Stockport’s finest Blossoms play faultless set in front of intimate and passionate Manchester crowd

On a cold, February Saturday night in Manchester, a few hundred music fans stood patiently outside Club Academy. The university venue was after all welcoming one of Greater Manchester and the UK’s more refreshing bands to its intimate club venue, through a unique event hosted by NME and Ladbrokes. 

The queue had a good vibe, with more than a few grabbing drinks as they waited. The Ladbrokes Live team did their best to get everyone fired up, with attempts to get the queue cheering and taking part in a Mexican wave adding something different to the waiting experience.

We started not too far from the front, and a cheer went up as doors opened. Blossoms were to take over the Club Academy room, down in the basement of the Manchester Academy venue. As fans filed in, a DJ set from presenter and journalist Sunta Templeton kept everyone more than entertained.

For just over 90 minutes, the crowd was warmed up with a series of classic indie rock tunes. Oasis, The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys and even a sprinkling of Rick Astley had us all belting out tunes - it was then that the lights dipped and the main event emerged from the shadows. 

Blossoms' 15-track set was a stunning collection, handpicked from their vast and varied back catalogue. They treated the room to their new single ‘To Do List (After the Break-up)' at the top of their set, and it flowed smoothly from there. Frontman Tom Ogden was in his element, and at several times during the show he leant the microphone to the crowd to sing a few lines. 

A personal favourite is ‘Care For’, and I only had to wait until the second song for this to be delivered. The tune has shot to the top for Blossoms as one of their most-loved songs, and with everyone fully in the mood, it was well received by a crowd loving every second of it. 

The set was interjected with anecdotes from Ogden including how each member of the band had played the venue with different groups, with the singer himself performing on the very same stage back in 2010. Another fun moment was when he asked where the crowd had seen Blossoms before, Kendal Calling in Cumbria and a gig over in Hull were two shouted back from within the crowd. 

Blossoms steadied the ship and led the crowd through with a great set of songs. One bonus for the select few packed into the underground venue was ‘You Pulled A Gun On Me’, its first live appearance in almost six years. 

The tunes kept on coming thick and fast, with a performance that reminded us all why Blossoms are still very much a band that put on a top show, no matter what the occasion. The dancing went on all night, and a rendition of ‘There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)', signalled the band turning onto the final stretch. 

In an event that we hope becomes a more regular feature, Blossoms nailed their NME Club night gig. Their cool and flashy performances have put them on the music map, and nights like this are a way of showing that they can get any crowd, in any venue, right in their palm of their hands. 

Blossoms set list at Club Academy Manchester

• To Do List
• Care For
• I Can't Stand It
• At Most a Kiss
• Getaway
• Honey Sweet
• Blow
• You Pulled a Gun on Me
• Oh No (I Think I'm In Love)
• Love Talk
• Real Life
• Swimming Brain
• Your Girlfriend
• There's a Reason Why
• Charlemagne