The Last Dinner Party graced the stage at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer last night for an evening of frolicking and fabulousness.
Sir Chloe opened the evening on what was actually a glorious, if slightly mild summer’s night in Melbourne. I have mixed feelings about her set. Her music is great, dark pop, and the tracks worked well on a live stage, but her in-between song talking, which turned into – at times – rambling was just a little too much for a support slot. She’d often engage the front few rows in discussion while leaving the rest of us wondering what on Earth was going on. It may have worked at a headline show or a smaller venue (if anyone was at the night cat on Wednesday please let me know if it did) but when people haven’t really come to see you, and in a venue of that size, it left many disconnected and disengaged. I was too far from the stage to work out if she was actually drunk, or if it was all just an act, but it felt like a misstep and a lost opportunity to truly connect with a new audience. But I do have to give her props, as performing before an act as phenomenal as The Last Dinner Party must be nerve-wracking as hell.
The Last Dinner Party emerged just after 9pm to rapturous cheering and applause. Thankfully despite some manifestation, the predicted storm never came so spirits remained high and we all remained dry out on the lawn.
With a stage set up somewhere between my bedroom as a nine year old (not even joking, my bed had a lace canopy very similar to the stage awnings) and a early 90s pop music video – yep, I just realised both of these may be the same inspo – you don’t get a dramatic or overly choreographed performance. There’s no back screen with ever changing visuals or a team of dancers, but this band, just by themselves with some beautifully glorified lace and a little raised bridge, manage to offer a truly captivating performance.
Lead singer, Abigail Morris gives something that can be approximated to a Kate Bush/PJ Harvey hybrid. What she (and the band) takes from PJ is the ability to use the whole stage remarkably well, making the space work for different aspects of the performance and creating visual interest without an overly complicated series of theatrics (there’s no one hanging from the ceiling or coming up from a platform in the ground). While all together less polished than Harvey’s show was, this is actually part of their endearing charm. What Abigail takes from Kate is an ability to appear entirely encapsulated in the music she is performing. A freedom on stage that appears so genuine you can’t help but get swept along with it.
This band’s audience engagement is also one of the finest I’ve ever seen. I’ve struggled to put my finger on why, but it’s something akin to a primary school show and tell. At several periods during the show, Abigail goes into the pit just in front of the audience, accepting gifts or drawing tattoos; at another moment bass player Georgia Davies calls on signs she can see and asks for an explanation. But here’s the thing that makes it wonderful – and pay attention here if you’re aspiring to do this – they narrate what’s going on. They hold it up, tell us what the gifts are, take them onto the stage (and huge props to the camera person for their ability to keep up with this too which significantly helped the overall narrative) and draw everyone in. They become storytelling moments, and they’re inclusive. It’s like sitting down with a group of people you don’t really know and them explaining their inside jokes to you. And you know they’re doing this well when the rest of the audience is silent, people aren’t running off to get another drink or to quickly hit the bathroom, thousands of people are just standing there watching Abigail draw a tattoo for someone.
I also adored the band’s ability to give every member a moment in the spotlight. I did not fully appreciate the level of talent in this band (yes, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them before, yes I clearly wasn’t paying attention, yes this happens often) and the seamless transition between different people taking the lead and being comfortable to do so was lovely. It could easily have created jarring moments or a disconnect but it enmeshed together seamlessly.
The same can be said for the show as a whole – the flow of the set was clearly carefully planned and considered. Quieter acoustic moments were interspersed with bolder and more well known tracks. They kept the evening entertaining but never drifted too far from their core purpose of showcasing tracks from their latest album, From The Pyre. Their rockier new track Knocking at the Sky was dropped in the middle of the most well known tracks where audience energy was at its highest. Their two albums meshed well together for live performance and it was an incredible show that I’d urge everyone to see if they get the opportunity.
I think my take away word for the night would be genuine. From the beautiful relationship of the band on stage, to the heartfelt welcome to country, and the poignant gratitude to their fans, you walk away from the evening a bigger supporter of the band than where you started.
Find out more about The Last Dinner Party here.