You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Frances Beach.
“I should have planned a speech, really,” says Abigail Morris, who, not for the first time tonight, is at a loss for words. “I’m just happy,” she adds. Over the past twelve months, The Last Dinner Party have gone from scrappy gigs in London pubs to this theatrical, sold-out show at The Roundhouse via a BRIT Award and BBC Sound Of 2024 crown. Not bad for a band with five songs to their name. As much as tonight is a celebration of that giddy journey so far, it’s also a deliberate glimpse into just how big this band could go.
Heartworms attacks her 30-minute set with the same determination. A majority of the gig is used to road-test new material, but it never feels undercooked. Moments of glitching beauty stand tall next to cathartic rage as Heartworms confidently moves beyond the gothic post-punk tag that dominated the release of that attention-grabbing debut EP. Tonight’s set is less militaristic than earlier Heartworms gigs, and there’s a smirking sense of play to the whole thing, but it’s no less powerful than what’s come before. Familiar tracks like ‘May I Comply’ and ‘Retributions Of An Awful Life’ have also evolved as Jojo Orme swings between intricate and explosive before the whole thing ends in sheer euphoria.
There’s plenty of that with The Last Dinner Party as well, but things start with more restraint. The crowd literally roars as the band takes to the stage, but they reply with a five-part vocal harmony that tumbles into a gorgeous, slow-burning a capella version of ‘Beautiful Boy’. Following a flurry of chattering bird song, and with the stage draped in white curtains and glowing chandeliers, it feels like the start of a Disney movie rather than a rowdy album launch party thrown by Britain’s most exciting guitar group. It’s not the first dizzying turn tonight’s show takes, either.
Later, after returning from a reluctant encore, The Last Dinner Party are joined by a number of classical musicians. Led by Aurora Nishevci, the group performs the orchestral ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ before they rework chaotic live favourite ‘Godzilla’ into a swaggering rock’n’roll number that channels Elton John, Queen and Paramore. Featuring everything from epic guitar solos and sax breakdowns to bongos, it’s excessive and indulgent, but when have The Last Dinner Party been anything but?
Throughout the gig, the band’s odd indie-pop songs champion their own weirdness as they twist from spiky rock to flamboyant country without missing a step. The die-hard down the front already know every word to unreleased tracks like ‘Portrait Of A Dead Girl’ and ‘Gjuha’, but the real magic happens with the wildfire singles. ‘Sinner’, ‘My Lady Of Mercy’ and ‘Caesar On A TV Screen’ are already much bigger than tonight’s venue, while ‘Burn Alive’ and ‘Feminine Urge’ look set to follow suit. The closing, confetti-strewn ‘Nothing Matters’ remains an absolute anthem, but it’s just one part of The Last Dinner Party’s ever-expanding universe.
Despite the reckless turns the music makes, The Last Dinner Party’s songs are born from trauma, anger and unease before being forged into something celebratory. Live, that becomes transcendent and it’s easy to see why people believe in the fantastical world they’ve created. During the final song, the audience showers the band in red roses after dressing up in their flamboyant finery, while Abigail spends the majority of the show trying to overcome the distance between the stage and the crowd. “We’re so proud we filled this room with people like you,” she says, finally finding the words.
