Blossoms at Brixton Academy

Blossoms’ gig, live at Brixton Academy via Melody VR, opens with the pale yellow glow of Christmas lights. There are lamps bordering the stage, and the word “love” adorns the keyboard. Soft strums on guitar welcome the first song, Blown Rose. The acoustic greeting is mellow, perfectly fitting the stage arrangement. The setlist is littered with love of all forms – sometimes childish and stubborn, others lonely and desperate.

A small section of the performance journeys through a cycle of seasons. There is summer in If You Think this is Real Life with its sassy backing vocals; the synth overrides the singing with its own chorus of sounds, adding depth and richness to the delivery of the lyrics. This is followed by the autumnal Honey Sweet, steadily building from the electric guitar and keyboard. Finally, the band arrives at winter with Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose). It’s sweet, merry and uplifting, filled with the jangle of percussion, the well-crafted lyrics a highlight, exploring the coincidence of falling in love during the festive season.

The set peaks with Your Girlfriend: lead singer Tom Ogden dances to the electric guitar and his movements echo the free-spirit of careless and selfish romance. Also a high point, Getaway is heavy with the shower of instruments colliding, from the loud synths to the constant presence of the acoustic guitar to the rhythmic guide of the drums. It’s heavily reflective of the oscillation of conflicting feelings and desires depicted by the lyrics. It’s Going to be a Cold Winter is a vibrant shot of espresso in the middle of a hectic day.

The night ends with At Most a Kiss and Charlemagne. The former exhibits shaky vocals, masked by the variety of accompaniment happening at the same time. It’s about a love that’s too much fun, too young to be taken seriously. Closer Charlemagne retains the same thread of modern disco and edgy rock, a dark but extremely upbeat finale. It’s wholly immersive, with a flood of blue light that fades back into the simplicity of the set. No flashing lights or multicolour splashes, just the warm yellow glow and an empty stage as the band wave their final goodbye.

Mae Trumata
Photo: Courtesy of Melody VR

For further information and future events visit Blossoms’s website here.

Watch the video for the single here: