Concert Review: BASTILLE at HOB Orlando

One of the hottest bands in the world right now is the British alt-rock group Bastille. The band announced a show at House of Blues Orlando in January and posted tickets for $23 each. The event sold out in a matter of hours and had tickets reselling for the near triple digits on the date of the concert. I was lucky enough to be in attendance and see the show at Downtown Disney last Friday night.

The sold out crowd waited patiently for the four piece group, led by singer Dan Smith, to take the stage. They were immediately greeted by current single, "Bad Blood," the self-titled track off their superb debut album. I believe this is the group's strongest song.

The boys of Bastille kept things high energy at the beginning. They jumped right into "The Weight of Living" following "Bad Blood," and played fan favorite - "Laura Palmer" early in the set as well.

It was interesting seeing the setup of this rock band. I'm used to seeing a bass player, a few guys on guitars, and a drummer. This is not the case with Bastille. They are very synth driven, and only a handful of songs feature guitar at all.

Lead singer and lyricist Smith did a great job of spending equal time between the keyboard and being a front man patrolling the stage. Although he claimed to be "a horrible dancer," he moved well throughout the night. Smith must be more comfortable playing small clubs such as this, seeing as though the band is now a constant at large festivals across the globe. A show at House of Blues must seem like nothing.

There were many standout songs throughout the night. "These Streets' and "Icarus" are great concert songs, bringing back memories of Imagine Dragons playing the Metro Theater last summer. Another highlight was "Laughter Lines." These were just three of the the 13 songs they played from Bad Blood. I'm telling you, check out this album.  

My personal favorite, “Flaws,” was the set closer. Dan departed the stage on this one, traveling up into the balcony and through the house floor, all while staying in-tune. This was definitely one of the highlights of the show.

The only downside of the night was that the crowd at the House of Blues was not nearly as loud and into it as I expected. Usually the Orlando fans always bring it, but this was a surprising change. Fans definitely sang along at points, but there weren’t as many passionate “hands in the air” moments. Dan even had to ask the crowd to jump at one point, proving this audience was far different than a Bastille festival gig.

But as expected, they turned it on for the encore. After a slower, “Daniel in the Den,” the boys performed “Of the Night,” which got everyone jumping. The very last song of the night was the one that put them on the map – “Pompeii.” This is a perfect concert song – easy to clap and jump to, while being even easier to sing along with. It was a great finish.

After seeing Bastille live for the first time, it’s easy to compare this four-piece group to fellow Brits - Coldplay. The energy at their shows is great and Smith was reminiscent of Chris Martin at times, center stage on the keyboard while the other band members provided the proper backing rhythm.  

It’s no surprise these guys are one of the busiest and most popular festival bands all summer. They’re name should only get higher on lineups in years to come.

CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars

SETLIST:

1. Bad Blood

2. Weight of Living, Pt. II

3. Blame

4. Laura Palmer

5. Poet

6. Overjoyed

7. Laughter Lines

8. These Streets

9. Icarus

10. The Silence

11. Oblivion

12. The Draw

13. Things We Lost in the Fire

14. Flaws

ENCORE:

15. Daniel in the Den

16. Of the Night
17. Pompeii