The Last Dinner Party build on the mystique of the legendary Girl Group sound and take it to new heights.
A lush vocal experience with often exquisite harmonies, a complex layered sound which repeatedly breaches the baroque Pop that they are often described as. They deliver a perfectly paced show this evening which grabs the attention from start to finish.
Dinner Party came together in London when three friends, Abigail Morris lead singer, Georgia Davies bass, and Lizzie Mayland guitar, found they were sharing the same keen interest to form a musical project.
This was 2018, and no one had any idea about the viral storm which would envelop the world in a year’s time.
They first recruited Emily Roberts guitar and eventually added multi-instrumentalist Aurora Nischevci on keyboards.
The widespread lockdowns did delay their progression, but they quickly generated some good word-of mouth excitement. Remarkably, they did appear on the show with the Rolling Stones, in London’s Hyde Park in 2022.
They have generated an excited buzz from well-received shows, most notably from the iconic Brixton Academy just before Christmas just gone.
On the back of their sophomore album from three months ago From the Pyre, they open with Agnus Dei. Some chiming guitars and a tone skirting around cathedral tones, the pacing locks into soft Rock as the singer intones Lee Hazelwood you were singing/ as you descended from the clouds.
Followed by Count the Ways, high vocal harmonies with resonant echoes of the classic Girl Group sound. This would be perfect material for the peak of Phil Spector and his little symphonies for the children.
That was the stunning one-two punch from the album and sets the tone for the rest of the evening.
Starting the show tonight is Sir Chloe, described as from New York City by Dinner Party’s Morris.
This is the vehicle for lead singer Dana Foote, and she is accompanied by lethal attack drummer Maya Stepansky, with Soph Williams guitar and Alina Sloan bass.
A contrast to the headline act tonight with the musical attack predominantly incisive Grunge, the drummer dictating the tempo.
They lead out with a triple header, July, Kiss, and Animal, which works up some tasty thrash energy.
It takes time to appreciate the qualities of the lead singer, who gets to work up a little Patti Smith tonal energy in a song which may have been called Passengers.
A real triumph is Michelle, their moderate hit, which incorporates older style chants and eventually blossoms out into Doo Wop. They are from New York after all. The guitar and bass take a little trip down the memory lane of Television and Tom Verlaine.
They close in similar fashion with Too Close and the steadily building crowd give them a huge cheer.
The Last Dinner Party has decked out the large Arena stage with elements of Victoria’s Secret and a totally feminine sensual wardrobe. Expertly choreographed onstage presence, which Morris explains later comes from months of preparation.
They delve into Prog Rock whilst keeping the tone light on Caesar on a TV Screen, a track from their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy (2024).
On Your Side is a highlight of Indie Pop with high angelic vocals and many blessings.
Forgive me father, won’t you take it back/ that we were lovers, bodies touching, on park benches, stray dogs watching.
The similar themed Second Best has soaring voices like Kate Bush, bringing with it a heap of theatrical presence.
Then they take a large detour with Gjuha. Keyboard player Nishevci introduces this one, based on her native Albanian tongue. This translates as tongue. Eastern melodies to begin, with the addition of combined voices touching on Bulgarian choir music. Roberts accompanies this on mandolin. The voices rise to a powerful crescendo.
At first, I thought this group is closest to the Shangri-La’s in their sense of melodrama. Gjuha takes it further into older Eastern European traditions.
Coming back with Woman is a Tree, they have dedicated this evening’s show to collecting money for Kiwi Harvest, in their bid to dedicate to philanthropic causes depending on what is most appropriate for the particular venue.
They also raffle of packages of merch, which are announced near the close of the show.
Time for viral hit Nothing Matters. Heavenly Girl Power vocals with Morris dancing across the stage, channelling Stevie Nick’s witchiness with all the drama of the Shangri- La’s.
Coming back for the encore, they try and teach the ecstatic audience how to dance with a raging version of This Is the Killer Speaking. Surprisingly the front of stage get it!
They finish with a reprise of Agnus Dei, and The Last Dinner Party bow out with a superlative killer show. We hope to see them back soon!
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Leonie Moreland
The Last Dinner Party
Sir Chloe
