Bastille at Bush Hall

Bastille are an epic band, that’s a given. The use of keyboards, the opulence of the drums and the dramatic choruses sung by all members of the band give to their music that feeling of melancholia that fascinates teenagers. At Bush Hall the band offers their last show of 2013 in front of a small audience, proving their skill and devotion to the fans.

If it’s true that cameras on smartphones are terribly annoying during gigs, it’s also true that it is not possible to ban them, so Bastille seized the opportunity by letting the audience download an application for the live show. This app allowed them to use smartphones as strobe lights. Better than nothing.

Opening with the notes from Angelo Badalamenti’s Laura’s Theme – a clear reference to Bastille’s 7” Laura Palmer – the band get onstage and begin with Fake Blood, followed by Things We Lost In the Fire and Overjoyed. The set goes ahead with The Silence where the band show their 80s influences (with a good post-punk rhythm section) and with the light electronics of Weight of Living Pt. II. For the finale, frontman Dan Smith jumps off the stage and sings among the audience, unfortunately crushing a glass with his feet, which caused him to sing the last two encore songs – a cover of Corona’s Of the Night and pop anthem Pompeii – limping.

The energy of the band is undeniable, and so is their freshness onstage, but all the songs tend to be quite similar, because of their epic attitude and samey use of drums and choruses. Hopefully for the next record the band will measure these elements with more care.

Lorenzo Cibrario
Photos: Adam Bennett

For further information and future events visit Bastille’s website here.

Watch the video for Of the Night here: