Blossoms / The Lottery Winners / The Guest List - Manchester Apollo - 23rd November 2024

Blossoms concluded their five-night stand of Manchester venues they'd headlined previously in their career with a final sold-out show at the Apollo, scene of their four-night residency in 2022. A captivated Saturday night audience dance and sung along to a mix of their greatest hits and tracks from their most recent number one album Gary. Support came from The Lottery Winners and The Guest List.

This is the biggest gig of The Guest List's fledging career as a band. Hotly-tipped around town, they don't seem overwhelmed by the size of the venue and the crowd in front of them that heads back past the sound desk by the time they're a couple of songs into their well-received set. Whilst they're not yet the finished article, lacking a little in stage craft and movement, as the headliners did for the first year or two of their existence, they have the most important thing at the start of a band's journey - the songs. Loose Tongue and 161 in particular demonstrate particular promise, but the ultimate barometer of their success - the crowd reaction was extremely positive, far more so than for some of the more established or big surname acts that have supported earlier in the week.

The Lottery Winners are no stranger to this stage having headlined it themselves back in January. Fronted by the enigma that is Thom Rylance, who starts by introducing himself as a Poundland Elton John or Rag And Bone Man's Dad rather than the cool Tom from Blossoms, they deliver a half-hour set that's high on entertainment. Whether that be Thom's between song chat and impromptu launch into Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars that leave his band mates a- and bemused in equal measure or the genuine quality of the songwriting of the six songs they play. With three albums under their belt and another on its way in the New Year, they've got a wealth to choose from but the likes of Worry, Start Again, Much Better and the finale of Burning House are good choices as an introduction to those who don't know them and a mini selection of crowd favourites for those who do.

It's Blossoms night though, their final gig of a year where they've reestablished themselves as the country's finest purveyors of indie pop. While their last album Ribbon Around The Bomb charted at number one,  there was a sense they'd hit a plateau commercially. This year's number one album Gary has ripped the roof off again though with seemingly effortlessly brilliant songwriting on the likes of the title track, Perfect Me, Night Club and the ridiculously camp I Like Your Look as well as their biggest headline show to date in Wythenshawe Park and sold out signs across the country on their recent tour. On the back of that tour they've breezed through five consecutive nights in five venues they played on their ascent to the arenas - Academy 1, The Ritz, Albert Hall, Victoria Warehouse and Apollo.

Their stage show is impressively choreographed with little subtle points of attention to detail like Tom's phone call at the start of Night Club referencing legendary club 42s and them refusing entry to groups of five from Stockport, the lighting changes at the start of Big Star triggered by Tom clicking his fingers, to the walk Josh, Tom and Charlie do to the outro of What Can I Say (After I'm Sorry) or the minstrel walking eight-piece band for Night Club as they strut the stage with handheld instruments. It has meant the one disappointment of these five nights has been the lack of variety in the setlists - just one song being alternated each night with tonight's deep cut being Cut Me And I'll Bleed (other nights Texia, Blown Rose, Blow, Love Talk). However at the level they're now at their job is to entertain everyone with the best version of themselves so they play it safer, confident that the room's energy and the relentless stream of big songs they possess will carry the day - which of course it more than does. 

That doesn't mean though that Blossoms are just playing out an act. There's a real sense of joy emanating from the stage, little moments between them like when Joe leaves the drums to tie up a lace on Tom's leather trousers, when Myles returns late for the first encore song My Favourite Room and the playfulness of the band intros at the end of Gary before launching into one final singalong to the earworm hook line of this year's hit with the most improbable subject matter, a stolen eight foot fibre-glass gorilla who plays a cameo for his song. 

They're past now the unnecessary guest appearances from those Apollo shows in 2022 - as 2024 closes they're not needed if indeed they were back then. The show is all about them as they continue to make their claim to be the pre-eminent (Greater) Manchester band of their generation. Not the generation of those who sneer at them and ignore their apprenticeship in the grassroots venues, but the generation of the teenagers and twenty-somethings, who supposedly don't go to gigs by guitar bands any more, who flock in their thousands to see them who appreciate their ability to craft songs that borrow from influences from the sixties through to the present day to create infectious, exciting and memorable indie pop that leaves people beaming from ear to ear as they bellow out each song word perfect. 

Blossoms played Your Girlfriend, Perfect Me, I Can't Stand It, Getaway, Oh No (I Think I'm in Love), What Can I Say After I'm Sorry?, The Keeper, Nightclub, Mothers, Care For, Honey Sweet, My Swimming Brain, Blown Rose, Big Star, I Like Your Look, At Most A Kiss, If You Think This Is Real Life, My Favourite Room, There's A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls), Charlemagne and Gary.

Blossoms' official website can be found here and they are on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Lottery Winners' website can be found here and they are on Facebook and Twitter.

The Guest List are on Facebook and Instagram. 

________________________________

Follow Even The Stars on Twitter at @eventhestarsuk and like our Facebook page for all the latest updates