Swaggering Show-Womanship: The Last Dinner Party at LIVE HOUSE Dundee
Zoë Paddock
The Last Dinner Party are inarguably devastatingly cool. They are the modern face of baroque poeticism.
These may seem like grandiose terms, I admit, but they capture the band's potent blend of St Trinian-esque punkness with a sprawling array of artistic references. The group describe themselves in language borrowed from art history. In an interview with Rolling Stone, bassist Georgia Davies said they label themselves using “aesthetic words that you might use to describe a painting, like opulent or decadent or grotesque”.
Their first album possesses a similar pictorial quality. Released in 2024, Prelude to Ecstasy is a series of striking images. Whether it’s the arresting Promethean tableau of being a “dark red liver stretched out on the rocks” in ‘Burn alive’ (track two) or the Catholic transgressiveness of the line “I want to take your picture, picture me in bed , under your crucifix, under your long black hair” in ‘My Lady of Mercy’ (track nine).
Their latest album, From the Pyre, takes their poetic sensibilities in a new direction. It merges pagan chanting, ethereal ‘80s rock and music hall ditties in a surprisingly cohesive manner. I experienced the album, in full, at LIVE HOUSE in Dundee on 22nd October. I have never been to a gig where a band played exclusively from one album – let alone one released mere days before. Presented by Assai Records, who have a much-treasured store in Dundee, the evening felt like an indulgent listening party for romantically inclined adults.
Photo by Derek Ridgers
In an unexpected way, LIVE HOUSE proved the perfect backdrop for The Last Dinner Party’s Gothic swagger. The site, a converted bingo hall with the feel of a high spec cinema, provided an intriguing contrast between modernity and nostalgia. Dundee also held particular resonance for the band; they dedicated their new song ‘Second Best’ to a Dundonian named Malcolm. He had attended every one of The Last Dinner Party’s Scottish gigs, embraced the band even before their first album was released and dressed fittingly flamboyantly on every occasion. He sadly passed away at the start of the year and the band gave a moving tribute to him. For me, it cemented what LIVE HOUSE stands for: it “isn’t just built for events – it’s built for moments that move people”.
The new album presents a greater range of emotion than its predecessor. Prelude to Ecstasy was a bohemian, melodramatic masterpiece akin to A Night at the Opera by Queen. The songs in From the Pyre move along an emotional spectrum ranging from wistful ( ‘Sail Away’, ‘The Scythe’) , ennui (‘Inferno’, ‘Agnus Dei’) to hauntingly seething (‘Woman is a Tree’, ‘Second Best’, ‘Rifle’). The Last Dinner Party navigated the different energies of these songs with ease.
The contrast between the contemplative ‘Sail Away’, with its operatic, maritime softness, and the frenetic Western themed finale ‘This is the Killer Speaking’ dazzlingly exhibited the band’s prowess and range. We went from silent awe to flicking our heels. The gig showcased the best of The Last Dinner Party’s lyricism and sonic power, whilst signposting LIVE HOUSE as a revitalised cultural centre for Dundee.
