The Last Dinner Party live in London: baroque-pop maximalists seize the throne
To say The Last Dinner Party’s live reputation precedes them would be a sinful understatement. Tales of the Brixton-formed quintet’s onstage theatrics have become so renowned among London gig-goers over the past couple years that they’ve sold out their “intimate” show at Camden’s Roundhouse tonight – on the eve of their debut album’s release – with so few singles you can count them on one hand.
For a band who built their name on the live circuit and opening for the likes of The Rolling Stones – so successfully that they’ve spent their breakthrough year batting away “industry plant” allegations – the air of pre-show anticipation is one of excitement and intrigue. When the group floats out from the shadowy wings, mediaeval gowns and stompy boots cast silhouettes against a white chiffon backdrop, their staging immediately resembling a renaissance-era painting. The reverence to the ceremony is stark, as the crowd remarkably refrains from documenting the tender opening moments of ‘Beautiful Boy’ through their phones.
But the band’s stillness doesn’t last long. They slip into recent single ‘Caesar On A TV Screen’ and frontwoman Abigail Morris is strutting, crawling and flinging herself into every drumbeat and wild keychange. Already the band have asserted that their baroque-pop lore isn’t just for show, as each corner of the stage holds a fervent display of musical excellence.
“I literally can’t tell you how fucking excited we are to be here,” says Morris, whose bashful stage personality is charmingly at odds with her thespian showmanship. Early previews of the new album follow, from the spiky diction of ‘The Feminine Urge’ to the ceremonial Albanian-language call ‘Gjuha’. But it’s ‘Portrait Of A Dead Girl’ that storms the ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ portion of the set, as Morris’ voice veers from booming to hysterical, her squeals rising up to the dome’s iron rafters.
With much of the crowd being unfamiliar with the new material – which has only existed on stages and in YouTube footage thus far – energy levels rise and fall somewhat awkwardly throughout the neat one-hour set. But it means that raucous singles like ‘Sinner’ set the room alight. And their return for the encore – for which they bring out a mini orchestra – only heightens the anticipation for a grand finale. “And you can hold me, like he held her,” Morris proclaims, “And I will fuck you like nothing matters.” Fans throw roses onto the stage as Morris giggles and twirls amongst the nihilistic fervour of their runaway debut single ‘Nothing Matters’.
Pockets of friends turn away from the stage and face inwards as if preaching to one another. Tonight feels like a glimpse into the next era of The Last Dinner Party, for which they’ll be hitting stages with a whole album out in the world. Give it one more week, and crowds will be reciting every word right back at them.
The Last Dinner Party played:
‘Beautiful Boy’
‘Caesar On A TV Screen’
‘The Feminine Urge’
‘Burn Alive’
‘On Your Side’
‘Gjuha’
‘Sinner’
‘Portrait Of A Dead Girl’
‘My Lady Of Mercy’
‘Mirror’
‘Prelude To Ecstasy’
‘Godzilla’
‘Nothing Matters’
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Hollie Geraghty
NME
