I went to see Blossoms at Liverpool's Mountford Hall and it was a performance to remember

After a riveting performance of ‘Nightclub’, frontman Tom Ogden asked the endearing Liverpudlian audience “are we cooking?”, and with an emphatic roar from the crowd it is safe to say that they certainly delivered with interest.

Before I dive completely into Blossoms’ performance, how great were Keyside? Admittedly, prior to last night I had never heard of the Liverpudlian four-piece, but needless to say they have earned themselves a number of new fans with a terrific set that showcased their 80s inspired sound.

Last night marked the second time I had seen Blossoms, and after catching their opening set for Tom Grennan at Gunnersbury Park in August I was left in awe. Performing in front of an audience that was largely unfamiliar with their catalogue, the lads from Stockport needed to win over the crowd, and did so from the outset at Gunnersbury Park. By the end of the set everyone in the audience was bouncing around and voices singing to ‘There’s a Reason Why’ and ‘Charlemagne’ reverberated throughout the greenspace.

Winning over a crowd in that manner left me suitably impressed, and it is easy to see why and how they have built up a devoted army of fans throughout the years. That devoted faithful was treated to a masterclass and Blossoms showed that they just keep getting better.

The five-piece from Stockport have enjoyed a remarkable 2024 that has included their fourth UK no.1 album in ‘Gary’, their biggest ever headlining gig at Wythenshawe Park, performing at Gunnersbury Park ahead of Grennan’s set and an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. 2025 could be even bigger for Blossoms after the announcement that they will be opening for Stereophonics next summer.

With the crowd thoroughly warmed up after singalongs of ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, ‘Mr. Brightside’, ‘Not 19 Forever’, ‘Espresso’ and ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Blossoms were met with a roar from the crowd as they came onto the stage and belted out hits such as ‘Your Girlfriend’, ‘I Can’t Stand It’ and ‘Getaway’ with the crowd singing along every step of the way.

It’s hard to pick one song in the first part of that set that stood out. Watching the five-piece belt out ‘At Most A Kiss’ with the audience in unison was a moment to behold, the arrival of the fibreglass gorilla ‘Gary’ with police sirens filling the venue felt like a scene from a movie, ‘My Favourite Room’ with the outro of Oasis’ ‘Half The World Away’ was a fun moment, the band drumming together in ‘If You Think This Is A Real Life’ was a cool moment and seeing Myles Kellock jamming on the keytar for ‘Nightclub’ was a personal highlight for myself.

For me though, the biggest highlight from the evening has to be seeing around 3,000 people singing and bouncing around to ‘Charlemagne’ as Tom Ogden’s sharp and silky voice echoed throughout the venue. It was an unforgettable moment and one that I hope to experience again in the future.

With a deep catalogue, tracks such as ‘Cut Me and I’ll Bleed’, ‘Blow’, ‘Ribbon Around The Bomb’ and ‘To Do List’ were absent from the setlist, but I can have no complaints. Blossoms are the real deal and it’s safe to say that the sky's the limit for the lads from Stockport.