Fashion seems to be a big part of The Last Shadow Puppets act as Miles Kane and Alex Turner always show up in the most smart brightly coloured silk outfits when possible. This was true for this Thursdays show in the Olympia, Dublin. Blossoms however keep things cool and simple with their stage attire. They choose dark colours usually black with some white thrown in to contrast which adds to their appeal.
Blossoms opened their set to the eager crowd all muttering what they think Alex or Miles will do, where they will stand what tracks they will play ect. Blossoms begin with ‘At Most A Kiss’ a synth infused indie rock track. With it’s strong bass, slick guitars and rapid punchy drums it’s a fantastic start to their set. Blossoms are a band that you absolutely have to see live to really appreciate their talent as we see from this instrumentally energetic track. They give you a full bursting sound that you don’t here in the recordings. They follow with their new single ‘Getaway’ which as we hoped in our review of this track earlier this year was amazing live, once again they gave us a new more voluminous sound and dimension to this smooth indie pop track giving it a edge and bite. Blossoms fly straight into ‘Across The Moor’ as the crowd enjoy it’s sleek seductive style with bouncy funky beats and flirtatious bass. It’s irresistible keyboard melody has everyone bouncing and swaying. They slow things down with ‘My Favourite Room’ before they blast into ‘Blown Rose’ followed by the crowd favourite ‘Charlemagne’, with very little speech between tracks. Blossoms let their music do the talking, while their cool, calm persona radiates and gives them that attractive feature that draws the crowd in and makes them listen attentively. They conclude their set with the dynamic ‘Blow’ this song is full of swagger with enticing psychedelic guitars and strong alluring bass. This song performed live commands your body to dance and leaves the crowd wanting more. An excellent warm up and a strong act for The Last Shadow Puppets to follow.
The Last Shadow Puppets strut onto the stage Alex in a smart blue suit that only he can pull off and Miles in a golden yellow silk shirt that glows and shimmers with every movement. They begin with the melodic ‘Miracle Aligner’ as their adoring fans serenade them with their own lyrics. Turner struts about the stage with a 50s/ 60s style of stage performance. We see a fresh more playful side to Turner as he interacts with the crowd and his partner in crime Miles Kane. They perform some beloved songs from their first album which obviously are a big hit with the crowd as they watch Kane and Turner perform in a theatrical manner full of hip thrusts and guitar poses. Both are pros at performing and command the stage and captivate their audience as they perform. Nothing can put them off their stride not a lead coming out of a guitar while playing or a mic falling off its stand while Turner is singing. Turner simply carries on with or without them. The show is full of dynamic playful energy. They surprise us with ‘Is This What You Wanted’ a Leonard Cohen cover in which Turner sings the verse while Kane’s strong vocals take on the chorus. They return for an encore of ‘Meeting Place’ ,’The Dream Synopsis’ and of course ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ The Beatles cover which gives the crowd an explosive ending as we are presented with a full heavy instrumental end of pounding drums screeching guitars and insane synth sounds. It’s definitely a show I’m glad we didn’t miss as it was a refreshing change to see such a fun light hearted show that was bursting with fantastic music from the much loved duo.