Marking the first show of their UK tour leg, the crowd-pleasing set list comprised songs from all five of their albums, a third of which were unsurprisingly from their latest, ‘Gary’, released just under a month ago. Highlights from the album were ‘I Like Your Look’ and ‘Big Star’. For the latter, charismatic frontman Tom Ogden fondly remembered his encounter with the man who inspired the song. Ogden’s stage presence was outstanding, from his eclectic outfit, dancing around the stage, to the perfect amount of crowd interaction without it feeling like a comedy show rather than a gig.
Blossoms undeniably present a more mature sound, both lyrically and with their production, with the release of ‘Gary’, almost transitioning from the indie rock genre to indie pop. Yet they still managed to engage their youthful side in nostalgic songs like ‘Honey Sweet’ and ‘Getaway’, which soundtracked much of the crowds’ teenage years. The band managed to make a room filled with 2,500 people from different backgrounds feel intimate. Despite our differences, we all had one thing in common: our love for these songs.
Support act Red Rum Club set the night off with a bang, and were a great choice of support, almost reminiscent of Blossoms in their earlier years.
Highlights ranged from the opening countdown to ‘Your Girlfriend’, the crowd singing along to ballad ‘I Can’t Stand it' (my personal favourite), and of course, the encore.
Leaving the stage after ‘At Most a Kiss’ from their debut, the band was replaced by Gary, an eight-foot tall (limited to six feet for this tour) fibreglass gorilla which was a replica of Gary the Gorilla who was stolen from Lanarkshire Garden Centre last year. As the gorilla took centre stage, the crowd began to chant his name as the band returned perform the title track from their latest album. This was followed by ‘My Favourite Room’, a slower and more emotional track which transitioned to Oasis’ ‘Half the World Away.’ This again added to the sense of nostalgia and togetherness of the audience. Who can complain about an Oasis sing-along?
Closing with ‘There’s a Reason Why…’ and ‘Charlemagne’, the gig came to the perfect close with the crowd moshing, jumping onto each other’s shoulders, and screaming the lyrics at the top of their voices. It’s always a mark of a great gig when you wake up unable to speak the next day. The encore had all the right ingredients for the end of a concert; a new song, a slower ballad, fan favourites, and a gorilla; and these ingredients were mixed to perfection by the band.
I, for one, can’t wait to see what Blossoms will bring to their next return to Newcastle.
Blossoms' 'Gary' tour comes to Manchester at the end of this month.
