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It really is amazing what one song can do for a band. Although the hotly tipped London quartet, BASTILLE, have been on the radar for almost 2 years now, even the band members themselves have admitted to disbelief at their current popularity. In the last few weeks they have had their debut album, ‘Bad Blood’, top the UK charts and been booked to headline The Trinity Ball, Sea Sessions, and Indiependence Festival.

It’s not hard to see why. Their ultra-catchy populist output to this point has managed to straddle a fine line which makes them commercially viable in the mainstream while maintaining their indie credentials with the more particular audience. This is all down to great songwriting and it’s hard not to think back to ten years ago when everyone and their mother had soul but wasn’t a soldier. Current single Pompeii is so popular that it happened to be playing on three different radio stations during the short taxi ride to Thursday’s sold out Academy show.

Onstage, the young musicians are utterly charming. Singer Dan Smith is soft spoken and humble, yet drives every number home with great energy and enthusiasm. Theres always something interesting happening on stage as the other band members switch between instruments like a game of musical chairs as they play through Bad Blood, Overjoyed, Things We Lost In The Fire and forthcoming single Laura Palmer. The flexibility of the set up works brilliantly, allowing Smith to move throughout the space and interact with the music that his voice suits so well. It’s a testament to him and to the strength of the melodies throughout the set that by the end of each song, the crowd are swaying/singing along like they’ve heard them a million times.

They manage to keep the crowd on their toes with cover’s of City High’s What Would You Do and Corona‘s Rhythm of The Night from their ‘Other People’s Heartache’ release (which can be found on certain pirate themed websites according to Smith) before blasting out the song of the moment, Pompeii, to a thunderous applause from the audience. From then on it’s the usual Academy encore shenanigans and Dan’s up in the balcony surrounded by screaming fans, singing Flaws to the very satisfied punters below. A really great performance from a band destined to be playing a much bigger venue the next time around.

 

Bastille Photo Gallery

Photos: Sean Smyth