The Last Dinner Party's impact can be felt from start to finish. Arriving under orchestral swells as '
Prelude To Ecstasy' scores the Eventim Apollo, 'Burn Alive' and 'Caesar On A TV Screen' fizz across the venue. With blinding Vegas-style lights, disco balls and the spotlight firmly on them - they revel in the playfulness it represents, yet with the swagger of a band firmly in control of the story they're telling. They've not compromised a single second, creating the sort of live show that pulls you firmly into the setting in which The Last Dinner Party's story plays out.
'On Your Side' is jaw-dropping in its emotional punch, while 'Beautiful Boy' manages to silence the whole Eventim Apollo. As Abigail commands the balcony to rise during an emphatic 'Sinner', it turns the night up a level. 'The Feminine Urge' rallies in its huge rising command, and 'Portrait Of A Dead Girl' elicits a choir to rise in unison to call back its cry to "give me the strength". All firmly within a world of flamboyant individuality and universal truths, it's a production you don't just admire but feel a part of.
The fact The Last Dinner Party manage to celebrate 'Prelude To Ecstasy' while also signalling the future says it all. A hungry ambition radiates from them, airing unreleased tracks with infectious excitement. 'Second Best' may have been around for a while, but it's met tonight like a beloved classic, and the crunching glam fuzz of 'Big Dog' sees The Last Dinner Party at their most commanding. Primal and unabashed, they serve as tasters of the broader tapestry forming together around a band who were born in tiny venues and now feel insatiable in the big leagues.
One unreleased cut already firmly at the starting gates for Chapter Two is 'The Killer'. A live favourite born to be sung back in force, synchronised walking across the stage, and a slowly erupting build make it the next to cross into the space where possibilities are endless. A rapturous 'My Lady Of Mercy' has Eventim Apollo falling over itself, followed by a spellbinding surprise cover of Lana Del Rey's 'Ride'. Tapping into dreams and realities simultaneously, it's a moment of clarity for how special this band truly are. Confetti reigns into the sky for a closing 'Nothing Matters' that practically shakes the venue in celebration.
What comes next for The Last Dinner Party may be unknown, but one thing is clear - this is the beginning of a band who could become era-defining. For now, though, tonight is a celebration of a band who have given the world a whole new playground to play in. Everyone gathered wants to be part of their gang, and the message that comes from them is: you can be. Tonight proves that and more*.
(We also know now that Abigail can down a Smirnoff Ice on command in front of a sold-out Hammersmith Apollo. Elite superstar status confirmed.)*
