Don't Judge a Rock Band by Its Clickbait: Why The Last Dinner Party Demands Attention, Not Derogation

Join me as I explore the undeserved criticism faced by The Last Dinner Party, the UK's rising stars of rock music. This thoughtpiece delves into the realities of their journey, from honing their craft in intimate venues to captivating audiences with their energetic live performances. Go beyond the clickbait and see these talented women for who they truly are: a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Words: Philip Giouras

Everyone has an opinion on BRITs Rising Star winners The Last Dinner Party right now. The indie quintet rocketed into the cultural discourse following the release of their debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ last year. Since then they’ve toured with the likes of Hozier, First Aid Kit and their idol Florence Welch, they’ve amassed critical acclaim, a devoted fanbase and received adoration from peers such as Jessie Ware and Sophie Ellis Bextor.

Last week, an old quote placed into a new article, out of context, and attributed to the wrong band member, unsurprisingly stirred up a hungry crowd that had been drooling at the prospect of tearing the five women down. That’s not to say you have to enjoy or like every artist you hear. Criticism itself is a vital part of art and journalism. It’s disappointing however when people can’t separate their dislike or indifference and the discourse escalates into hate and vitriol. When it comes to female acts as well, a demographic that faces enough struggles as it is being taken seriously within their field, genre or receiving adequate festival billings, it’s disappointing to say the least.

It’s no exaggeration to say sexism has played a large part in the criticism thrown at The Last Dinner Party and the fellow surge of female-led rock acts such as Picture Parlour, Panic Shack and Wet Leg. It’s been used as a filter to critique their rising popularity, image or even undeniable success (The Last Dinner Party recently earned the biggest debut album by a group in a decade). As mentioned, this antagonistic discussion started from the very first moment ‘Nothing Matters’ was released and hasn’t relented since. It peaked last year around the discussion of the group being labeled ‘Industry plants’, an unfounded accusation thrown largely and regularly at female bands. It was nonsensical when you take into account their years of playing the small venue circuit in London, slowly honing their craft.

I’d love to ask the people hankering for the group to fail, one simple question, have you seen them perform? Way back in last May I squeezed into the crowded and energetic Moles in Bath. The music venue, which has tragically since closed, has been a cultural touchpaper responsible for igniting the careers of groups such as The Smiths, Massive Attack, Oasis, Radiohead, Foals, Wolf Alice and Bastille to name just a few from over the decades.

With their debut single released just a month earlier I entered a gig full of unknowns. Over an exhilarating forty minutes, I experienced almost the entirety of their recently released debut album ‘Prelude to Ecstacy’ almost a year in advance, in its purest form. Tracks like ‘Sinner’, ‘Burn Alive’ and ‘My Lady of Mercy’ immediately sunk their teeth into me and I witnessed the effect they had on this young and fervent crowd which was enamored with the band. Let me reiterate, this is a crowd surrounded by brand new and previously unheard material, a feat even seasoned touring bands and the world's biggest artists struggle to manage.

Their performance even back then was incredibly slick, with lead singer Abigail Morris segueing between choreographed moves and impromptu crowd interaction. Over the last year, it’s been a joy to witness the band flourish even further. The entire group have taken what was an already exceptional live performance to another level. The basics have been finetuned and their choreo is now polished to perfection. For some groups, it can leave them feeling too performative, robotic or dare I say just too clean and perfect, but this is where The Last Dinner Party are clever.

With all areas of their set sharp and tidy, it has left room for improvisation. There’s space within the performance for Morris to dive into the bustling tide of the crowd. She’ll reach out earnestly to caress the eager young faces gleaming back at her, she’ll let out an unpredictable arm swing, or dive to the floor caressing the mic stand. As their performances have evolved, so has the crowd. To witness a Last Dinner Party show at present is to witness a communal experience. The crowd scream along to every ad-lib, dance wildly and feed off the group's ecstasy, proving their album title is no illusion.

I genuinely haven’t experienced a live atmosphere like it since the heyday of Arcade Fire. Both groups have that crackling spark that lingers in the air at their show, one where the joy that exists on stage so effortlessly transmits into a crowd that will bounce in unison to every guitar riff or power note exuded by Morris. The frequently mentioned ‘Nothing Matters’ echoes audience reactions I haven’t witnessed since Arcade Fire’s ‘Rebellion (Lies)’. 

It’s perhaps fitting then that a powerful female group such as The Last Dinner Party has taken on Arcade Fire’s euphoric live mantle since the Candian’s reputation was disgraced by the actions of frontman Win Butler. Ten years ago I screamed at the top of my lungs, surrounded by peers to each and every word of the Canadian rock group, and now it’s an utter delight a decade later to see teenagers seemingly bewitched as they whip their hair, flail their limbs and roar along to ‘Nothing Matters’ earworm of an outro. It’s a new generation of rock music and I for one am glad to see women leading the charge. 

I’ll conclude on the following point. There is an old saying ‘walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’ before you judge them. To that, I say, ‘go watch The Last Dinner Party live before you criticise them’.