14.11.2024
BASTILLE PRESENTS "&" LIVE
Founded in 2010, the quartet Bastille represents an exciting band from England that defies all conventional categories—yet remains so captivating and thrilling that they rose to stardom with their debut album Bad Blood. With verve, boldness, and audacity, the group, led by mastermind Dan Smith, draws from the history of pop culture and film, blending quotes, samples, and borrowed sound elements into a completely unique mix of pop, R&B, electronic, and indie rock.
Bastille quickly garnered widespread attention online shortly after their formation. Their first single, Flaws, reached number 21 on the UK charts. Their debut album Bad Blood proved even more successful, debuting at number one in the UK and charting internationally. In total, Bastille sold over five million copies of their debut album and singles in the US alone, with over 2.5 million sold in the UK. By now, the band has sold over 11 million records worldwide—with music that is as challenging as it is distinctive.
When young songwriter, film, and literature enthusiast Dan Smith was searching for a fitting name for his eclectic ambitions, he came across "Bastille." "I wanted something that was open to interpretation, that sounded good and allowed me freedom." Initially, his project was a one-man show. He wrote and produced the first songs alone in his bedroom. The track Flaws, released in early 2011, quickly became a hit on YouTube and was covered and interpreted worldwide by other artists.
Since the end of 2011, Bastille—now expanded with a three-piece band—has also been performing live. Their shows, like their albums, are always a complete work of art with an overarching theme. Musically, Bastille offers a wild ride through genres and pop culture references from film, music, literature, and visual arts. Lyrically, the band reflects on positive and dangerous social and interpersonal developments with their texts. After exploring humanity in the face of the digital age on their fourth album, Give Me The Future (released in 2022), the lyrical song collection & (Ampersand), announced for release on October 25, looks back at the stories of remarkable men and women. Poets and artists, anthropologists and scientists, figures from religion and myth, outsiders, and trailblazers come to life in the very quiet, fascinating soundscapes Smith has created this time—a new variation of their melodic power. On November 14, Bastille will present this exciting panorama of storytelling songs live in full for the first time. Four parts of the album will be released in advance as appetizers.
