Fans crowd in, front man pleads for space: I’d hate to be a dad right here

Although a competent live singer, Bastille vocalist Dan Smith is self-deprecating, something his admirers obviously find endearing. PHOTOS BY MAGIC LIWANAG

When Bastille front man Dan Smith self-deprecatingly told the crowd—near the end of the British indie-rock band’s recent Manila concert—that he was a terrible dancer, it was more of a confirmation than a confession.

Up until that moment, the 28-year-old had been working the stage in a deliberate, if ungainly, fashion. “Dorky” may be the better word for his moves, found endearing nonetheless by his already stoked fans.

Before playing “Of the Night”—a curious mashup of the 1990s dance hits “Rhythm of the Night” by Corona and “Rhythm Is a Dancer” by Snap!—Smith implored the audience of several hundred at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, “If you’re feeling a bit charitable, those are your cues to join me… Please help me out on this one.”

The tune, also the carrier single of Bastille’s debut studio album “Bad Blood,” started off with a whimsical, atmospheric verse before flaring into a heady brew of thumping beats that had everyone jumping and singing their hearts out. Cues, did he say? No need.

On stage, the singer-songwriter—now sporting a pair of glowing bunny ears over his signature pompadour—reveled in the electric atmosphere. He whipped out a drumstick, ventured to one of the floor toms and dealt it a couple of hard whacks to propel the song into a climax.

The show, mounted by Karpos Multimedia, attracted young fans, most of them in their late teens and early 20s. They were so eager to get up close, that Smith told them to back off a little because they “looked squashed up.”

Quipped Smith, who profusely thanked the crowd between songs, “I’d hate to be a dad right here!”

The more devoted supporters call themselves “Stormers” (in reference to revolutionaries storming the medieval French prison, Bastille). And they sure lived up to that tag.

Shrieking and flailing about, huffing and puffing, these diehards frantically chased and mobbed Smith, who decided to play tag around the venue’s expanse, as he sang “Flaws.”

The London-based band performed a 19-song set that sent fans jumping and singing their hearts out.

Sturdy baritone

He may not be the most natural of showmen, but Smith proved to be a competent live singer who has a sturdy baritone, and whose warbles occasionally brought to mind that of Morrissey’s. His lilting vocals was best showcased in Bastille’s more contemplative, or in Smith’s own words, “incredibly depressing” hits, such as “Oblivion,” which he sang as fans held their phones aloft and waved them about.

Bastille—Smith, Chris Wood (drums), Will Farquarson (bass and guitar) and Kyle Simmons (keyboards)—performed a 19-song set, mostly pop-rock dance ditties and anthemic tunes hinged on infectious keyboard melodies and flourished with shimmering synths and jittery beats.

Standout songs

Standouts numbers were “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “Icarus” “The Weight of Living, Pt. II,” “Overjoyed” and “Bad Blood.”

Bastille—one of the best new artist nominees at this year’s Grammy Awards—ended the night with “Pompeii,” the London-based band’s most successful hit to date. It wasn’t that hard to see why.

The song grabs attention from the get-go with its chorus of bellowing chants, and holds it with a rousing melody that exudes a certain grandness, plus a drum cadence that spells urgency.

“Eh-eh-oh-eh-oh, eh-eh-oh-eh…!” the crowd—refusing to put away their phones despite Smith’s insistence—sang, as thick confetti rained down.

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