Brit band Bastille here in January

BASTILLE

The success of Bastille’s electronic pop-rock song “Pompeii”—a Top 10 hit in at least 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States and Australia—has made the British group quite the sensation, not only in the indie scene, but also in the mainstream.

The band’s rise to fame was something its front man, Dan Smith, didn’t expect. “It was never an ambition of ours to be in a band this big… There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, but we’re not,” Smith related in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian, which described the singer as a “reluctant pop star.”

Bastille—also composed of Chris Wood (drums), William Farquarson (guitar) and Kyle Simmons (keyboards)—was nominated for four awards at this year’s Brit Awards.

Debut album

The four-man music act has so far released one album, “Bad Blood” (reissued as “All This Bad Blood”), which also spawned Bastille’s earlier hit song, “Of the Night.”

Melancholy and metaphor work together in the group’s music; most of the tracks in the record are familiar-sounding tales of oblivion and depression. As for Bastille’s sophomore album, Smith told Digital Spy that he hopes to release it “sometime next year.”

Starting out playing in supporting slots for Emeli Sandé and Two Door Cinema Club, as well as touring with Muse, the group has become a consistent headliner and has appeared in a number of tours, as well as major music festivals like Coachella.

On Jan. 5, 2015, Karpos Multimedia brings Bastille for the first time in the Philippines for a concert at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

Tickets for “Bastille: Live in Manila” are priced at P4,800 (+ ticket service charge), and are available at SM Ticket outlets. Call 4702222 or visit www.facebook.com/karposmultimedia.