I first saw Dan Smith and Co. aka BASTILLE perform at last year’s Dot 2 Dot Festival in Manchester. Fortunately for them, a cancellation by Summer Camp gave them a chance to perform twice, maximizing their exposure. They performed very well, demonstrating some keeper tracks, but even so, they continued to fly fairly low for a while.
One year on, we’re here at the popup Garage stage of LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY. The makeshift venue is packed out, after some efficient warming up by hype band ALUNA GEORGE, and there’s a buzz in the air as a slew (25?) of photographers pile into the spacious pit. Bastille have definitely climbed up the buzz band ranks over the past year and it shows, as the crowd gear up to hear the live version of what many have only heard recorded.
The band come onstage to Twin Peaks’ “Falling” ringing out (we assume to complement the band’s “Laura Palmer” track which emerged from Dan’s Lynch obsession). To a whole generation or two who missed the cult TV show reference, it doesn’t seem to matter since they’re here to check out the guy they’ve seen plastered around tube station walls and all over MTV.
With his characteristic gravity-defying hair, Dan bounds onto the monitor as soon as the band’s opening track starts up. Towering over the swarm of photographers as he sings into the mic, he moves from side to side of the stage, the snappers following his every step. He closes to screams from fans. “Have you had a good day so far?” he asks, and he can’t wait to leap onto the keyboard for the next track. Soon moving onto his drum, banging out the beats with his right hand, his left staying on the mic, he’s determined to connect with the crowds and create an impact.
Following with fan-favourite yet media-underrated “Overjoyed,” which I personally think is their best song to date, Dan again treats the photographers to some in-your-face close-ups – he knows exactly how to court press attention and the crowds appreciate his enthusiasm. The multi-instrumental aspect to this band makes them interesting to watch. They pound through the tracks all the way to the popular “Pompeii,” keeping the masses happy.
Though many still fail to see what Bastille’s pulling factor is, considering Dan Smith to be nothing more than a geek having fun onstage with a few catchy tunes (not necessarily a wholly incorrect assessment), I do think he’s one to watch for the future. Though not a big fan of his current repertoire, I get the sense that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg and he could become very interesting – maybe. Has Bastille fallen into the trap of the fast-rise-fast-fall hype band, or will we see some real substance and longevity? We’ll surely find out in another year’s time.