Thursday 11th June 2009 @ Start The Bus, Bristol

Unless you’re a former Bristolian who’s upped sticks and relocated across the Irish Sea, the chances are you might not have heard of The Blizzards yet. Make the most of that blissful state of ignorance folks because, judging by this showing, this lot aren’t going to stay below the radar for long. The indie-pop quintet, led by dashingly strapping frontman Niall Breslin, are blooming massive in their native Ireland. So gargantuan, in fact, that they’re supporting Oasis – along with The Prodigy and Kasabian – at their epic, 100,000-capacity gig at Slane Castle gig in Dublin on June 20.

They’re still working on superstardom in the UK though, which means we had the pleasure of catching them in the slightly more sedate surroundings of Start The Bus. It’s to The Blizzards credit then that they clearly approach these smaller shows exactly the same way they do the huge ones – with professionalism, charisma and a setlist packed full of great pop songs. From the outset I was struck by how tight they were as a band and just how polished and slick their live offering was. They leapt into action with tasty debut UK single Buy It Sell It, a flawlessly-crafted slice of guitar pop documenting the importance of true love, and didn’t look back.

Equal parts indie, pop and rock (with a cheeky hint of ska), The Blizzards kept the audience dancing all night, each expertly-delivered tune sounding bigger than the last, like a dozen potential singles instantly implanting themselves into your grey matter.

The ridiculously hummable and immediate Trust Me I’m A Doctor, in particular, sounded catchier than the common cold live and is surely destined for the radio airwaves this summer. In fact the only downside to the evening was that it came to a close too quickly. By the time the boys signed off with the excellent Fantasy – another absolute belter – the gig-goers before them were eating out of the palm of their hands, won over by the sheer infectiousness of it all.

www.theblizzards.ie

Barry Deradish