Gig Review: Blossoms at Leeds O2 Academy

Poppi Andelin on 9 November 2024

Blossoms are back, this time bringing fresh sounds from their latest album Gary (2024), to venues across the UK and Ireland. For Leeds fans, the 5-man band played the O2 Academy on Friday, October 18th, filling the venue with their  signature blend of indie-pop and retro rock.  

Over the past 11 years, the Stockport-based musicians have crafted a unique  sound, taking inspiration from psychedelic 80s pop with an indie edge. Their catchy hits highlight their unique live instrumentation with band members like Myles Kellock’s keyboard flair and Tom Ogden’s iconic vocals creating a sound that’s unmistakably their own. Blossoms never fail to bring retro glam. True to form, they came to the stage in flared trousers and fitted shirts- a style that wholly sums up  their distinctive characters. Such attributes make them a fresh and unique band,  radiating nothing but energy and an uplifting atmosphere throughout the entirety of  their performance.  

After a 10 second countdown, frontman, Tom Ogden, kicked off the gig with his pot like taps, setting the beat for the opener, ‘Your Girlfriend.’ It’s a track that undeniably gets the crowd moving, and with this being only the second show of the tour, the  audience, with two-pinters in hands, were certainly in high spirits. 

With the tour celebrating the new album, and song, Gary (2024) a humorous moment in the show came from an anecdote told by Tom, who described the meaning behind it. One thing about Blossoms is that their tunes come from the  mind of a lyrical genius, and if they can create a banger from what Ogden described  as an 8 foot fibreglass gorilla named Gary that was stolen from a garden centre in Scotland, then I’m sure they can write a song about pretty much anything. The 8 foot gorilla unfortunately did not pay a visit to Leeds’ O2 Academy.  

The band did an astounding job at performing their new songs, whilst pleasing loyal fans with some old classics; taking us right back through their first 4 albums,  including their debut, Blossoms (2016). Some of those included, ‘Getaway’, ‘The Keeper’, ‘Honey Sweet,’ ‘Oh No (I think I’m in Love)’ and ‘At Most a Kiss.’ One pivotal moment included the band playing a few lines of ‘You’re Gorgeous’, whilst  seamlessly edging into the beginning lyrics of Oasis’ ‘Half the World Away’ right before the encore. Could this be a nod to Blossoms being a potential support act of the 2025 Oasis reunion tour? This wouldn’t be too much of a surprise after a major Oasis announcement was teased at the end of their Manchester gig in August. 

Two of the band’s biggest hits brought the show to a spirited close. During ‘There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’, the crowd took lead on vocals before  the song fully kicked in. Swiftly after came ‘Charlemagne’, taking fans right back to the early days and giving the night a perfectly rounded finish. 

Blossoms are undoubtedly, in my opinion, among the best live acts on the British  music scene at the moment; constantly bringing unbelievable energy to their gigs time and time again. They will continue their tour in sold-out cities including  Norwich, Cardiff, and Dublin, before wrapping up with five nights on home turf in Manchester.  

Words by Poppi Andelin

Miles Kane, supported by Brooke Combe, takes the O2 Academy Leeds by storm

Phoebe Hedlam on 5 June 2022

Miles Kane’s first support, Tom A. Smith, kicked things off with some classic indie rock; his charisma drew the crowd in and set things up nicely for Edinburgh singer-songwriter, Brooke Combe who followed. It was clear that Combe understood Kane’s crowd as she got them suitably warmed up with her cover of Arctic Monkey’s ‘Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High’. Her warm vocals leant itself perfectly to the indie classic and got the crowd firmly on her side as she made her way through her singles, ‘A-Game’ and ‘Impress You’. The catchy bass on Combe’s final track, ‘Are You With Me?’, got the crowd fist-pumping and raring to go for Kane’s performance. I am sure I won’t be the only one in the audience who will be keeping an eye out for what Combe brings out next. 

With his infectious energy, incredible band, and hit after hit, Miles Kane bought the house down on Sunday night at the O2 Academy. 

