Liam Gallagher Malta Weekender (Saturday)

Liam Gallagher Malta Weekender (Saturday)
Ta’ Qali Park Nazzjonali, Malta
21st September 2024

Blossoms headlining the first night of the Liam Gallagher Malta Weekender in the heady surroundings of Ta’ Qali Park Nazzjonali in Malta, proved to be a match made in indie-pop heaven.

I won’t lie – there was a little temptation to stay amongst the beautiful surroundings of Malta’s Riveria Bay on Saturday. However, I don’t look good in speedos and had a Liam Gallagher Weekender to shoot, which made sacking off the beach an easy decision, with Blossoms topping the Saturday bill. 

The sun was in full on heatwave mode upon arrival at the Ta’ Qali Park Nazzjonali, so I was regretting wearing all black but that comes with the territory of holding a camera. The venue was a little quirky in character and smaller than I imagined it to be. However, I was very pleased to see the stage was set perfectly at the bottom of an angled slope (great views all round then). Being modest in size, it also had the added benefit of a rare opportunity to be much closer to the acts. So being a little elf myself, this immediately secured a big win in my book for the event.

First up onstage, wearing a kick-ass Bart Simpson shirt (I need to find out where she got it from) was Leicester-raised artist SOFY. Straight away. she playfully addressed those sitting down in the crowd “Come on get up, it’s a Saturday!”. A few made it to their feet out of the fragmented numbers here for her; I can only guess the vast majority were still passed out in their hotel rooms after hitting it too hard the night before at Cafe Del Mar. It was their loss though as she bounced through a fun filled set, full of infectious energy, delivering a performance that felt like a perfect cocktail of indie grit with a fizzy pop aftertaste.

Going into new single Mine, which gets its release next month, she, with equal parts swagger and mischief, told the crowd “It’s okay if you guys haven’t heard of us, you will after this”. SOFY is armed with a razor sharp ability to flip from biting sarcasm to soul baring vulnerability, and it’s the kind of performance she is now well known for that has kept me hooked. She finished the set off with Socks and then (this writer’s favourite track) Supermarket, resulting in loud cheers from a now much larger collective than she’d started with.

The Mary Wallopers were up next. If you thought traditional Irish folk was all fiddles and polite clapping, The Mary Wallopers proved you gloriously wrong this past weekend in Malta. The Dundalk hellraisers stormed the stage like they’d wandered off a pirate ship, ready to turn the Maltese coastline into their own rollicking pub. With their trademark mix of whisky-fuelled banter and madcap charm, they had the crowd eating out of their hands. Or maybe just swigging along with them.

Frontman Charles Hendy told the ever-growing audience, “If you want to go mad then this is a good one’’, before launching into a raucous rendition of Cod Liver Oil And The Orange Juice. If it wasn’t obvious before, then it was now that this certainly was not your granny’s folk gig. The Wallopers threw themselves into each song with wild abandon, their harmonies as tight as their collective sense of chaos – a chaos I really enjoyed. Sweaty, shambolic, and utterly irresistible. 

It was certainly a tough act to follow, but The View were up for it, igniting the open-air venue like a shot of whisky on what was a very warm Mediterranean night. Falconer’s raspy vocals were as gloriously unpolished as ever, with the band hammering through their set as if they’d been let loose on the holiday of a lifetime. Kicking off with Grace, then into Wasted Little DJ’s and Underneath The Lights, The View’s tight, ragged energy was contagious, and despite the rough edges, they had the crowd wrapped around their fingers throughout.

Speaking of the travelling faithful, it was at this point I noticed that there were now a lot more of last nights revellers in the venue (well done you lot, you finally made it), and Scottish flags being held up high with pride for their fellow countrymen. Kyle and co then stormed through fan favourite Superstar Tradesmen before closing the set with Shock Horror. It wasn’t polished, it wasn’t perfect, but The View don’t do perfect, they do wild – and for a serene island, it was a much welcomed change of pace. 

