What a wonderful venue Brighton Dome is and who better to grace it than Stockport's Blossoms? The five-piece, who have had an epic few years, ventured down South for their biggest Brighton headline show to date, as part of the VO5 NME Awards Tour. 

17-year-old pop prodigy, Rory Wynne is first on stage and boasts a great deal of potential. The young musician is rising swiftly through the ranks but is yet to grasp the knack of handling large crowds; something that will come with time.

Next up is Cabbage - the less said about them, the better. It's easy to see why they appeal to a particular audience but to the rest they are as bland as their namesake. 

A signature sing-along worthy pre-show playlist was aired and the crowd loved every second of it. Featuring the likes of Oasis, The Smiths and New Order, Blossoms really know how to get a crowd warmed up. 

Half an hour later and Blossoms walk on to Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead'. It's a fitting tune as its level of success will someday match that which Blossoms will reap in themselves. 

Frontman, Tom Ogden struts on stage, reminiscent of a Humbug-era Alex Turner. It's not just the voice, it's his whole image - tonight Ogden is clothed in a billowing white shirt, skinny trousers and allows his dark locks to flow. 

Armed with tunes that could pack a venue thrice the size, Stockport's finest plough into the hits with 'At Most A Kiss' and 'Texia' coming thick and fast. 

The group's debut record certainly holds up live too. 'Getaway' and 'Honey Sweet' evoke massive choruses, which the rowdy crowd chant straight back at them. 

Lesser known hits 'Across The Moor' and 'Fourteen' sound like long-time fan favourites, which goes to show how well received Blossoms are - even on such numbers.

As talkative between numbers as ever, Ogden reels off a fact about Abba winning the Eurovision Song Contest at the Dome in 1974 with 'Waterloo' and even sampling one of their hits earlier on in the night. The five-piece are effortlessly charming and it's one of their greatest draws.

Set staple, 'My Favourite Room' is a breathtaking spectacle. The solo acoustic number, performed by a lone Tom Ogden, sees the rest of the band take a break. 

The Blossoms frontman takes the opportunity to include a medley of Oasis' 'Half The World Away' and Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' before the rest of his band mates join him back on stage for a four song encore. 

'Cut Me And I'll Bleed' roars into new life whilst 'Polka Dot Bones' sounds as euphoric as ever. 

After a much-loved rendition of 'Deep Grass', it's time for 'Charlemagne' which sees the band soar to new heights and signals the end of the show. 

Blossoms are a thrilling live prospect time and time again. As the crowd departs, everyone leaves the venue a little bit more in awe of Blossoms than ever before. 

Words Lauren Wade

@laurenlily__

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It didn't quite live up to 2013's standards, but 2016 has been a stellar year for album releases. We've seen musical giants release eagerly-anticipated (and sometimes completely unexpected) records, new artists break onto the scene and a few curveball released thrown into the mix. 2017 is set to follow the trend and dish out a whole new bunch of tasty releases too. 

Once again, in no particular order, we've narrowed it down to our top five favourite album releases of 2016. Hopefully you'll find one of your favourite records of the year here or you might even discover something that's passed you by in recent months. Either way - enjoy the list!

Warpaint - Heads Up

This album came as a huge shock to fans when it was released at the end of September. The aftermath of their 2014 self-titled album saw the four-piece drift apart and pursue various individual projects, making it appear unlikely for them to head back into the studio and record another album together. 

However, the initial cut from the album 'New Song' cast new light on the group. Arguably their most triumphant work to date, the album is informed by hip-hop and R&B and sees the fiery females channelling moody downtempo rock. 

Where the LA quartet go from here is unclear. They have a huge run of tour dates booked in for 2017 but to out-do their third studio release would be an almighty task. We reckon they'll give it a go anyway. 

Bon Iver - 22, A Million

What a year it's been for third albums! Justin Vernon (the man behind Bon Iver) broke his five-year silence and dropped 22, A Million and we fell in love with it precisely a million times over. 

Playing the album in its entirety in Vernon's hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin was a bold move, albeit one he pulled off in true Bon Iver style. This album is his most experimental work to date and the different path he's taken truly paid off with the likes of slow beauties '33 God' and '8 (Circle). 

The record documents the struggle of identity whilst ensuring people learn that you don't have to fully 'get' a piece of music to take pleasure from it - and there's a lot of pleasure to be found here. 

Blossoms - Blossoms

Stockport's finest five-piece pulled out all of the stops for their debut album in August. Numerous outlets have tapped them as the UK's most exciting new act and there's plenty of conviction to back those claims up.

The track-listing of Blossoms' self-titled debut reads like a 'best of...' album, when really it's their first full-length EP. Tracks like the effortlessly catchy 'Texia' and the 80s indebted 'Honey Sweet' stand out as album highlights, whilst old fan favourites 'At Most A Kiss' and 'Blown Rose' have been added to the mix too. 

