Bastille >> and To Kill A King played a sold-out show at The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver last night for their last Canadian stop.
My friend and I had been big fans of their music for a while now and we were so excited to see them perform live. I always worry when bands are hyped up too much because an unfortunate number of them fall short of expectations when I actually see them live. Man, I was stupid for worrying about Bastille. Excuse my language, but they were fucking great last night.
First off, I think The Commodore Ballroom has to be one of my favourite venues in Vancouver. It’s right in the hub of downtown Vancouver, it’s easily accessible as it’s blocks from the train station, and there were loads of pizza shops around for after-show munchies.
Inside the Commodore, there was a huge dance floor in front of the stage and there were tables and chairs scattered on the outskirts of the dance floor and a small balcony with what I’m assuming was more seating. We didn’t bother getting a drink or trying to find a spot to sit once we got inside; we rushed straight onto the dance floor to get as close to the stage as possible.
I had never heard of To Kill A King before last night but I immediately searched up their music once I got home after the show. They were so good live that I was scared Bastille wouldn’t be as good. They were invited by Bastille to sing the last song of the night and it was great to see them again. To Kill a King had great chemistry with one another and they were so captivating that I even forgot I was there to see Bastille.
After a short intermission, Bastille came on and the crowd went insane. The smell of weed suffocated us as they started to sing and it seemed like I was either getting second-hand high or getting high purely from the joy of seeing them live. I could feel the beats travel through the floorboards, up into my body, and pulse through my veins.
Lead singer, Dan Smith, was a fucking babe and he really knew how to work the crowd. He even came down into the crowd and walked around the entire venue to sing the last song before the encore and everyone had the look of pure ecstasy on their faces. In fact, the entire band really committed to their entire show and I felt so respected as a fan to see them pour themselves entirely into their performance.
Their show felt really trancelike and even cathartic. I forgot about all the worries I had this week and I just got so lost in their music. I tend to get overwhelmed and eventually dissociate from the shitty things in life and, as horribly cliché as this sounds, the show reminded me of how important it is sometimes to just feel everything that courses through your veins and fuck everything else.
I paid $57 for a ticket on Stubhub for the show, but I felt like even that was a steal for such an incredible show. I would have gladly paid so much more to see them live again. Hell, just take all my money. They encapsulated the entire venue with a bubble of pure hedonism that it’s impossible to not have a great time. If you’re contemplating whether to see Bastille live, I say fucking go for it. If you don’t, you’ll definitely be missing out on one of the best bands to ever perform live.
Setlist: Bad Blood * Weight Of Living, Pt. II * Blame * Laura Palmer * Poet * Overjoyed * Laughter Lines * These Streets * The Silence * Icarus * Oblivion * The Draw * Things We Lost In The Fire * Flaws * ENCORE: Daniel In The Den * Of The Night * Pompeii
Josephine