Miles Kane started as he meant to go on as he opened with the riotous ‘Don’t Let It Get You Down’ from his latest album that is difficult to resist screaming along to at the top of your lungs. What followed was a mixture of hits, old and new, that left plenty of room for Kane to show off his showmanship. Kane made it clear why he has been in the game for over a decade as he treated the crowd to plenty of guitar solos as well as a special guest: Leeds-born Corinne Bailey Rae joined him on stage to sing their single, ‘Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough’. Scattered amongst his solo hits was a couple of The Last Shadow Puppet favourites, ‘Aviation’ and ‘Standing Next To Me’, that fit in nicely with the Motown influences of his latest album Change the Show. Kane was supported by an incredible band that matched his energy and stage presence as they helped him to rile up the crowd and get them on his side. A particular highlight was when Kane gave the stage to his sax-player and backing singer during ‘Never Get Tired of Dancing’ which showed the band off to their full capacity as they ensured that no one was too tired to have a boogie on a Sunday night. Another fantastic moment was Kane’s rendition of The Beatle’s classic ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ – a true celebration of the music of the North. 

In short, Miles Kane is an artist who knows exactly what his crowd wants and isn’t afraid to give it to them: something to sing along so loud to, or stamp their feet so hard to, that they may just forget that Monday is just around the corner. 

“We’re Alt-J and we’re from Leeds”: Alt-J stun O2 Academy Leeds with triumphant homecoming show

Benjamin Forrest on 30 May 2022

Once upon a time, all the way back in 2007, a group of friends formed a band within the student halls of the University of Leeds. 15 years, 4 studio albums, 4 Brit Award nominations, and a Mercury Prize later, Alt-J made a triumphant return to their spiritual home of Leeds on the third date of their UK tour. The tour followed the release of their fourth studio album, The Dream, in February which reached number 3 in the UK album charts. 

Their set at the O2 Academy Leeds a good mix of songs from the latest album – the reactions to which were excellent, given how well received The Dream was, both commercially and critically – as well as a fantastic array of fan favourites and other notable tunes from the Alt-J discography. As is to be expected, the best crowd reactions came with songs like ‘In Cold Blood’, ‘Every Other Freckle’ and the all-killer-no-filler encore of ‘Left Hand Free’ followed by ‘Hard Drive Gold’ and, of course, ‘Breezeblocks’. A personal highlight was the inclusion of ‘The Gospel of John Hurt’ from 2014’s This Is All Yours, though truthfully I could not fault any aspect of the setlist. Even the tracks from their latest album which could have been difficult to do justice to in a live setting worked incredibly well, and the crowd seemed appreciative to witness the band’s wonderfully unique brand of folktronica in a live setting – especially given that it had been 4 years since Alt-J had visited Leeds.

The atmosphere at Alt-J was incredibly friendly and joyous, and Alt-J did their best to preserve that feeling – even stopping halfway through ‘3WW’ to check that somebody in the crowd was okay. It came across very well that Alt-J were actively enjoying their performance; whether this was due to the fact it was a homecoming show, or just that it was early on in the tour and they weren’t knackered yet is unclear but either way, their positive on-stage energy translated into the atmosphere of the crowd. The atmosphere was further heightened by the incredible on-stage visuals and light-show which accompanied the performance: the mood and character of each track was captured very well by the visuals which backlit the trio. 

Alt-J are currently touring mainland Europe, with festival dates in Prague, Berlin and Rome set for the Summer months, before setting off on an Australian tour in September. Hopefully, though, the trio will return home soon enough to put on another fantastic show in Leeds. 

Sleeper’s Louise Wener talks ‘The It Girl’ ahead of the 25th Anniversary Tour

Benjamin Forrest on 21 April 2022

Formed in London in 1992, Sleeper quickly became one of the biggest British bands of the nineties – with eight top 40 singles in the UK and three top 10 albums across the decade. After reforming in 2017, the group are now set to tour their 1996 platinum-selling album The It Girl, including a date at the O2 Academy here in Leeds on the 22nd of April. Ahead of the tour, I spoke to songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Louise Wener to get more of an insight into the history of the group and their current tour.

