickly disappear. Those Facebook likes can stagnate. They’ve got great management, cool support slots on the horizon and they look the part but debut albums and headline gigs? These things take time. Photos by Marie Hazelwood www.mariehazelwood.tumblr.com

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