THE LAST DINNER PARTY: DUNDEE, UK
As The Last Dinner Party brought their run of out-stores to Dundee, the band’s resuscitative performance drew a rapturous response, not just for the spectacle, but for From The Pyre itself.
With their sophomore album, which had been released just five days prior, The Last Dinner Party faced the daunting task of following their critically acclaimed debut, Prelude To Ecstasy, which had taken the indie scene by chokehold. Remarkably, they not only met that challenge but surpassed it. This collection of quaint yet enormously presented stories deftly sidesteps the usual second-album traps. The band neither bows to mainstream expectation nor retreats into indie cliché; instead, they take Prelude To Ecstasy’s most brilliant and singular moments, expanding them into forty-five minutes of engrossing drama.
The London-formed art-rockers personified ‘album launch’ with their seamless traversal of From The Pyre. Opening with the records cinematic prelude, ‘Angus Dei’, the band, suited in Victorian dress, set the stage for the album’s deadly hook, ‘Count The Ways’. From The Pyre’s immersive production - courtesy of Markus Dravs - found itself vividly realised on stage through this track. Frontwoman Abigail Morris delicately weaved along the punchy bassline as she delivered the eerie lyrics: “On my deathbed / Raise my eyes up to the Lord / I know you’ll come just when I call” with Oscar-worthy dictation.
There are two things that stand out above all else in any The Last Dinner Party gig, and the first is, of course, Abigail Morris’ vocals. An ability to sing is easy to overlook in rock music, and a lot of the time rightly so. But Morris is extraordinary. The theatre, and the pageantry present in The Last Dinner Party’s music wouldn’t be so absorbing without the poignant beauty with which she delivers each and every line.
The second standout is a natural extension of this: the spellbinding cohesion with which the band performs as one. Their harmonies are gospel-like, their breakdowns so meticulously rehearsed they feel effortless, and yet every moment remains unmistakably live. How many great bands still receive mediocre live reviews? How many leave songs out of their sets because they can’t master them live? It’s difficult to imagine The Last Dinner Party ever coming under such criticism.
This fusion of talents reaches its peak in ‘Rifle’, which is in fact led by Yorkshire-born guitarist Lizzie Mayland. The song’s shifting pace and evolving harmonies build to a French-spoken bridge, placing both Mayland and Morris squarely in the spotlight.
The only song missing from The Last Dinner Party’s From The Pyre play-through was lead single, and instant hit, ‘This Is The Killer Speaking’, which had been saved for last. The explosive western tale was a fitting finale, giving a captivated Scottish crowd the chance to let go for a final four minutes.
The main From The Pyre tour kicks off in November across the UK and Ireland before the band takes it global. Tickets are still available, for now.
Josh Parsonage
★★★★★