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
Photo credits: Lauren Wade
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