Live review: The Last Dinner Party prove they are nothing short of brilliant

Words by Riyah Naik

This November, The Last Dinner Party returned to Manchester, bringing their largest UK tour thus far to Aviva Studios. The band previously played in Manchester just over a year before, performing two shows at O2 Victoria Warehouse while touring their debut album Prelude To Ecstasy, and have since expanded their fanbase tremendously.

By the show's design alone, the band's intent to step up their game becomes obvious, seeing a stage aptly fitting the world of The Last Dinner Party with huge curtains to complement the draped backdrop, and an elevated bed as part of the stage. Not to mention their individual outfits, meticulously styled and detailed with lace and ruffles which contributed to an overarching theme of regency.

The Last Dinner Party formed in London, and consist of five members with a touring drummer accompanying them at each venue, this time being Luca Caruso, known for his role in beabadoobee's band. Front-woman Abigail Morris took on an entirely different personality while performing: while belting songs or toying with the audience, her pull was inescapable, and all eyes were drawn to her.   The love and admiration the band have for each other not only as band members but as friends was also clear through banter and praise shared on stage. Their spirit is something the audience clearly noticed, and in turn is what brought out similar energy in return from the crowd.

Credit: Riyah Naik @ The Mancunion

The band opened with a strong start through 'Angus Dei', and although they had to restart due to a medical emergency in the crowd, they picked back up with the effortlessness of perfectly practiced performers. The harmonies of Morris, Lizzie Mayland, Georgia Davies, and Aurora Nishevici created a powerful and gratifying entrance. Instrumentalism throughout the show demonstrated their musicianship as well as performance abilities, and Prelude to Ecstasy single 'Caesar on a TV Screen' followed a few songs later with an eerie guitar solo.

The strength of the drums and vocals in 'Second Best' created an intense, palpitating atmosphere, and the band were very evidently polished, meaning they could be present on stage and engaged with the audience, embodying the pinnacle of true professionals. 'I Hold Your Anger' began with keyboardist Nishevci singing alone with a spotlight, exemplifying how each member got their own chance to shine.

'Woman is a Tree' was a highly anticipated appearance, with borderline terrifying opening and harmonies with inspiration drawing from shows such as Yellowjackets building a fervent atmosphere as the band members surrounded each other in a circle.

Morris demonstrated willingness to step back in her role as front-woman, demonstrated particularly in 'Rifle' which allowed Mayland a moment to flourish her vocal abilities. Unreleased fan favourite 'Big Dog' was a gigantic song, with eerie lights accompanying its powerful drums and rocky vocals by Morris that cultivated a posturing but heavy rock climax. Following this, 'Mirror' came as a beautiful ballad, ending with an astounding guitar solo by Emily Roberts, highlighting the variety in The Last Dinner Party's music.

Picking up the energy, 'The Scythe' brought the atmosphere to a soar with Morris dancing around on stage, no doubt enjoying herself and simply having fun. 'Sinner' was a crowd favourite as expected, again demonstrating how Mayland and Morris's vocals complement each other nicely. At last, The Last Dinner Party performed their magnum opus ‘Nothing Matters’, which received the biggest reaction from the crowd of the night. The 2023 track took on a mind of its own after its release, being widely used and loved on platforms such as TikTok: its popularity brought the energy and atmosphere to a high as the crowd mimicked the members energetic allure on stage to belt out this iconic song.

The band performed an encore of 'This is the Killer Speaking', which began with a dance class skit between Nishevci and Morris. Determined to continue to be the perfect crowd, audience members imitated the dance moves, making it a worthy encore and entertaining way to bring the show to a close before a cyclical reprise of 'Agnus Dei'.

Overall, the show was nothing short of brilliant, and it can only be urged that if the chance to see The Last Dinner Party live comes along, anyone should take it.

Listen to From the Pyre here.