Bastille, The Royal Albert Hall in London review: Orchestral re-imaginings of pop hits make for hypnotic listening

Bastille continue to charm with their emotionally-charged pop beats

Gregory Nolan (Bastille)

From the minute Bastille arrived on stage, an endearing dichotomy between frontman Dan Smith’s humble showmanship and the majesty of the Royal Albert Hall in which he was about to perform was set.

Playing just eight shows across the UK and Europe, Bastille’s ReOrchestrated tour sees the British band re-framing pop hits from their two best selling albums, Bad Blood and Wild World, by performing with an orchestra and choir.

Foregoing any kind of pompous solo entrance, Smith walked on stage alongside his band clad in a striped bomber jacket and tracksuit bottoms, a no-frills aesthetic which was at delightful odds with the opulent setting.

(Gregory Nolan (Gregory Nolan)

The decision to open with "Pompeii", one of the band’s most successful singles, as the track’s upbeat composition would've made for a sprightly finale - however, performed entirely a capella, it made for a hypnotic introduction to the sublime set that followed.

The strings made a triumphant entrance in "Send Them Off!" and "Warmth", the latter of which was animated by the trumpet’s brassy beats.

Even if you’re not a fan of Smith’s emotionally-coded, yet preppy tunes - epitomised by "Flaws" and "Good Grief" - if live shows are about getting the audience on your side, few could deny that the 31-year-old singer and songwriter succeeds with aplomb.

Throughout the performance, Smith intersperses jerkish dance moves with bumbling anecdotes that he shares in between songs.

With several unprecedented outbursts ("This is f***ing mental" and "I really should stop talking at gigs"), it’s clear that he is far more comfortable performing than speaking on stage, which is no bad thing for someone of Smith's artistic rigour.

Somewhere in between an ebullient rendition of "Of The Night” - which transformed the Royal Albert Hall into an upscale 80s nightclub - and the beloved 2012 TLC mash-up, “No Angels” - featuring the textured vocals of Ella Eyre - Smith took the opportunity to share some heartwarming anecdotes.

Recounting nostalgic tales of making music in his friend’s basement prior to the band's formation, it became clear that performing in such seminal circumstances was as exciting for him as his fans.

In fact, it seems that even sold-out tours and two best-selling albums haven’t succeeded in shaking Smith of his awkward Seth Cohen-esque charm - perpetuated by endless self-deprecation and that indie-boy haircut.

Such a characterisation only boosts his appeal, particularly to last night's front row of all-female attendees under the age of 30, each of whom noticeably swooned when Smith mentioned his mother.

With its rhythmic riffs and catchy couplets, "Icarus" livened the crowd up again, prompting a sort of sophisticated mosh pit, but it was during "Oblivion" where the deftly-crafted orchestral re-imagining reached its climax.

Smith’s vocals took a soporific turn in this deeply melodic track, which, with its string-heavy interlude, couldn't have been performed in a more apt context.

The scene became awash with a palpable romance as the venue was suddenly alight with smartphones.

After a stripped-back arrangement of "Flaws" they moved seamlessly into one of their newest songs, "World Gone Mad", which was written for the Netflix film Bright, followed by a cello-filled and Craig David-less rendition of "I Know You".

Drawing things to a close with the seductively-dark "Bad Blood" as the penultimate track, the show came to an uplifting conclusion with "Weight of Living, Pt. 1", at which point everyone in the Royal Albert Hall joyfully bathed in the weight and glory of Bastille’s lyrical mastery.