After months of waiting, Bastille played their sold out Ironworks show, bringing Swiss Lips and Dan Croll along as support.
Walking into a packed out Ironworks brings back a lot of memories of the many gigs I’ve attended in this much loved venue. Right from the very start there’s always a buzz of excitement in the air. Tonight was no exception, this show sold out months in advance – many people have been counting down to this for a long time! It was set to be a truly special evening.
Swiss Lips were the perfect support act for Bastille; they have a similar sound, if a touch more up-tempo at times. Their high energy, indie/electro music would certainly a good choice for any Bastille fan looking for new music. It will be of no surprise if we’re soon hearing about them regularly and they’re playing packed out shows of their own. Highlights from their set included “Books” and “Diamonds” – which they released earlier in the year.
The second support of the night came in the form of Dan Croll and his band. His music also suited the evening perfectly as it fell firmly into the pop/indie genre that Bastille are reigning over at the minute. This was Dan’s first ever gig in Scotland, yet the crowd engaged with every moment. He played a strong set that is sure to have recruited more fans who will be hoping to see his name appear in the local gig listings again soon.
2013: The Year of Bastille
Bastille are undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories 2013. With a couple of EP’s under their belt they released their debut album “Bad Blood” in March this year. They’ve gone on to achieve success they could have probably only have dreamed about as little as a year ago.
The anticipation in the room was incredible, everyone waiting for the house lights to drop and let the main event, Bastille, steal the show. From the second they walked on and played the album title track, everyone in the room was hanging on the lead singer, Dan Smith’s every word.
Playing through a mixture of classics from the album and a couple of new songs kept everyone on their toes, trying to guess what they’d be bringing to the table next. It’s expected for singles to receive the loudest sing-a-longs, but with pretty much every song on the album being equally catchy the volume of the crowd remained impressively high throughout. They also covered City High’s “What Would You Do” which saw those of us who are old enough to remember it singing along to every word like we were reliving our youth – and possibly a few confused faces for some others. I never thought I’d hear that song live, in any format – especially not by Bastille, but it worked.
“Flaws” saw Dan leaving the stage to go stand on the balcony looking over everyone, before eventually going down onto the main floor to join his adoring fans. A move that, I’m sure, many will have highly appreciated!
Other highlights from the night included “Things We Lost In The Fire”, “Laura Palmer”, “Daniel In The Den” and their new single “Of The Night” which sees them sampling ‘Rhythm of the Night’. As soon as this kicked in the whole of the Ironworks was bouncing. It was a truly incredible sight.
Their single, “Pompeii”, is easily one of the most recognisable songs of the year. The second it started it was like an infectious surge of energy ran through the crowd. I quite simply cannot remember the last time I heard a sing-a-long that loud. It was never in any doubt that this would be the case, however.
From start to finish they put on a truly impressive show. It was clear to see why they have achieved the level of success they have, and why this has been one of the most anticipated shows in Inverness for the past few months. I’m a little sad it’s over, a feeling that I’m sure is shared by many.
More photographs of the night.
