Dan Smith Has Fans Eating Out of the Palm of His Hand

clairestones 12 November 2025

5,783 4 minutes read

On Saturday night – 8 November – Bastille played the Utilita Arena in Cardiff. It was the third date on their From All Sides – Song from the First 15 Years – tour. This was my first Bastille gig. I am not a fan of the band – I don’t like Dan Smith’s voice – but I’ve been told their gigs are a must-see, and I thought, what do I have to lose?

Bastille had two supports. The first were Welsh band MORN. Describing themselves as post-punk, they were an interesting choice for support, and this was borne out by their set. Whilst they are clearly talented musicians, and there was plenty of energy in their set, they are definitely more of an acquired taste. The vocals were not clear, and what could be made out did not sound great.

Second up was The Vamps lead singer Bradley Simpson. As support for the majority of the tour, he was more in keeping with what you envision in a support act. His stage presence was great – something you would expect of a band frontman – his songs were catchy and he put on a good show. There was a nice moment when an obviously big fan enthusiastically requested a song they had not planned to play. After talking to his drummer, it was decided they could fit it in after an entertaining cover of Abba’s Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), and I think that was the moment he won over anyone who was not sold on him. The crowd sang along loudly with the cover, and Simpson had done his job – the crowd was well and truly warmed up.

Bastille arrived on stage to huge cheers. With Dan Smith making maximum use of the space available to him, their set began with Things We Lost in the Fire, before moving on to Shut Off the Lights and Good Grief. A full setlist is available at setlist.fm. Dan’s energy was infectious, and he had the fans eating out of the palm of his hand. He moved from one extreme of the stage to the other during the faster songs, whilst the slower songs had him either sat at the piano, or centre stage with multi-instrumentalist Charlie Barnes. The interaction between the band members was great to see, showcasing their great comradery – they all looked like they were having a great time, enjoying the love they were getting from the audience, and that they were able to play music with their friends.

Whilst I recognised songs they were playing – I have friends who have played much of the Bastille back catalogue in my presence – it wasn’t until the “Other People’s Heartache” section that I started to know any words. This refers to covers the band have put out over the years as part of a mixtape project, and I could identify lyrics from No Scrubs by TLC and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. This section of the show was performed as a bit of a DJ set – with Dan still singing, obviously – but with only the official band on stage. I am told this is a novelty when it comes to Bastille tours – they tend to include one or two songs from this project in a set, but never this many, and it would explain the increase in energy in the room, and the bouncing of the crowd was great to witness from where I was seated on the balcony.

Along with the favourites, a new song – Save My Soul – was also performed, and this got as big a cheer as any of those the audience were already fans of. There were additions of other songs into those that are strictly listed on the set list, and it was great to see how the audience reacted to these tweaks to their favourites.

One of those things you hate to see at a gig is someone in the audience getting into difficulties, but it’s lovely to see the frontman stop the show until they are certain the person in question is OK and getting help. In a world full of arseholes, it’s nice to see that a band appreciate how they got where they are, and want to make sure their fans have a good and safe time at a show. Also, a shoutout to the security staff at the arena who dealt with the issue quickly and calmly, and I hope the fan in question is OK.

For anyone who was around in 2013, it was hard to miss Pompeii, and for many it may be the only Bastille song they have heard. Watching it performed as the last song of the show was brilliant. MORN were brought on stage for it, and bounced around with the energy of people who were happy to be there and aware of the platform supporting a band such as Bastille had given them.

Whilst I may still not be sold on the band’s music, the energy and love they gave out on stage was a beautiful thing to see, and I am certain that if anyone is in two minds about seeing them on this – or any other – tour, they will not regret buying a ticket and will enjoy the nearly two hours of hits. The staging was well done, though the lights might be an issue at times for anyone who is photosensitive – but I’m not sure there aren’t many arena gigs where this isn’t the case. All in all, I’m glad I went. It was an enjoyable night, and it was nice to be at a gig where there weren’t people talking through the whole thing.