Blossoms' first release is jam-packed with radio-friendly hits, electrifying synths and guitar hooks that grab you by the neck. It will be a tricky one to follow up when they get round to writing that all-important second album, but if anyone can do it it's Blossoms. 

Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow

They kept us in the dark for the last couple of years but everyone's favourite Irish trio, Two Door Cinema Club stepped up and delivered when it really mattered. Their third studio album 'Gameshow' saw them pick up where they left off with previous albums 'Tourist History' and 'Beacon'. 

After premiering the lead single 'Are We Ready (Wreck)' on Radio 1 in June, the band made their public announcement that they were back and ready to conquer the charts all over again. 

Tracks from the record, such as 'Bad Decisions' and 'Fever' are fast-paced and flashy. The upbeat disposition we find the three-piece in is the closest they have ever drifted to the dance genre. It works for them too. 

Two Door Cinema Club's reinvigorated sound is pleasing and will, no doubt, go down a storm during the live UK shows next year. 'Gameshow' is an album for the die-hard, casual and recently acquired fan of Two Door Cinema Club. 

The Courteeners - Mapping The Rendezvous

"No one will ever replace us" sings The Courteeners' frontman Liam Fray on the memorable album track of the same name. The Mancunians' fifth studio album is a swaggering call to arms that is likely to see chaos ensue at festivals next summer. 

Garage-psych opener 'Lucifer's Dreams' marks a different direction for the band, whilst 'De La Selle' finds Fray coming over all Morrissey-esque on us. The Courteeners have one of the best fan bases of any band in Britain, yet they still remain relentlessly on the edge of the mainstream. 

Maybe one day they'll crack it - it would be hard for them not to when they're already selling out the 25,000 capacity Heaton Park and are due to play the 50,000 capacity Old Trafford cricket ground next May. Whatever happens, 'The 17th' will sound breathtakingly fantastic when crowds sing it back to them at the end of shows. 

Words Lauren Wade

@laurenlily__

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BLOSSOMS are making serious waves across the UK and it appears their unstoppable rise is heading for the stratosphere. The Stockport five-piece have released an undeniably gorgeous new track titled 'Getaway' that showcases rich and luxurious lyrical dexterity. 

The cut features lyrics such as "I'm over you, get under me" paired alongside the soft hum of reverb drenched guitars. It's one that excited immediately and is bound to be a sure hit; it'll have you hitting repeat instantly. 

The band have been drip feeding us new material for quite some time but they caught us all off guard with 'Getaway' and what a surprise it was. Frontman, Tom Ogden is on vocal duties again and it's those ever so familiar vocals that we've all come to love that soothes listeners. 

'Getaway' is cut from the same cloth as previous tracks 'At Most A Kiss' and 'Charlemagne' and subtly hints at that eagerly awaited debut album we're all longing for. Blossoms are quite simply our cup of tea and this latest effort certifies their place in the current musical landscape.

Words Lauren Wade

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The line-up for 2016's NME Awards Tour Shows have just been announced and bands such as Suede, Swim Deep and Mystery Jets are among the acts. 

The gigs will take place in February 2016 across various London venues and will also feature headline sets from artists such as Blossoms, The Strypes and Boots. 

Young rockers, The Strypes will kickstart proceedings with a gig at The Garage on February 1, followed by indie newbies Vant who will perform at The Lexington the night after.

NME's current 'Godlike Genius' recipients, Suede will play a headline show at the O2 Forum on February 12. The band's critically-acclaimed 'Night Thoughts' will be performed live in full, which will be followed up with another set in which the group will perform classics, fan favourites and rarities for the audience. 

Another notable gig that you should make sure to catch is Mystery Jets who will be marking their live return by exclusively performing material from their new album 'Curve Of The Earth' at the Electric Brixton on February 16. 

More live shows are to be announced shortly. 

Tickets for the shows are now on sale here.

The NME Awards Shows 2016 in partnership with Austin, Texas are as follows:

The Strypes, The Garage (February 1)

VANT, The Lexington (February 2)

Boots, XOYO, (February 4)

Together Pangea, Moth Club (February 5)

Kid Wave, Oslo (February 7)

Crows, The Black Heart (February 10)

Pretty Vicious, Dingwalls (February 11)

Suede, The Forum (February 12)

Declan McKenna, Barfly (February 15)

Spring King, 100 Club (February 16)

Mystery Jets, Electric Brixton (February 16)

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Electric Ballroom (February 18)

Swim Deep, Tuffnel Park Dome (February 24)

Public Access TV, Birthdays (February 25)

Blossoms, Scala (February 25)

Voting has also begun for the NME Awards 2016 with Austin, Texas. You can vote now for your favourite artist to win a variety of categories. Simply, head to www.nme.com/awardsvote 

The line-up for the NME Awards Tour 2016 has also been announced. Bloc Party, Drenge, Rat Boy and Bugzy Malone will tour the UK in February 2016 and tickets are now on sale here. 

Words Lauren Wade

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