It’s been an exciting year for Bastille. This year has seen them perform at numerous festivals as well as their triangles tour, both of which have always attracted huge crowds, much to Bastille’s surprise. Thursday 18 October saw Bastille take to the stage in Brighton’s Komedia as part of their headline Flaws tour. This was the penultimate night of their first sell out headline tour and fans of Bastille were certainly not disappointed.
I was lucky enough to catch the boys for a quick chat before they performed and was horrified to hear that lead singer Dan was suffering from tonsillitis. However, his voice was flawless throughout, delivering the same power and soaring vocals that Bastille have become renowned for. Their harmonies were also ridiculously on point, demonstrating their musical astuteness and highlighting them for the true musicians that they are.
The venue itself was intimate, something that the dozens of screaming girls used to their advantage as Bastille were literally in touching distance from them. Whilst this venue provided an electric atmosphere it demonstrated just how easily Bastille’s set could lend itself to a much bigger venue. I felt at times perhaps the intimacy didn’t necessarily work in their favour, as the acoustics didn’t always do justice to Dan’s vocals. Nevertheless the venue certainly created an extremely interactive gig, with fans squealing in delight as Dan dived into the crowd.
For a band yet to release an album the crowd reaction to the set was phenomenal. Obvious crowd favourites were ‘Bad Blood’, ‘What would you do?’ and ‘Overjoyed’. Bastille barely needed to bother singing at all as the crowd knew every word and sang with such enthusiasm you could see the pure joy on Bastille’s face. Throughout the gig Bastille genuinely 
looked like they were having just as much fun as the crowd, which made the set all the more engaging. There’s nothing worse than seeing a band look noticeably miserable and nonchalant. The set finished with ‘Flaws’, which was released on Sunday 21 October. Despite the fact the single had not even been released at the time of the show this did not discourage the crowd, who sang along to every word as if it had been released months ago. This provides yet more proof that Bastille are not one to be ignored.
Bastille proved their skill at perfectly combining catchy pop beats with complex vocal harmonies with their diverse use of musical layering. They reach the perfect balance between commercial pop and something with a bit more bite to it. The lyrics are not focussed on getting drunk and forgetting the night, as mindless pop tracks usually are, but have a deeper soul searching quality to them, creating an intensity within the vocals. Their gig genuinely felt like a collective experience. Bastille ensured that the crowd was involved at all times. At no point were they ever self indulgent, a trait that is always frustrating for fans. This gig left me with no doubt in my mind that Bastille’s name is going to be one on the lips of many. With their debut due for release on March 4th 2013 there is ample opportunity for them to firmly cement themselves into the ‘most played’ list of many teens. I for one will be overjoyed.
Bastille’s new single ‘Flaws’ is out now.
