Blossoms @ Gorilla, 7 Aug

“It’s better than watching Sunday afternoon shit on the TV.” Blossoms frontman, Tom Odgen has got a point – matinée shows trump Come Dine With Me, especially when you’re catching a band on the assent. The Stockport guitar-synth outfit are rounding off a week which saw the release of their self-titled debut album and a special, midnight gig in their hometown. 

Given their recent Viola Beach tribute, Blossoms are still very much grounded and supportive of their fellow DIY brethren; sharing the bill with Ten Tonnes and the breezy pop-outfit Dantevilles. Playing Manchester’s Gorilla at teatime makes for an altogether more casual affair, with clunky stage changes as keyboards are brought out for Ogden's solo rendition of Onto Her Bed, but make no mistake: the musicianship possessed by these five lads is something to behold. 

Bassist Charlie Salt channels funk influences into his inventive and playful basslines, while guitarist Josh Dewhurt’s tasteful flourishes and unison bends bring songs like set closer Charlagmane to life. As a group, Blossoms display a genre-hopping flexibility which allows them to indulge 80s guilty pleasures as well as channeling their Britpop heroes. 

Undoubtedly the band wears its influences on its sleeve, featuring medleys from Oasis and pumping the crowd up with Arctic Monkeys tunes before the gig. This reverence for the old guard has proved popular among fans, but the real excitement in Blossoms is what they can achieve once they begin to hone their own sound and explore less linear musical avenues.