LIVE REVIEW: Bastille storm Scarborough as rain fails to dampen spirits at open air spectacular

Britain has spent most of the summer baking in sweltering temperatures.
Bastille's Dan Smith.Bastille's Dan Smith.
Bastille's Dan Smith.

So typical then, that just as British pop maestros Bastille were turning up the heat for a packed show at Scarborough's Open Air Theatre, the heavens momentarily opened, sending the crowd frantically scrabbling for rainwear and breathing a heavy collective sigh.

"Ah no, come on," exclaimed the group's lead singer Dan Smith as the grey clouds that had hovered ominously above for a large part of the night finally decided to join the party.

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Fortunately, the brief heavy downpour was just that - and whatever the weather, an appreciative and knowledgeable audience were determined not to let anything spoil the evening.

Right from the off, this was a lesson in strident indie pop, some self-confessed awkward dancing, plenty of singalong anthems and even a marriage proposal (more of that later).

Good Grief, with its singalong choruses got things underway and from then on it was a trawl through the band's three albums to date, with a smiling audience clapping and dancing along with glee.

Of The Night, the dancefloor mash-up of Corona's Rhythm Of The Night and Snap's Rhythm Is A Dancer, was the signal for some raucous air-punching and plenty of shapes being thrown while some of the band's more 'depressing' tunes ("it's kind of the theme of the evening," says Smith) allow the audience the chance to get their breath back and their phone lights out.

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Craig David's I Know You and Things We Lost In The Fire ramp up the energy levels again with the band's huge triangle logo flashing into overdrive on stage.

Main set closer Flaws sees Smith scampering around the crowd and with an encore of new single Quarter Past Midnight and of course the band's biggest and best known hit Pompeii, the job is just about done and dusted.

Well, until Pompeii's dying strains when one fan evaded security to make it to the stage. Over enthusiastic Bastille lover topped up with too much ale?

Not at all.

Turns our man, nearly minus his shorts after a wrestle with security, was actually wanting to use the Scarborough stage to propose to his girlfriend.

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And to raucous screams and cheers from the crowd, she said yes - before posing for a few celebration snaps with the band.

A somewhat surreal end to another storming night with Bastille - when Scarborough and one of Britain's most inventive bands were a match made in the somewhat grey and drizzly heavens.

PHOTOS: Cuffe and Taylor