Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineJanuary 21, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Bastille, Nicole Millar, The Dawn Of May, the forum, forum melbourne

Bastille + Nicole Millar + The Dawn Of May @ Forum Theatre 18-01-19

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineJanuary 21, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Bastille, Nicole Millar, The Dawn Of May, the forum, forum melbourne

words & photos: Nate Hill @natehill

Review

*“It was high energy and high quality musicianship throughout the 20+ song set.”*

If you’ve lived in Melbourne for any amount of time, you’ve come to terms with the weather being an enigma. All is not as it seems, which is a little like the visiting British band Bastille who deliver upbeat, dance pop anthems with self described “depressing” lyrics.
As I rocked up to one of the best venues in Melbourne, the glorious Forum Theatre, the queue for entry stretched well around the block. Word on the street was that those at the front of the queue had been there since 7.30 am to ensure that they’d be front and centre at the barrier in the pit. Serious commitment.

First up in the beautiful surrounds of the Forum was May, going by the name The Dawn Of May. With just her voice, a keyboard and a solitary light shining on her, there was nowhere to hide. May proceeded to stun those who were in early with her powerful voice and captivating melodies.

Next up was the main support for this Bastille tour, was the electo pop of Nicole Millar. Accompanied by her two bandmates on drums and synths, Millar commanded attention. Smooth vocals and sleek moves had Nicole Millar pushing all the right buttons.

Full disclosure, I was going into tonight not knowing a great deal of Bastille’s back catalogue. I feel like everyone on the planet has heard Pompeii, but I was excited to check out what else they had to offer.

There was a genuine air of anticipation as the stage was being set for Bastille. The sold out crowd were now all in and ready to get into it. If I didn't already have a sense that these boys from Britain had a serious fan base from the queue before the gig, the front few rows of the pit drove the message home. Fans with face paint, banners and yellow balloons with smiley faces on them, looked ready to have the best night ever.

Opening with ‘Good Grief’ to a rapturous reception, Bastille came out of the gates with plenty of energy. With the crowd singing every word at the top of their lungs, the atmosphere was electric.

As each new song started, it seemed the vast majority of the crowd knew what they’d be singing after only a note or two. Before the band played ‘World Gone Mad’, their hit from the Netflix movie ‘Bright’, Dan Smith warned the crowd that they were going to play a depressing song, but they love it so they’re playing it anyway. The banter between songs was light and self deprecating as Smith would share a few little nuggets about the band and the songs. We learnt that the band was very nearly called ‘Daniel in the den’, which Dan said would’ve been a terrible mistake. We were also told that they were playing a song for the first time live and that they hoped it wouldn’t be a disaster.

Other highlights included Smith paying a visit to the balcony of the Forum for one song and venturing into the crowd to sing ‘Flaws’. One of the biggest sing-a-longs for the night seemed to be reserved for their Marshmello collaboration ‘Happier’ as it went down a treat.

It was high energy and high quality musicianship throughout the 20+ song set. Bastille closed out the evening with their massive hit ‘Pompeii’ and send fans home stoked and new converts with some stuff to add to their playlists.