Blossoms completed the most successful year of their career to date with a show at Diecast in Manchester sponsored by Spotify and Budweiser. Playing an hour set that spanned their four albums they delighted a crowd of hardcore fans and Instagram wannabes.
Free beer, free food, free gig. What's not to like? Well if you're wondering where Spotify is putting the money it's not giving fairly to artists, tonight's event is a good place to start. Set in Diecast, a converted industrial unit just inside the ring road where Piccadilly becomes Ancoats, the impressive new space has been converted into a glowing advert for two brands that split opinion. The logos are ubiquitous, lit screens and poster walls encourage those so inclined to pout and pose for pictures to share on social media whilst enjoying the free bar and food. It's clear though that Spotify could have spent this money, tens of thousands we'd estimate, giving back to the artists on whose back they've made their money off. Budweiser, and as non-drinkers now the zero was our tipple, still sits just above Becks in the relegation zone of beers you'd drink by choice.
Good Neighbours open up the night just after nine after an interminable wait and two hours of DJ sets. With over 330 million streams of their debut single Home that was released in January this year, playing grassroots venues like King Tut's in Glasgow, Bodega in Nottingham and Joiners in Southampton as they did on their recent tour isn't what you'd expect from a band that has garnered so many listens. It's the dichotomy of the music business though, driven by algorithms and knowing the right people. Musically it's anodyne, cut and paste background music, heavy on backing track and plenty of vocals that aren't words, the soundtrack to a fifteen minute city if such a concept exists. It's not bad per se, just completely lacking in anything that would make me want to hear it ever again or remember who it was when it gets piped over a supermarket PA. They'll probably be headlining stadiums in a couple of years and this will look very stupid.
Blossoms are the complete anthesis. On the back of a glorious sold out UK tour including five nights in venues around Manchester they're on a roll and with just over an hour to play they deliver a greatest hits set that has the crowd bouncing from the off. Without Colette Williams on percussion and keys tonight, it's a slightly rawer sound and the band seem relaxed, Tom Ogden often ad-libbing mid-song and letting the crowd take over the choruses as they bounce around, wave shirts in the air and surprising launch far less beer in the air than at a normal show.
They start with Your Girlfriend and by the time they finish with an extended version of the title track from this year's number one album Gary, they've signed off 2024 with a reminder of just how many classic songs they have in their repertoire, each with their own personality but stamped with the seal of the five-piece who've risen from the grassroots venues a stone's throw from here to the biggest stages of the city.
From At Most A Kiss, Getaway and Charlemagne off their self-titled debut, through Cool Like You's of I Can't Stand It and There's A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls), Foolish Loving Spaces' If You Think This Is Real Life, Oh No (I Think I'm In Love With You) and Your Girlfriend and Ribbon Around The Bomb's Care For they've got an imposing back catalogue now that sets them up as festival headliners and arena fillers. Gary though has taken them up to that level. Tom has become an assured confident front man who's not afraid to show vulnerability, whilst the band are even more tighter knit than ever.
They have a confidence in the new songs, even against the aforementioned big hitters, that mean the set leans heavily on Gary. Perfect Me, Nightclub, What Can I Say After I'm Sorry, Big Star and the infectious, camp and playfully brilliant I Like Your Look are received as well as anything. The title track has usurped Charlemagne from its throne at the end of the set such is the impact it has had.
For an hour Blossoms turn a sterile corporate environment into a room full of joy and love and a reminder of just how many great songs they have and continue to write. 2024 has seen them step up to the throne that's been waiting for them patiently for most of the past decade and take their rightful place at the top of the British indie-pop pile
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?, Nightclub, Care For, Honey Sweet, Big Star, I Like Your Look, At Most A Kiss, If You Think This Is Real Life, There's A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls), Charlemagne and Gary.
Follow Even The Stars on Twitter at @eventhestarsuk and like our Facebook page for all the latest updates
No comments:
Post a Comment