Bastille

Wednesday the 17th of October, 6pm, HMV Institute. Bastille are playing, and I'm as excitable as a Jack Russell puppy.

Casually trying to forget the 9am seminar that I had the next day, myself and two friends from home got the train into town and made our way into the depths of Digbeth alongside a throng of terrifying Trivium fans - as they were playing too.

Lois, Holly and I getting a quick snap outside HMV, exciting times

The queue moved quickly, and before we knew it we were in 'The Temple' room of HMV, where a warm-up band were helping out with the sound checks and having banter with the crowd. Because we'd got there early, we were right at the front - giving us an amazing view of the stage.

In what seemed like no time at all, the supporting band, Swiss Lips, were up on the stage. Now, I'd done my research on them beforehand so I knew what they were like and got familiar with their bigger songs "Danz" and "U Got The Power", which they played. However, they had such a fun vibe that everyone was dancing after the first song - even though most people probably didn't know who they were. If you're a fan of The Black Keys and/or La Roux, you should definitely have a listen to them. They were really friendly too - I had a chat with the keyboardist who promised to check out Uoblogfest!

Great view of Swiss Lips, check out 'U Got The Power' here

Then they appeared. Bastille are what you might call an 'indie' band. They're an up and coming quartet from South London, who have recently found success after their latest single 'Flaws' was made Greg James's 'big thing' on Radio 1 - and after this evening, I have no doubt that their success will only continue to grow.

I've been following Bastille on YouTube for a while after hearing "Flaws" on the Made In Chelsea advert about a year ago. When it comes to their sound, they're a perfect mix between electronic and indie, and I've yet to find a rotten egg in their collection of songs so far.

Starting with the rousing "Icarus", the front man Dan Smith had the crowd going wild within minutes. But he wasn't your typical cocky front man - he was very humble, as were the other members, thanking the crowd after every cheer. You could see it in their faces that they are still coming to terms with their rapid success, and were genuinely amazed by how much love they were getting.

After a few more of their bigger hits (some of you may know "Laura Palmer") everyone was waiting for one of their brilliant covers that have been particularly popular on YouTube. We didn't just get one though - we got THREE. A slow, sensual cover of Lana Del Ray's "Blue Jeans"; their fantastic version of City High's "What Would You Do"; and towards the end, the pounding 80s anthem "(Rhythm) Of The Night". Their covers are barely even covers though - they literally take a song and just make it undeniably better.

Still, the highlight of the night was yet to come, and I was getting exceedingly "squiffy" (as my mum would say). When Dan jumped into the crowd - that was it. I was like a feral child, treading on everybody and anybody just to get near him.

And my barbaric behaviour paid off - my friend and I found ourselves sandwiching him, belting "Flaws" down the mike. I was like a twelve-year-old who had just got an autograph off H from Steps.

I am not ashamed to admit that I did indeed lick his face.

So open a new tab now and get on YouTube if you haven't already - you'll be hooked quicker than you can say "sweaty moshpit." 

Go to see these guys if you ever get the chance, and I advise you to go sooner rather than later - because they are destined to be HUGE.