REVIEW: Pop–band Bastille and fans equally engrossed at Belladrum gig
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Pop–rock band Bastille captured the whole Belladrum audience on Friday night, but the connection between the fans and musicians was mutual.
British band Bastille were introduced by a neon lights show, and the crowd just seemed to get thicker and thicker, with a constant stream of more people joining the Bastille crowd, like moths to a flame.
Although I couldn't have named a Bastille song before yesterday, the familiarity of the melody and lyrics of Pompeii soon had the whole crowd swaying, the electric–pop music carried a wave of nostalgia with the sound.
The band established a connection with the whole audience quickly, that by the second song women were waltzing together while children ran about playing, with a lilac and rose gold sunset as the backdrop – there was a harmonious energy throughout the crowd which throughout the whole field at the Hot House stage.
It was hard to look anywhere other than the stage, with bright purple and red lights shining out, a bold stylised animation on the screens illustrating the songs visually. Meanwhile guitarist Charlie Barns was sprinting from end to end of the stage, and jumping off the lights platform in a parkour–like fashion – all while playing his electric guitar.
About 20 minutes in there was a dip between songs where everything from the blaring stage went quiet and the neon lights show dimmed down. Lead singer Dan Smith then returned to the stage screens to ask everyone in the crowd to take one step back, and it was said that they were helping someone at the front of the crowd, for health and safety reasons.
The band continued their set, and the audience returned to being engrossed in the music immediately. Knowing that Bastille were equally engrossed in the audience enough to notice when an audience member needed help, proves that the connection was mutual between the musician and the fan.
