Blossoms @ The Old Fire Station

Blossoms brought their signature indie-pop glorious goodness to a sold-out show at the Old Fire Station in Bournemouth for their last show of their 2016 tour. With support from the Nottingham born singer-songwriter Georgie and indie sweethearts Inheaven, the show had been sold out for months and excitement was flowing around the venue.

First on to the stage was the aforementioned Georgie, bringing her trademark witticisms and collection of gorgeous guitars it was an incredibly strong opening. She instantly warmed the cold winter night with her soulful voice and solid guitar playing as the crowds slowly began to build. Playing through a medley of her incredibly well written songs it became apparent that she is certainly someone to watch throughout 2017.

Playing through her solid debut single Company of Thieves was something special and it could easily remain one for her set list for a long time. One of the most notable elements about Georgie was her ability to convey her emotions through her singing and performance and she did a great job to get the crowd ready for the night’s performances.

Inheaven followed Georgie, bundling on to the stage with their signature swagger and fancy clothes everyone knew it was going to be an energetic performance. There was an instant change of mood as they ripped through guitar riffs with a twist of pop melodies and shouted lyric. With their own headline tour announced for 2017 Inheaven had clearly been perfecting their stage presence as they owned it.

Clambering around the small stage whilst still playing and starting pits with their first few songs they really set the tone for the night. One of the best (or worst depending on what type of person you are) things about small venues is how tight and compact they get.

Sweaty bodies dancing next to each other it’s hard not to get wrapped up in it and Inheaven worked with it, playing through a collection of their best music that most of the crowd seemed to know and chant religiously back at the band as the music echoed around The Old Fire Station.

Treats and Baby’s Alright really got everyone going and by the time Inheaven’s set came to a close it felt like they had been the main performers of the night. Undoubtedly one of the best support acts I’ve seen both in terms of the music and the atmosphere.

As the lights faded and smoke poured through the machines the punters had begun to get restless. There was very little space to move in the sold out venue and people appeared to still be pouring in despite the lack of space.

However, as Blossoms took to the stage and the inevitable surge of people pushing for the front they ripped into At Most A Kiss. Despite only having one album (and a deluxe version) the Blossoms fans are some of the most dedicated and committed shouting back every lyric and having the best time doing it. The songs flowed seamlessly into one another and Blossoms had everyone hooked anticipating every chord, lyric and solo. Again, the solid stage presence was a highlight with the lead singer Tom Ogden (lead vocals) taking breaks in-between songs to thank and celebrate his other band members and giving quips and jokes in breaks.

The announcement of more B Sides because of it being the last night of the tour went down incredibly well and the fans participation didn’t dwindle. The impressive light show was blinding, matching the mood of the songs with a blue hue over more serious and emotional songs like Cut Me And I’ll Bleed and Smashed Pianos but a blindly bright celebratory white over more energetic songs like Charlemagne and Blow.

Thankfully they performed their medley of My Favourite Room (personally my favourite song) mashed with Babybird’s You’re Gorgeous, a yuletide treat of Wham’s Last Christmas and topped off with the Oasis classic Half Way Around The World – a Christmas song in its own respect thanks (or not thanks) to John Lewis and unsurprisingly everyone went wild belting out every word.

Despite the occasional technical problem with the electrical equipment Blossoms put everything into their set even if it was the last show of the tour. Not only was it a solid selection of music, the performance and stage domination by the band was phenomenal encouraging everyone to dance and jump around and just lose themselves in the music. And everyone did.

As cliché as it is, 2017 can only propel Blossoms further and further into success with their shows already selling quickly and their gig at the legendary Castlefield Bowl. The small and intimate venue was the perfect place to see Blossoms but they will undoubtedly easily transfer the energy and entertainment to places ten times the size. Ultimately, fans know what they will get with Blossoms– fantastic music with a hint of unpredictability and an incredible gig.