The tour is primarily to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the groups most successful album The It Girl, the follow-up to the incredibly successful debut Smart. Louise described how The It Girl differed to their debut, saying, “We’d had success with Smart and we loved that, but I think we felt like this the one that was really gonna break us through to a different level”. The album certainly did break the band through to the mainstream, achieving four Top 20 singles in ‘Statuesque’, ‘Sale of the Century’, ‘Nice Guy Eddie’ and ‘What Do I Do Now?’. The band, though, were seemingly unaware of the extent of their success at the time; Louise recalled, “We were very much living in the moment in those days, but it was great! When you get asked to go on Top of the Pops and stuff like that, that’s when your parents go ‘my kids doing something proper’, but even when you’re in the middle of it you’re always looking over your shoulder to see what everyone else is doing – it was a very hypercompetitive environment”. 

It is easy to see why that would have been the case, the mid-90s is viewed as a sort of golden age in British rock and indie music – with incredible bands like Pulp, Elastica, Oasis, Blur and Suede rising to prominence (among countless others). Asked about what that period in musical history was like to be a part of, Louise explained, “You have a much broader sense of that retrospectively but what was present was that feeling of…it felt very celebratory, like it was an explosion of guitar music and indie music – there was a feeling that anything could happen at that point – it was very joyful, I suppose”. Many music historians cite the rise of British guitar music, or what has been divisively referred to as ‘Britpop’, as a reaction to the grunge scene of the early 90s.  “The demographic had shifted, people getting played on the radio that hadn’t previously”, Louise said of the rise in indie bands at the time, “Radio 1, specifically, opened up to guitar music. It’s the same with all movements, it’s just something that grows and catches and divides and becomes something”. 

Due to the fact that Sleeper had supported Blur on their Parklife tour, as well as the fact they were making predominantly guitar music in the mid-90s, Sleeper have always been tagged with the Britpop label. The term ‘Britpop’ has divided opinions, with bands like Suede being quick to distance themselves from the term, “I couldn’t give a shit about it, it’s just something some journalist came up with”, said Louise of the ‘Britpop’ label, “I don’t know if like new romantic bands get asked the same question – how does it feel being new romantic? or how did it feel being grunge? It seems so specific to Britpop, it’s very strange to me. I don’t think any of us really care”. 

One of the singles from The It Girl, ‘Statuesque’, in addition to a cover of Blondie’s ‘Atomic’ featured on the soundtrack to the iconic film Trainspotting (1996). The soundtrack is often hailed as a gold standard for indie film soundtracks – featuring the likes of Lou Reed, New Order, Iggy Pop, Pulp and, of course, Sleeper. According to Louise, though, it didn’t feel like such a momentous occasion at the time: “It was just a bit of fun and then obviously became this sort of cultural moment, I guess”. The film undoubtedly brough more attention to the band, and the track ‘Statuesque’ peaked at number 17 in the UK singles chart in 1996.

Now, 26 years later, Sleeper are back performing tracks from The It Girl to audiences across the country, “They take on a new life and a different kind of meaning because of the intervening years – the interval has made it something different so that’s what makes it feel wonderful to play them again”, explained Louise. 

Sleeper are set to perform at the O2 Academy in Leeds on the 22nd April, tickets are available for purchase here.

Groove Armada: Dance music legends bring super style to their twilight voyage

Alex Gibbon on 8 April 2022

The babysitters have been booked, the Friday morning sick calls have been fully rehearsed, the hangover remedies have been pre-emptively laid out on kitchen islands. O2 Academy Leeds is packed with old-school ravers raring to go like it’s the last night of their lives. And why not? After all, this is likely the final chance they have to see Groove Armada perform a fully live show.

