British pop/rock/indie darlings Bastille have never been so good at playing it safe, a fact that sits at the forefront of their newly released Amazon Prime documentary, ReOrchestrated. Following the band’s journey from humble beginnings to playing some of the most iconic and beautiful venues in the world alongside a full orchestra, the documentary gives viewers an intimate look into the British four piece’s most ambitious project yet, and the complexities that could have derailed it.
“It would just be too easy to have loads of hits and hits and hits and make my life easier and everyone else’s wouldn’t it?” Booking Agent Alex Hardee queries, reflecting on his client’s decision to embark on a risky nationwide tour in the midst of recording their third studio album.
When it comes to the UK ‘indie’ music scene, Bastille are a success story, but not in the typical sense. They’ve played the biggest festivals in the world, sold out arenas, earned respect from their peers and been responsible for some of the most iconic tracks of the past ten years. And yet, their first album was critically panned. Most people wouldn’t be able to spot the members in a crowd. In the height of their career, and off the back of a charity show at London’s Union Chapel, they chose to defy their own team and embark on a tour of theatres, orchestral musicians in tow. Completely turning the hits they were known for on their heads, they dubbed the shows “ReOrchestrated”; a complete re-composing of their songs. Commercially, there would be little to gain. It was a passion project. One, that, naturally, not everybody would be entirely on board with.
Directed by Tom Middleton and Toby L, ReOrchestrated combines archive footage with stunning live performances and raw, honest conversations filmed during the pandemic. Seamlessly edited, the montages in particular and the way the band’s music is weaved throughout deserves its own recognition. For something that could so easily feel jumbled, an amazing job has been done to tie it all together in a way that feels natural and wonderfully nostalgic.
There are several stories told throughout the documentary, including what it means to relight the spark when you’ve found yourself on auto-pilot, the pressures of being in a band and the overwhelming desire to continuously create things that are bigger and better than the last. Yet the most poignant and most confronting, is an indepth look into impostor syndrome and how that presents itself when you’re in a globally successful band. Front-man Dan Smith and keyboardist Kyle Simmons are the key characters in this story, divulging just how anxiety and insecurity has plagued them throughout the band’s career. With refreshingly honest admissions from the entire band and several of their collaborators and colleagues, ReOrchestrated, is at its core, a story of hope, perseverance and believing in your own vision.
Though, of course, there is plenty of humour thrown in too. It’s always great to know that that bass player you’re watching is really thinking about his tax returns, or that the lead singer bounding around the stage has a traumatic violin break hidden in his past. Always nice to learn something unexpected, right?
Bastille’s music has this innate ability to make you feel things, even the things you didn’t realise you held inside of you, and ReOrchestrated unsurprisingly follows suit. Despite being about a wildly successful band, it feels very human and something many people will be able to relate to, whether or not they’ve played the Glastonbury Pyramid Stage or headlined a show at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The feelings of being a fraud in your own life is a familiar one for a lot of people, especially in our current climate, alongside the idea that you don’t ever really know what is going on behind the scenes in the lives of your favourite musicians.
Admittedly there is a strange undertone to watching a documentary about live music during a global pandemic, when the future of the industry is so up in the air. It’s a bit of a risk, but that’s exactly what Bastille are all about. And really, this is exactly what the world needs. Or so this possibly-very-biased music fan thinks. It’s hard to watch ReOrchestrated and not feel moved and inspired and eager to get back into a venue and a crowd and watch in awe at these songs being performed. To not feel connected to people, loved ones and strangers, and remember that through everything, music is a light, and it will always be a light.
The music industry is very lucky to have Bastille, even if nobody actually asked for them to exist. (To quote lead singer Dan Smith.) ReOrchestrated proves exactly why. A beautifully made documentary, my only strife is that it could have been longer. Come for the hauntingly good live performances, stay for the moving story of a band who’ll never quite fit in. I, for one, am very grateful for their defiance. Here’s to whatever mad idea comes next.
Bastille – ReOrchestrated is out now on Amazon Prime.
Backstage Goss 