The Last Dinner Party LIVE: ‘You like rock & roll huh? Oh, we have more’

The Last Dinner Party, live at Brixton Academy. Image credit: Bethany Cordery

The Last Dinner Party brought glam rock, drama, and a bucketload of talent to London at their homecoming show in Brixton Academy.

The Last Dinner Party’s London set was decorated like a scene from a forest ceremony, or a town square in a rural Greek village. Pillared by a wishing well bell and white sheets billowing under dappled light, the stunning stage design invited Brixton into the whimsical world of the five-piece, the moment they stepped into the space.

Find the full set of photos from The Last Dinner Party live in our gig gallery.

Listened to by a polite and quiet audience of white tulle skirts, ribbons and lace, opener Imogen And The Knife slowly turned up the heat, before the main act completed the first of two final sold out nights touring their second album, ‘From The Pyre’. Imogen’s spooky, sultry sound was the perfect support choice for TLDP, featuring a haunting duet with band member Lizzie Mayland, with the full force of her voice streaking goosebumps in the final two songs.

Next, the monochrome outfit of The Last Dinner Party waltzed on stage to choral harmonies, with vocalist Abigail Morris making a delayed and fabulously theatrical solo entrance. Each member stood draped in black and white iterations of Victorian-circus-burlesque-inspired costumes, though bassist Georgia Davies’ ivory ballgown was most admirable from the circle, swaying beautifully across the stage.

‘Welcome to The Pyre! We’ve waited all tour to come home and say that.’

Abigail Morris, frontwoman of The Last Dinner Party, Image credit: Bethany Cordery

There’s a hint of opera in ‘The Feminine Urge’ and ‘Count The Ways’, a healthy dose of theatre and flare from the on-stage strutting, and some true grit unleashed in instrumental solos. But really, this is a rock band. In their loudest songs, there’s a carnal quality to their stage presence; a fully formed expression of darkness and desire.

Abigail Morris shines as the group’s natural leader, striking poses to every beat, amping up the drama of her already exaggerated vocal deliveries, and oozing charisma as she welcomes the venue to her dance class to teach the steps of the encore performance. Eccentric, expressive and an emphatically born performer, she is the embodiment of a theatre kid who’s found their niche as a rockstar.

“Abigail Morris shines as the group’s natural leader... Eccentric, expressive and an emphatically born performer, she is the embodiment of a theatre kid who’s found their niche as a rockstar.”

Though a formidable front woman, she shares the stage and spotlight with her colleagues generously, sometimes as subtly as moving her own mic stand back when another bandmate begins to sing. The group spoke about their partnership with charity Bankuet, which tackles food poverty around the UK, stating they’ve raised over £35,000 on this tour alone.

Morris implored the audience to applaud for each member of the band’s touring crew as she listed them by name. It’s easy to see why Imogen And The Knife vividly praised their ethos of kindness and friendship — graciously invited back on stage for the last rendition of encore belter, ‘This Is The Killer Speaking’.

Lizzie Mayland of The Last Dinner Party performing live in London. Image credit: Bethany Cordery

The stage was filled completely, with each member enjoying their moment on the central podium, their performance choreographed like a musical production without feeling camp or stifled. Highlights included a gritty run of ‘Second Best’, a punk-inflected ‘Rifle’ sung by Lizzie Mayland, and of course the female rage anthem ‘Nothing Matters’ – for which Morris ran down to the audience to glean some energy, who screamed each word of the chorus straight back to her.

Teary-eyed, Morris spoke of the band’s second ever gig, performed a few years prior round the corner, before soft ballad ‘On Your Side’. Though few and far between, the slower songs were equally poignant, especially during the cross-legged lullaby of ‘Sail Away’, and second album single ‘The Scythe’, with heartfelt backing vocals offered by the audience. 

Instruments are shared between the band, and there’s no shortage of them – mandolins, flutes, keytar (Google it). It’s mesmerising to watch their capabilities unfold and overlap, and the result is a diverse performance that’s as visually entertaining as it is loaded with musical talent.

“Live, The Last Dinner Party are a rock band in a different league. If they’re able to capture the full force of their talents in their next studio recording, they’ll become a heavyweight in the modern rock landscape.”

Songs ‘From The Pyre’ were brought to life on stage – something Morris admits had always been ‘missing’ from the creation of their second album. Live, The Last Dinner Party are a rock band in a different league. If they’re able to capture the full force of their talents in their next studio recording, they will become a heavyweight in the modern rock landscape and break out of pigeon-holed sub-categories they don’t deserve to be constrained in.

The Last Dinner Party bassist, Georgia Davies. Image credit: Bethany Cordery