Bastille at The Sands Centre
Images by Harry Baker
The Guide is always at the front of the stage when a band with worldwide renowned comes to Carlisle and our writer Jasper Baker offers his take on this humble group.
Nostalgic, melancholic, ecstatic and joyful, Doom Days is an experience that lets you feel a part of the band and leaves you optimistic for a better tomorrow.
From the minute Bastille arrived on stage, the crowd was behind frontman, Dan Smith, with his humble showmanship, he forwent the pretence of a solo entrance and walked on stage alongside his band clad in a bright yellow sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms. As they began playing the relatable album opener and house-party anthem, ‘Quarter Past Midnight,’ the audience sang in exaltation like they were Dan’s backing singers and it wasn’t long until hands were up and feet were jumping for the chorus.
At the end of the ground-shaking mania of the band’s first atmospheric ballads, Dan took his sweatshirt off to reveal a fluorescent yellow ‘Just Vote’ t-shirt. In this increasingly polarising political climate of which Bastille profess was the inspiration for the concepts behind the album, it was a simple reminder for members of the crowd who may be indecisive about the general election to take part, whilst also relating back to the themes of the album.
The band hadn’t played in Carlisle since 2011 when they were just starting out and as the second gig on the tour the set felt refreshingly intimate, at times, spontaneous and reflective. Dan Smith cares about Bastille fans and this became startlingly apparent when he disappeared off stage – still singing, ending up behind the audience in the stalls. Watched over by cautious staff, Dan high-fived delighted children, shook hands with surprised adults and received hugs and praises from star-struck fans all whilst continuing his performance of ‘4AM’.
But, this wasn’t the only surprise Bastille had in store. After the interval, they continued to reward dedicated fans with a genre-hopping set using the pseudonym ‘Chaos Planet.’ Bastille had done a secret gig in London under this disguise before as a homage to The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper’s and this was an unexpected treat for all. Dressed in tie-dye t-shirts and behaving like characters from a smaller band, they continued to charm the audience with their camaraderie, jokingly mocking Dan for shaving his hair and praising their favourite band, ‘Bastille,’ for playing “covers” from earlier albums. It shifted the otherwise despairing and apocalyptic aesthetic of the show towards a party filled with good vibes and hope.
Dan began with his rendition of REO Speedwagon’s, ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ that he recorded for the latest John Lewis Christmas advert and a contemporary cover of Corona’s ‘Rhythm of the Night,’ which were met with enormous elation. They featured a brand new exclusive: ‘Good Lesson.’ An upbeat pop and reggae song that Dan told fans, “Hasn’t been played for anyone else… you’re the first to hear this!”
Amongst the surprises was the band’s constant dedication to entertain. The dichotomy between the joyful booming of ‘Bad Decisions’ to the emotionally charged and sorrowful, ‘Those Nights,’ meant that Bastille could fire on all cylinders when it came to unleashing a powerful performance.
The revolving sofa from the ‘Those Nights’ music video was a great addition that added to the aesthetic and also allowed Dan to reenact the multi-million viewed video by laying out and crooning a lonely lullaby. These breathers were expertly placed, for it wasn’t long until he was energetically leaping about the stage or playing synth instrumentals during dramatic self-reflective interludes.
Bastille was a delight from explosive start to tempestuous finish with drummer, Chris “Woody” Wood, becoming the most vocal between songs after Dan, saying, “(about Carlisle) I know what it’s like to be part of a small and provincial town where big bands don’t think to come… this has been a great opportunity to show our appreciation and love.”
The set climaxed with their 2013 breakthrough hit, ‘Pompeii,’ what Dan referred to onstage as a “music career made from two vowels,” with his usual modesty. It was the perfect send off to a spectacular night. Dan added this was regrettably “the last tour of the album” and after saying ‘thank you’ for the millionth time amongst whistles and applause, fans left empowered with a glint in the eye of experiencing such a wonderful and humble band.
Great concert – 4-stars
