Bastille

I had waited for so long to see Bastille, and I had thought I had missed my chance after they sold out their show last fall. Fortunately, Songkick answered my prayers, notifying me that Bastille didn't forget about me, and they were coming back to Chicago in the spring. I finally got to see them at The Riviera Theater, and it was so worth the long wait. Ever since the release of their Overjoyed EP, I wanted to hear Dan Smith's voice and also see how the band produced their amazing music live. They did not fail to impress, and the show was better than I'd imagined it was going to be. The show started with a bang as they played "Bad Blood," getting the crowd hyped up. From start to finish, Dan really impressed us all with his ability to control his voice while jumping up and down and moving around on the stage. It's crazy how good his voice was; he sounded exactly like their audio recordings. He would sing and interact with the crowd, and for some songs he would play the drums or the keyboard. What was really cool about Bastille was that the other band members all moved around the stage as well to play different instruments during different songs. For "Overjoyed," they moved to a corner of the stage and played a version of the song with keyboards and electric drums. The lighting of the stage changed colors throughout the show which really added to the upbeat vibe. Dan was so happy and personable; he wanted us to dance with him and told us that he didn't want to look like a fool dancing alone (even though he didn't, of course). But he didn't have to tell us twice; we were more than happy to oblige. Jumping up and down while singing/dancing and playing the drums couldn't possibly be enough for the lead singer, so he took it to the next level - literally: during the song "Flaws," Dan precariously climbed up the side  stairs and into the balcony while singing, not once missing a line or beat. He took full advantage of all the areas he could sing in throughout the venue, and it was so entertaining to watch where he was going to go next. The quality of Bastille's performance was unreal. They put on a show that highlighted how diversely talented each of the members are. They were so connected with each other yet aware of the audience, and they acknowledged our enthusiastic cheers and singing. When they played their single "Pompeii," the band (To Kill a King) who opened for them came back out and sang with them. It was such a cool thing to see them join Bastille because their voices are also on the audio recording. It was such a fun show, and I'm so glad that there are so many other people who appreciate Bastille as much as I do.

I had the pleasure of seeing Bastille live for the 2nd time on 11/11/14. My first time was 12/2/13 and the band sounded absolutely amazing! This time, the size of the venue had grown, as had the stage production. The light and video display really added to the excitement of the show and served to augment the music visually.
With Bastille, however, the show is more about the music than the fluff. This is a band that provides their audience with varied themes and emotions in the music, always coming up with something interesting and entertaining. The band members are all vocalists, as well as talented musicians, which gives the band their signature harmonies. I am always impressed by an electronic band that can put on a powerful live gig without relying heavily on canned music. Bastille performs with a lot of energy and really connects with their audience. My teenagers were astounded that there was a moment when Dan was moving through the crowd as he sang (something he also did at last year's show), and they were concerned for his safety. I believe that truly connecting with fans is a risk Dan is willing to take, and Bastille's fans are loyal and passionate in response.
My teens were disappointed to not hear a couple of their favorite songs, and I explained that those particular songs are covers, and that there may be copyright issues, or perhaps other reasons that Bastille could not perform What Would You Do and Requiem For Blue Jeans. We did hear many of our favorites, and loved that Ella Eyre is touring with Bastille so that we could hear No Angels live.
Ella's opening set was very energetic and got the crowd pumped up for the headliner. The energy of the whole evening was very positive, and the crowd obviously adores these artists as much as they enjoy performing. I wholeheartedly recommend catching a Bastille concert if you ever have the opportunity.

Bastille were absolutely brilliant.
I showed up at 7am to queue because I wanted to get front row. I did. Queue system was terrible. Some of their fans didn't know what respect is but anyway. The second you walk into the arena, the show starts. It doesn't only start when THEY walk in. That's what I love so much about them. They put on the most incredible and smart show I've ever been to. Ever. From their opening acts, to their lighting, to their visuals, with Stephen Hepworth being hilarious and amazing, to their whole WWCOMMS concept and their skills and voices. This band is the most incredible band I've ever heard/seen/met/loved. Dan's voice is flawless. From A to Z, even when he's jumping all over the place and stuff, his singing is absolutely beautiful. His voice and Charlie Barnes's together is probably what you hear when you enter heaven. Their setlist is brilliant,going from upbeat songs to quiet peaceful ones that leave tears rolling down your cheeks and the arena lit up with phone torches. Nothing is more beautiful than a Bastille gig. The fact that they use the whole arena is also one of the best things ever. Nobody does that. You can find Dan either on stage, in the middle of the crowd, jumping around with fans, on the platform at the back of the arena, or in the higher part of the arena, with Will this time. That's absolutely amazing and everyone feels included with that. They really blew my mind with these two nights at the O2. I had seen them before but there, that was a whole new level. Best gigs ever.

It was a hot, beautiful day when Bastille performed at Boston Calling 2014 and I couldn't have been more miserable.
The day been long and eventful, with the sun harshly beating down, which can make a person grow very tired. On the verge of calling quits, the glorious being that is Dan Smith, strutted on to the main stage. His up and coming album "Bad Blood" which featured the superb, very popular song "Pompeii" is one of the only albums where every single song is spectacular. And this showed in the bands performance. Every note in a song is exemplified and draws you closer to the stage. Just the energy that the entire band emits, entices you and whether you want to or not, you dance your ass off.
Not only is the music incredible but so are the band members, Dan Smith, Chris Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. All of them play roles in the music and the performance. The lead singer, Smith, really tries to engage with the audience, cheering and joking around. During "Flaws" (my personal favorite) he came down into the crowd and took a bit of stroll. This band makes you part of the music and for those who don't like their sound, anyone will enjoy watching them perform. Bastille is that type of band you can see over and over, each time being a new, thrilling experience.

