Bastille have always rebelled against the idea of putting a label on the type of music they create. In the public consciousness they are known as indie darlings, famous for their 2013 hit ‘Pompeii’, but to anyone paying attention, it is clear they have far surpassed the alt-pop genre they were prematurely boxed into in favour of experimenting with their own creativity. ReOrchestrated, directed by Tom Middleton and Toby L, is an intimate look behind the curtain, documenting the inner workings of the group as they try to once again defy the boundaries of their own music.
In what is seemingly their most audacious move to date, the documentary chronicles the development of their ReOrchestrated concert series, from its inception at a charity gig at London’s Union Chapel in 2017, right up to their final show of 2020 at the London Palladium, before the live music industry was stopped in its tracks. This is interspersed with interviews from both band and crew members detailing the realities of Bastille’s rise to success.
At the beginning of the documentary, we see the band open up about their disillusionment with touring and their desire to keep pushing the envelope when it comes to subverting the expectations of fans and critics alike. The solution to these problems takes the form of the ReOrchestrated project — a complete reworking of their collection of songs to suit live performances with a full orchestra and gospel choir in tow. Remixing an album’s worth of songs for a live setting in this way is an act of bravery not undertaken by many artists. At that first Union Chapel show, where the unique reverence of the setting and the lack of space required the band to refine their songs, they took their most recognisable hit, ‘Pompeii’, and stripped it back to a simple acapella piece. With no reliable hook or loud synth to fall back on, the mesmerizing performance is full of tension and uncertainty. The resounding success of the show stuck in frontman Dan Smith’s mind, opening up a new direction for the band to take in their quest to deliver the unexpected.
It was refreshing to witness a group of people with such dedication to pursuing creative fulfillment also acknowledge the sheer amount of extra work and pressure they had brought upon themselves, which seems to be how eternal pessimist Dan thrives. The challenge of marrying the classical world with their original music cannot be overstated. The band had to unlearn their habitual methods of performing each song through large orchestral rehearsals, while also performing regular tour dates in between. The classical infusion to their musical catalogue feels both cinematic and modern, adding yet another layer to the genre bending that has accompanied Bastille from the start. Kristjan Järvi, the conductor of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic who played alongside Bastille at their biggest ReOrchestrated concert, put it best, stating: “The less definition something has, the more attracted you are, intuitively, to it.”
As an avid Bastille fan since my early teens, what struck me most about this documentary was their unwavering honesty throughout. When describing their humble beginnings playing shows for an audience of eight people, Dan talks about his lifelong struggles with anxiety and the subsequent imposter syndrome he experienced once the group released their first album. In one of the most poignant moments of the documentary, keyboard player Kyle Simmons expresses a similar sentiment, recounting how their management were concerned that he “wasn’t trained enough” in the early days. Instead of abandoning him, the group were insistent that he stay, supporting his growth as a musician. It is this self doubt, however unwarranted it may be, that has given way to a persistent humbleness, enabling them to have established a lasting connection with fans that has continued through all the highs and lows of their commercial success.
Despite being a tour documentary, the music of Bastille is not at the forefront. Instead it is the band’s story that is prioritized, with snippets of music throughout. As a huge fan, and for the sake of the non-believers in the audience, I would have loved more inclusion of their beautiful live performances. I found myself getting lost in the extended musical sequences, which were few and far between, before being abruptly snapped out of them, as if being rudely awoken from a pleasant dream. Including more uninterrupted footage of the ReOrchestrated shows would have provided a sense of the true scale of the ‘reorchestration’ of the songs. The narrative itself felt a little disjointed at times, with only eagle-eyed fans being able to recognise from Dan’s evolving hairstyles that many of the montages were not linear with reference to certain points in their story. In spite of this, Dan and his fellow bandmates are quite private people, so getting to hear them discuss their perspectives on their evolving careers at length was a luxury I was proud to enjoy.
The title of this documentary could hold a double meaning. Just as their music was ‘reorchestrated’, Bastille too went through a shift in form as a result of this experience, developing a new-found self-confidence in staying true to their creativity. Having seen the fruits of their labour blossom in the best way possible, there will be no stopping Bastille in their strive for boldness as they try to top themselves once again, and I for one cannot wait to see what comes next.
ReOrchestrated is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
