Into the Future With Bastille

Dan Smith of Bastille performing at the YouTube Theatre, LA by Jonathan Nack

GIG AT YOUTUBE THEATRE PROVED EXPANSIVE FOR DAN AND CO.

UK-based pop band Bastille has been releasing music for over a decade and at this point in their careers, they show no signs of stopping yet. Lead vocalist Dan Smith and his bandmates put on an exhilarating show that centered around the message of living in the moment. The band is touring the world well into the fall of this year under their most recent album release Give Me the Future. The band touched on the making of this album during their performance, saying that it was a cathartic experience to create during the pandemic. The record is an ode to the struggles of the digital age while at the same time providing hope for a future that is bright. Bastille are known for their stage presence and musical prowess to say the least, so I was pretty excited for what they had in store. 

Dan Smith of Bastille performing at the YouTube Theatre, LA by Jonathan Nack

When I arrived at the YouTube Theatre, I was immediately in awe of the architecture surrounding where Bastille was performing. The theatre is surrounded by the massive Sofi Stadium and a beautiful patio that overlooks the city. After a bit of a delay when acquiring my credentials to take photos, I was only able to catch the end of Alice Merton's set where she performed her song “Lash Out.” Prior to performing the song, she gave a very honest account of the time she made the track, stating that it was at a time when she was experiencing resistance in her journey as an artist. 

About thirty minutes after her set, it was time for Bastille to perform in a nearly packed out venue seating around 6,000 people. The moment the lights went down the crowd erupted. Fans were immediately met with a robotic-sounding voice that spoke a monologue about the human experience ending with “The Future Begins Now” as the band opened with their song “Stay Awake.” This song was a beautiful opener as lead vocalist Dan Smith started by singing with only a synthesizer backing him which led to the song eventually evolving into an infectious rhythm that had the crowd dancing along. I was blown away by the energy that Smith brought to the show, as he ran around the stage dancing in an almost carefree way while still giving an amazing vocal performance. Shortly after the high-energy opening, the band moved into their somber song “Oblivion,” where the lights were centered on Smith as he filled the venue with his voice and stripped back instrumentals. The band then put their foot on the gas as they moved into songs like “Good Grief” and “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???”  which are rock-centered tracks that feature roaring lead guitar played by Will Farquarson.

Bastille performing at the YouTube Theatre, LA by Jonathan Nack

Around the time their song “Happier” came on, Smith jumped right into the middle of the crowd to dance and jump around with everyone which had the crowd ecstatic. He even ran up to the mezzanine seats to high-five everyone and even gave the mic to a fan to sing part of the chorus. It was around this time that the lights went down and the band walked off stage where we were greeted with a message by the robotic voice asking us if we wanted to continue the show or just go ahead and end it. The crowd was insistent on continuing, so the band quickly came back out and gave an encore. To end off the night, they played “Shut off The Lights” which Smith prefaced by saying it is about that person you need to pull you out of the online world to really live in the moment wherever you are. He then asked everyone to sing along to the catchy chorus that says “Shut off the lights, we don't need them to dance" which was the perfect way to close out the show as everyone jumped around screaming the lyrics. 

Throughout Bastille’s show, they had a consistent theme of highlighting the darkness of the internet age but at the same time giving hope to the future. This message is extremely relevant as people just spent the pandemic glued to their phones and the internet with little to no real-world contact. Bastille made it a point to make their show an inspiring experience that was nothing short of refreshing for all who are returning to live music, artists and fans alike. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!