Hype or no hype, we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Words: Jake Hawkes.
Photos: Patrick Gunning.
To say there’s a lot of hype around The Last Dinner Party is an understatement. Selling out shows before any music was even released, they still only have two songs on Spotify but play the Festival Republic tent as if they were born to be there. Dressed in flamboyant costumes and bringing a theatricality that most bands could only dream of, they more than justify the impact they’ve made in such a short period of time.
Vocalist Abigail Morris absolutely belts out every word and remains pitch-perfect throughout, even when she’s dancing and spinning around on stage. The rest of the band are just as good, delivering Bridgerton-esque visuals and astoundingly tight instrumentation. It’s rare to see a new band give so much depth to each song, especially when so many are basically unknown to the majority of the audience.
Ballroom-pop energy runs right through the set, with big choruses and moody lighting dominating. The real magic, though, is the sense of fun they manage to maintain through it all. This isn’t some straight-faced attempt at high art with all the nonsense sucked out, landing more like the Rocky Horror Picture Show’s glorious glam pastiche, rather than the buttoned-up tuxedo of a national opera performance.
There’s growth on show, too. Early sets were anchored around ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘Sinner’, their two released tracks, but here the energy never flags – especially impressive for an early afternoon set on day one of the festival. As their all-too-short set ends and they walk off stage to deafening cheers, it’s clear that The Last Dinner Party are only going to get bigger with each new track. Hype or no hype, we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
