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Review & Setlist: Royale hosts The Last Dinner Party as Britain’s buzziest band has its Boston debut
Some impressions from the Hub's introduction to the all-women combo that seems to be taking over the world.
The Last Dinner Party at Royale, Boston, March 24, 2024
If you were to venture down Tremont street last Sunday night, the sights and sounds would have resembled the likes of a gothic renaissance fair, or perhaps a Midsummer celebration. Girls in billowing dresses, adorned with flower crowns, bows, corsets, and lace categorized the attire donned by excited fans that made their way to the Royale. For Boston was cordially invited to The Last Dinner Party: a scrumptious musical offering from the breakout band’s first-ever stop in a city that was delighted to welcome them.
The femme-fatale five-piece hails from the U.K. and is quickly ascending the stratosphere of fame as their star rises to extreme heights on the daily. With the release of their critically-acclaimed debut album “Prelude to Ecstasy” this January, the group has enchanted global audiences with their boisterous and theatrical offerings that fall somewhere in between romantic rock and Baroque pop.
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Britain’s newest export is taking on America with an imperative to conquer. Upon the tour’s announcement, Boston was one of the first of the 21-date run to sell out. The demand is high, and The Last Dinner Party continuously adds more seats to the table.
Composed of Abigail Morris (vocals), Emily Roberts (lead guitar), Lizzie Mayland (rhythm guitar), Georgia Davies (bass) and Aurora Nishevci (keyboards), the group has become Britain’s buzziest new band through their striking visual aesthetic and brazen approach to modern rock. Taking note from greats like David Bowie, Florence + The Machine, and Kate Bush, the band embraces each dramatic nuance and eccentric quirk that might otherwise pigeonhole them as camp or a fad.
Amidst such massive hype, it can often be difficult to gauge a band’s true imperative. While The Last Dinner Party may still be cast in the glow of their novelty and youth, there is nothing naive or fated about them, for they ultimately seem to be writing their own story. At their Boston debut, the band performed an hour-long set bristling with confidence, opulence and a grandeur that facilitated a true, encompassing experience.
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Historically, acts from the U.K. tend to feel a close camaraderie between Boston and England. Despite politics of bygone days, Boston often feels like a second home to touring British acts and subsequently is where they find their first U.S. market. Rooted in history and musical admiration, there is an invisible kinship that lures English acts back to the city they once controlled — and who is to say they don’t still?
On Sunday, frontwoman Abigail Morris strongly commanded the room with her sweeping vocals and theatricality, demonstrating an assertion well beyond her years. The ringleader of her musical circus, she led the band through fan-favorite tracks like the sumptuous “Sinner,” the blazing “My Lady of Mercy,” and the breakout hit that started it all, “Nothing Matters.”
“Got any people from Berklee in the house?” Morris asked with her signature Cheshire grin. “I’ll need help for this next bit. Actually, you all sound quite fantastic. You’re the loudest singing crowd we’ve ever had.”
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With a crowd ravenous for more, fans packed wall-to-wall and deafened the band with screams that left them taken aback. Securing a Boston fan base is no small feat, but by the end of the night, fans of all representations were wrapped around their finger. For a first visit, this response was something to behold.
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What cemented The Last Dinner Party as a band on the rise, you might ask? The answer is simple: their unabashed revivalism of music’s glory days. Alongside their own cultivated aesthetic and sound, their uninhibited revelry and prerogative to liberate is something taken straight from the ’60s, when algorithms didn’t dictate success and art was cherished as a holy sacrament. Despite the band’s viral sensationalism, their live show proves their place at the head of the table.
“We’ll be back very soon. We’re not done with you yet,” Morris promised at the end of the night. “Look after each other. Get home safe. And just remember … nothing matters.” Punctuating the night with a bravado that shook the Royale, The Last Dinner Party concluded their Mass. debut with a walloping feast for the senses. It’s evident Boston just witnessed legends in the making, and when they make their grand return, they certainly will not be playing clubs any longer.
Setlist for The Last Dinner Party at Royale, March 24, 2024
- Burn Alive
- Caesar on a TV Screen
- The Feminine Urge
- On Your Side
- Beautiful Boy
- Gjuha
- Sinner
- Portrait of a Dead Girl
- Mirror
- My Lady of Mercy
- Nothing Matters
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