The Last Dinner Party at Roundhouse: A triumphant show to a lacklustre reception
On the eve of their album release, The Last Dinner Party played to a sold-out Roundhouse as the next step of their fast and fascinating rise. Cementing their new star status from minute one to the final bows, the band are no longer rising; they’re shining at the very top. In terms of sound and substance, the show was a triumph, but one a lacklustre crowd didn’t seem to deserve
This was my eighth time seeing the band, which is baffling. From their infamous Rolling Stones support slot back when they were just The Dinner Party to a pub gig at The George Tavern, their debut headline tour to supporting Hozier in an arena, I’ve now seen the band play every size and style of show possible. Whether it was a festival slot, an opening act or their own billing, each time has only affirmed their position as one of the most exciting acts around.
Together, the band boasts a captivating energy. Not only are they exciting to watch on stage, but lead singer Abigail Morris commands rooms with her effortless frontmanship. Their songs have an almost magic in them, meaning that even after seeing them perform once or twice before, their crowd will be singing along to songs that aren’t even out yet.
In the smaller rooms of Hackney’s Oslo or Earth, the atmosphere was electric as fans descended to the venue in full costumes, ready to worship at the new band’s altar. The entire crowd seemed to dance like it was some sort of ritual, and I was more than happy to be a part of it. But at Camden’s Roundhouse, with their new high production stage design, orchestral additions and 800 people in the crowd, extending far before the loyal followers of early shows, there was a disconnect.
It feels like a boring critique to say that as a band has grown more successful, they’ve lost their way. I wouldn’t even go that far for The Last Dinner Party as they are more than capable of playing to – and managing – big rooms in terms of sound. The letdown of the night came from the people who had paid for tickets to stand completely and utterly still, refusing to engage even when it came to the band’s limited-released tracks.
Maybe the mistake was that their debut album victory lap was scheduled for the night before. I’m sure if the show happened after the record’s release, more voices would rise to sing along, and more feet might move once people knew the tracks. But as the setlist was obviously packed with unreleased tracks, and as the fans who know these songs through older shows and enduring dedication were diluted in the mass, the energy being fed back to the band from the crowd was lacklustre.
My disappointment feels like it comes on the band’s behalf. The Last Dinner Party clearly saw this Roundhouse show as the opening to a new and bigger era. The stage was dressed with elaborate decor, with a looming white veil. The lighting was perfectly directed to give the songs the drama they deserve. During the encore, a small orchestra even joined the band to play through the album’s ‘Prelude’ and then into ‘Godzilla’, an early song that people who managed to see the band back in their pub gig days would know well. It felt like a vision into the seemingly inevitable future when the band continue to rise and scale up. They’re an act that deserves it all as they seem to set their sights on a Florence and the Machine path that merges ethereal artistry with huge-scale venues.
The stage looked wonderful, the band sounded outstanding, and the songs are beyond impressive. So why did the crowd seemingly not respond to any of it? Even when upbeat singles ‘Sinner’, ‘Caesar On A TV Screen’ and ‘My Lady Of Mercy’ were played, feet stayed still, and the band struggled to even coax a clap from the audience.
The only blame to perhaps lay at the band’s feet is for the strange setlist. At all prior shows, their entrance has been utterly epic. A swelling orchestral overture usually welcomes them to the stage before diving into album opener ‘Burn Alive’, a track that builds from sensual intrigue into a roaring full-band finish. It was designed to get the blood pumping and instantly won over crowds. But at the Roundhouse, the girls walked silently onto the stage and sang acapella for a moment as the room hushed. They opened with ‘Beautiful Boy’, a track that is beautiful and effective as a midpoint but felt like a limp beginning that maybe the crowd never came back from.
But the major issue seemed to come from the inevitable effect of rapid growth and an ever-building hype. People bought tickets to see what all the fuss was about, no doubt, with some people hoping to be able to leave and declare the band not worth it, as some fans love to do with female-hyped artists especially. The ‘6 Music Dad’ crowd was out in full force, with one man behind me saying, “I hear that one song all the time”. Without the album out in the world yet to know and memorise, the band felt tarnished by the “that one song” curse as the crowd stood still, unwilling to simply vibe and undoubtedly waiting for ‘Nothing Matters’.
Watching the band’s growth over the past year has been exciting. Their shows have always felt like historic events marking the rise of a special band, with an air that fans wanted to be there to cement themselves in the legacy early and were more than keen to dive in, dance and get involved. Now the band are big, the album is here, and the venues are growing; I only hope that their crowds step it up and their early energy can endure.
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