I have been to see Bastille 4 times and every single time was absolutely incredible! I saw them twice at reading (secret show and scheduled) once in Cardiff SU and one when they were supporting Two Door Cinema Club. Their music is so good to listen to but 100 times better live. They are a bit shy as a and but still manage to really connect with their audience. However each time I have seen them they have got better and better. The last time Dan even came into the audience at the back, which was so good because at some concerts if your at the back you can really feel out of the action, but not at Bastille. Their playlist is a great mix so even if your not a massive fan you still can enjoy the concert. I have seen them in the student union in Cardiff (tiny venue) and at Reading Festival, they were amazing at both and well worth the money. Their career so far has been an incredible journey to follow, and I cannot wait for what comes next. They are a very humble group of friends and not boastful about their achievements, which is really great to see. You can tell they are all extremely passionate about their music, and love to play for their fans. I cannot wait to see them again at V this year!

Bastille performed my favorite live show last night. Ever. Now may opinion may be biased for my love of this band, but who's aren't really. Bastille put an outstanding show that everyone in the audience obviously loved. Every song was delivered with absolute perfection by humble frontman Dan Smith. In his trademark black tee and white converse high tops, he shows his true colors as a showman to everyone in the audience Backed by the best of band mates Woody (aka Chris Wood) on drums never missing a beat, Will Farquarson with his suave, reserved self on bass and Kyle Simmons on the keys. All of the band harmonize with Dan on vocals which I think is rad. Several things I liked from this show: The damn good music as that is a given. Dan and how he likes to join the crowd every show as he did this time. When the audio failed Galway through Pompeii and we had to sing for/with him a capella which was by far my favorite part. Things I disliked: That it wasn't longer. My takeaways from this show is that from their performance, I will definitely be seeing them again and again

High-tempo, fast-paced (for the most part) misery pop. What's not to love? As Dan Smith himself attested multiple times, a lot of Bastille's songs are about depressing stuff, but the way in which they deliver them is anything but.

Smith is a lively front man, determined to deliver a show; his approach to this is: throw everything at 'em and see what sticks. For this gig that involved hurling himself about the stage doing his self-confessed "terrible dancing", wandering out through the crowd with mic in hand, performances on a satellite stage towards the back of the arena, a performance up in the gods during the encore and finally, hitting the crowd with - not one - but three (count em) different types of sky glitter and streamers.

But for all the show's gimmicks, the songs themselves were the true stars. With two strong albums to call on now, Bastille can justify their Arena-level status easily (despite Smith's continuing instance of the ridiculousness of it all); indeed, the finale of 'Pompeii' must surely be for a stadium near you in the not too distant future.

First of all. Somerset house is a great venue in a beautiful courtyard. Open skies and not too over crowded. Bastille were amazing. They really connected with the crowd and were very entertaining. I liked how Dan Smith slammed the drums while singing and at one stage there were three people on keyboards including Dan, which I thought was pretty impressive. It also makes a show more interesting if the band brings a special guest on stage. In this case it was Ella from TLC. The highlight of the evening for me was probably when Dan got off the stage and sang his second last song while walking through the crowd. He walked straight past me so I patted him on the back. I really like it when a band interacts with the crowd like that. It just adds so much extra value to a concert, and they definitely played all the songs I wanted to here. You can't expect anything less from a band who had the second most downloaded/streamed song in 2013. It's a great band and I highly recommend to go see them and enjoy the experience. Thanks for a great show Bastille and Songkick.

Bastille were great! It was their first night of the Bad Blood 2014 tour in the U.S., so I think they were as excited for us as we were for them.They opened with "Things We Lost in the Fire," and played big hits like "Weight of Living, Part II," "Bad Blood," "The Draw," "Poet," "These Streets," "Icarus," "Pompeii" (obviously), and went down into more somber songs like "Overjoyed," "Get Home," and "Oblivion." They also played a few newer songs, and their fun cover of "No Scrubs" mixed with The XX beats.
Their energy was great, and the lead singer Dan Smith thanked the audience after every song. Dan also walked into the crowd and sang for a whole song!! (I forget which song because I was freaking out at the time). Their opener, Grizfolk, was good, and Bastille had them back on stage to help sing "Pompeii" as the last song, so they have great relations with them. There was good interaction with the audience, so that even though I was sitting in the upper level seats of the indoor venue, it was still a fun, exciting concert!

I saw Bastille at the Fox Theater at Pomona, CA, and I have to say it was one of the best events I've ever been to! The band was fantastic, the lead singer's vocals were perfect, the flawless acoustics of the venue made his voice all the more haunting and resonating. The instruments were great and the openings were fun. The light display and the production quality was amazing and magical! My only possible complaints would be that the set up of the venue was very awkward and made it impossible for most people to see with how they split up the tiers for General Admission... Also the drums weren't as strong (in terms of how they vibrate to the audience, but I guess we were a bit farther away?) and drums are one of the biggest components of this band. Otherwise, the band itself was great! Amazing show!