Blossoms at Stockport County

No sooner had I landed from the States than I was preparing for my next jaunt - to Stockport. Just time to empty suitcase, put on the washing and get a night's sleep before heading up on the train to my friends in Cheshire. They promptly fed me lunch and then drove me to Stockport for a gig which was more akin to a music festival. It was the hometown gig for Blossoms, playing at Stockport County football ground, Edgeley Park, with a series of local support acts starting mid afternoon. As I got there early I settled into a place on the front barrier.

First up were another Stockport band that I had heard of as being rated - Fuzzy Suns. And they were not at all bad, although by the same token not so good that I would hunt them out.

 

Next up were a three-piece local band The Blinders. As befitted their billing they were just a bit more distinctive then the previous band.

 Third band on the bill were Cabbage who I had seen before. They are perhaps best described as post punk. Punk music updated for chavs rather than punks. Lots of angry attitude, but without the need to spit. 

 Somewhat unusually they have co-lead vocalists

 

 

Main support came from the Coral, by far the most experienced of the bands on show. Have seen them before a few times. They are a Liverpool rather than Greater Manchester band with several albums to their name, including Magic & Medicine which is amongst my favourite records.

Anyway, that was an enjoyable set. Unfortunately what I didn't enjoy was the crowd. Having been at the front all day I wasn't about to abandon it, despite ending up surrounded by a group of extremely loud and pissed youngsters. I don't entirely get the bit where you can only enjoy an act by pointing at them, but if so it is probably best not done while holding a whole bottle of cheap rose wine. So there I was when this stupid girl kept thrusting her bottle over my shoulders. But the worst part wasn't that, but the need to sing along at the top of their exceedingly bad voices. Not exactly sure why you come out to listen to a band and then try to drown them out with your own caterwauling.


Apart from that, Blossoms were superb. Now with two albums behind them they have enough songs to properly headline a festival. And they threw in some cover versions too, notably Bowie's Let's Dance and a bit of the intro from New Order's Blue Monday. Finishing of course with Charlemagne.

Tom Ogden is developing into an engaging lead singer, albeit with awful dress sense!