More about: Bastille

Anyone that’s been to EartH, Hackney knows how awkward it can be to watch gigs there. Its conversion to a trendy music venue from a former cinema meant the gutting of all its chairs, graduated bench seating put in its place. Tonight, Bastille are performing a dance-heavy setlist for BRITs week in collaboration with War Child and it's as if the awkward seating is not there at all.

A few songs into tonight’s set and Bastille shatter any sort of pretention as frontman Dan Smith runs through the crowd, getting an entirely seated audience to stand and dance their arses off for the rest of the evening. This is especially impressive given that they’re playing their new album, Give Me The Future, live for the first time — just days before its official release. 

The set opens with a reworked version of their 2013 classic ‘Pompeii’. Gone are the booming drums and trademark chants; instead, Smith stands at a synthesiser, his distinctive voice dripping with auto tune. ‘Pompeii’ is rendered more like a robot’s swansong before being suffocated by that infamous volcano. In fact, the first half of their set-list is dedicated to older material, as Bastille play older staples such as 2011’s ‘Flaws’, to a pop-rock restyling of their collaboration with Marshmello, ‘Happier’. 

Bastille are really tested in playing Give Me The Future, a third of which has been released so far as singles. Tonight is a rather simple, straightforward delivery of the new album: perhaps a conscious decision to save their more ambitious stage theatrics for later. However, it is confusing to see their dystopian stylings completely abandoned for the night. 

Not that this bothers anyone — Bastille manage to keep the audience on their feet for the rest of the night with their new collection of upbeat, danceable songs. Earlier, Smith had suggested the audience pretend they know the songs, but it feels like the front row actually do. Bastille also know how to write a good hook; audience members can easily chant ‘Distorted Light Beam’ and its euphoric "don’t wake me up!", or the oddly sinister chorus of ‘No Bad Days’ without practice.

The night comes to a climax during the encore, when fans are treated to a trio of their biggest songs; ‘Of The Night’, ‘Good Grief’, and the original version of ‘Pompeii’. Every bandmate gets the chance to bang a drum, creating a great sense of unity between them. All of this is held together skilfully by Smith, whose stage presence ensures there aren’t any dips in energy the whole night through.

It’s clear to see why Bastille have lasted in the industry for around a decade now. Smith’s regal voice already suits live venues, but Bastille’s knack for writing fun, uncomplicated pop always guarantees a great night out. 

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More about: Bastille