The K’s then rolled in and delivered a storm of northern grit that rattled the palm trees. Fresh off the plane from Earlestown, these indie upstarts hit the stage like a gang of mates who’ve just found the best pub in town and decided to make it their own. They kicked off with Icarus, followed by Chancer, then Heart On My Sleeve. The K’s had the crowd bouncing like it was a Saturday night on the Manchester club circuit.

Frontman Jamie Boyle was a whirlwind of swagger and sweat, ripping through their setlist with the kind of bravado that only comes from a band who’ve cut their teeth in sweaty clubs up and down the UK. But putting in real hard work and grafting is something these lads aren’t afraid of. I found myself endeared to them even more after Jamie opened up to the crowd, talking about the struggles and doubts of making it and thinking maybe it’s not going to happen for them.

Yet here they were, playing at Liam Gallagher’s Weekender in Malta, with a top 3 album in the UK charts. Being in Malta was clearly a special moment for the band, and I was grateful, along with everyone else, we got to share it with them. Smashing through Throw It All away before finishing off their set with Hometown and Sarajevo, they exited the stage to chants from the crowd of “The K’s, The K’s, The K’s are on fire”. Really well played gentlemen, as it’s impossible not to agree with them.

The Lathums then brought their Wigan charm to the Weekender with frontman Alex Moore leading the charge. The indie darlings turned the night into a proper singalong session, full of soaring anthems and heartfelt moments, which had the crowd swaying, shouting, and everything in between. Moore’s voice, rich with that unmistakable northern warmth, floated effortlessly over the crowd, while Scott Concepcion’s melodic guitar lines gave the set a shimmering, almost cinematic feel, whilst looking cool doing it.

Tracks like How Beautiful Life Can Be turned the venue into a sea of waving arms and grins as wide as the horizon. But don’t let their wholesome, feel-good tunes fool you, as these boys brought the fire too. When they launched into latest single Fight On, the crowd went from laid-back to full throttle in seconds; it was indie singalong heaven, with Moore delivering every lyric with passion, while guitarist Concepcion ripped through riffs that shimmered under the island’s night sky.

There was just time for Alex to give his best wishes to Malta on their Independence Day, followed by Artificial Screens, before we got one last euphoric frenzy with Sad Face Baby. It was billed as a night where island paradise met northern soul – I think it’s now safe to say The Lathums are as much at home in the sun as they are in Wigan’s rain-soaked streets.

So Blossoms in Malta? Sounds like a match made in indie-pop heaven, and Stockport’s smoothest five piece proved it. Under the still very warm Mediterranean night sky, the band delivered a performance as slick as their well-coiffed hair, effortlessly mixing sun-soaked vibes with their signature synth-laden sound they’re known for. Opening with Your Girlfriend, Blossoms wasted no time turning the evening into an all-out dance party. Frontman Tom Ogden, in his signature vintage threads, commanded the stage. He has the kind of understated charisma that makes you wish you were half as effortlessly cool. His vocals floated over the crowd like a warm breeze, while the band around him shimmered with their glossy mix of jangly guitars and polished synths.

Tracks like I Can’t Stand It’ and Oh No (I Think Im In Love) had the crowd singing along with infectious energy, while Ogden’s cheeky stage presence added an extra layer of charm. We’re later treated to a beautiful acapella intro to Care For, and Joe Donovan on drums gave us a superb jam outro to If You Think This Is Real Life. Blossoms know how to tug at the heartstrings too, and their rendition of My Favourite Room had the whole place swaying, with Ogden leading a nostalgic singalong, including little snippets from Babybird’s You’re Gorgeous and Oasis classic, Half The World Away. Malta may never have felt so romantic under the starry sky.

Closing with my favourite track, Charlemagne, the band left the crowd on a high, hands in the air and feet barely touching the ground. Blossoms brought their silky, danceable indie pop to the Ta’ Qali Park Nazzjonali, turning the island into their own Mediterranean discotheque for the night. Slick, stylish, and impossible not to love, Blossoms in Malta ended the Saturday of the Liam Gallagher Weekender a sun-soaked triumph.

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All photos and words by Adam Williams. You can find Adam on Instagram and Twitter.