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"Hi everyone. We're Bastille," says lead singer Dan Smith as if his band were the first act of the night looking to impress a crowd that had no idea who they were. However, the reality is that Sheperds Bush Empire is packed - to what seems like over capacity - full of Bastille fans awaiting what will surely be one of the most memorable gigs of the year for fans and band alike.
The London band can already boast a No.1 debut album full of instantly catchy tracks that lend themselves perfectly to a live show. Tracks like 'Bad Blood' and 'Things We Lost In The Fire' have the crowd following every "ohh" and "uhh" that Smith belts out. The frontman deserves as many plaudits as he receives due to his energy on stage and the amount of talent he has.
Blessed with a voice that, to be honest, sounds too damn cool to be coming from his geek-chic image and extensive musical ability that sees him playing piano for tracks like 'Overjoyed'. It's easy to see why Bastille started out as Smith's solo project before he decided to find some friends to come along for the ride.
One of the most notable things about Bastille's self-proclaimed "biggest gig ever" is that there are no lulls in the set. Every song and every chorus sees the whole of Shepherds Bush Empire doing their best to sing along. Each track feels as big as the last and you'd be forgiven for thinking it was some sort of Bastille greatest hits set if you didn't know any better.
Bastille perform at Shepherds Bush Empire, London
If a No.1 album worth of material wasn't enough, Bastille have also made two mixtapes which means they have some brilliant pop, dance and R&B remixes in their armoury to send the crowd into an aboslute frenzy at the drop of a hat.
Frontman, Smith invited the first act of the night Ella Eyre back onto the stage to join them for a dancefloor filling version of TLC's nineties hit 'No Scrubs' which has everyone realising that they actually have the song's lyrics imprinted in their subconscious. The nineties throwbacks didn't stop there either as Bastille can also call upon their version of Corona's 'Rhythym Of The Night' which is an instant crowd pleaser.
After performing their No.3 single 'Pompeii', Bastille left the stage with pockets of the crowd continuing to sing the final choir-like chords of the single as if to beckon the band back on stage for another rendition.
Although a second round of 'Pompeii' didn't arrive, the audience on the balcony of Shepherds Bush Empire were left in total amazement as Smith popped out beside them to peform 'Flaws' whilst walking across the front rows of the venue's second tier. It was a nice touch from a band that are clearly completely humbled by the success they have seen and as Bastille left the stage for the last time, smiling broadly, you get the feeling they are still pinching themselves.
Photos: Bastille take their Bad Blood to Liverpool's O2 Academy