To celebrate a hugely successful 25 years since their debut, the dance legends are going out with a bang with a farewell tour. The duo, consisting of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, defined the sound of the dancefloor for a generation alongside the likes of Basement Jaxx, Moloko and The Chemical Brothers. Throughout their genre-defying 8 album discography, they infuse floor fillers with flavours of trip-hop, funk and jungle to create music that is as at home in a sweaty house party basement as it is on a sun-soaked Ibiza beach. As sad it is to see them go, the crowd can’t wait to watch them leave.

As expected, the night’s setlist has its focus on the fan favourites rather than deeper cuts. With hits like ‘Look Me in the Eye Sister’, ‘My Friend’, and ‘Song 4 Mutya’ smartly starting proceedings, the room is invigorated from the offset.

M.A.D. and Groove Armada

Three singers share the responsibility of vocals, switching out individually for each song. Saint Saviour, complete with a tartan kilt and pigtails like a rave-ready Pippi Longstocking, covers the stomping house tracks while throwing her body into theatrically poised shapes. Veba punches iron-lunged power into the duo’s soulful electronica. M.A.D. acts as the hypeman, MCing over breakbeats and bringing the vigorous energy of an after-hours party. Each vocalist excels in their own style and highlights the impressive breadth of Groove Armada’s sound. This variety is also what propels the show forward, sometimes in unexpected ways. M.A.D. filling the shoes of Gramma Funk on irresistible Big Beat anthem ‘I See You Baby’ was a particular delight.

After a night of bleeping synths and pumping four-to-the-floor beats, the call of a trombone signals the encore with the opening riffs of downtempo house anthem ‘At The River’. By the time the intro of show closer ‘Superstylin’ rolls around, the crowd are practically rabid.

This swansong may have been a no-frills affair but, by relying on the strength of their crowd-pleasing catalogue, Groove Armada were able to deliver a lively and consistent send-off. This armada may be on its twilight voyage, but this is how you dock for the last time in super style.

Neck Deep: A Headliner Elect

Rishi Shah on 20 February 2022

This would prove to be their self-proclaimed ‘best ever Leeds show’, yet something tells me that will certainly be topped when they take to Slam Dunk Festival.

Heirs to the Throne: DMA’S wrap up mammoth UK run in Leeds

GryphonEditorAdm on 21 November 2021

‘Never Before’ (if you’ll excuse the pun) has a band from the other side of the world slotted in so perfectly into the indie scene of the North of England. DMA’S – the honorary Northerners, who actually hail from Australia – finally brought their seminal third album The Glow to our shores with a colossal UK tour that climaxed with two sold-out nights at O2 Academy Leeds.

The reports from Manchester and London’s Alexandra Palace were outstanding. Tales of the best shows of their lives, and of frontman Tommy O’Dell’s voice levelling up to unprecedented heights, were proved incredibly accurate as the band stacked the first part of the set with new material. Matt Mason’s lead tone roared through ‘Dawning’ after the crowd was sent into pandemonium during ‘The Glow’, a mighty release of pent up emotion after such a long wait to hear the track live.

Two offerings from their surprise EP I Love You Unconditionally, Sure Am Going To Miss You came in the form of the epic, nostalgic ‘We Are Midnight’ and the sombre ‘Junk Truck Head Fuck’. In a genre where so many fade into mediocrity, the songwriting ability of these three talents has risen to new heights on each occasion, with their sound a distinct but direct evolution of their dearly loved earlier work.

‘Delete’ and ‘Silver’, as expected, saw the crowd take control with perhaps the loudest sing-along the Academy has seen in recent history, yet it was ‘Hello Girlfriend’ that stole the night. Sounding absolutely gigantic in the flesh, the pounding drums and driving rhythm makes one wonder why the glorious track was not released as a single.

Which brings us to the inevitable climax of ‘Play It Out’ and ‘Feels Like 37’, two tracks that epitomise why DMA’S are such an unbelievable live band. Mason’s enormous tone transforms the room into a stadium, and the magnificent instrumentals of these two tracks, in particular, solidify just why DMA’S will soon be filling arenas and stadiums all over the UK, inheriting the void left by the megastars of the North who came before.