On March 30th, Bastille performed at the Barclays Center with the opening act Mondo Cozmo for their Wild Wild World Arena tour. A spectacle filled night, Bastille and Mondo Cozmo delivered surprise after surprise, proving their place among the other A listers who have previously played at the arena. The crowd comprised of all ages, highlighting the music’s wide appeal across all demographics.
Coming on stage at 8pm was solo artist Mondo Cozmo and his band. Starting out with “Chemical dream” and ending on a cover of “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” the 8 song set list gave everyone a taste of what a Mondo Cozmo album would sound like with their terrific live set. With its rolling production, easily memorable lyrics such as “ All my life is a chemical dream” and catchy sing along hooks, Mondo Cozmo set the tone for the night to come, bringing the audience along a journey by traveling into the musician’s world. The band’s biggest hit to date, “Shine” got everyone in the crowd to raise their phones lit up and then a sea of bright light filled the arena as everyone tuned in to every word they were singing. “Let’s get high. Everything will be alright if you let it go.” And that’s exactly what the audience did when Bastille came on stage.
A mock newscaster from Wide World Communications addressed the audience right before Bastille came on stage. The video played like a satire on the current political situation in both Britain and the States and was a recurring theme throughout the 75 minute high energy set. Knowing how to play to the crowd, upbeat tracks dominated most of the night. Right from the first song, “Send them off,” everyone in the arena stood on their feet and danced along. Energy was infectious and if you get into the mosh pit, you’d find it hard to not join everyone raising their fist to the sky. Wandering through the crowd during, “Flaws,” Bastille somehow makes the show a personal experience for everyone as he approaches both sides of the stage, high five-ing as many audience members as possible before venturing onto stage B. Later in the night, he repeats this by singing, “Two Evils,” on one of the side tiers, treating fans who might not be able to make it into the mosh pit. It was an intimate moment with their idol.
One thing you notice quickly is that Bastille always leads the crowd. Even on quieter numbers such as “Four Walls,” he never fails to capture the audience’s attention and often gets them to dance as if no one is watching by demonstrating that himself. Showcasing his music talents, a variety of instruments were utilized. Songs were played from his very first mixtape up to his latest album release and everyone seems to know the lyrics to most songs, showing how Bastille reached his current status with his loyal fans. Ending the night on their world wide hit, “Pompeii”, Mondo Cozmo was invited back onstage; a testament of Bastille’s relationship to their opening act and also their generosity to share their stage.
-Summer Luk
