Concert review: The Last Dinner Party serves up hits like Nothing Matters at Vancouver's Vogue Theatre (2024)

There are shows that everyone talks about long after they happened. Last night’s sold out concert by the Last Dinner Party hit that note.

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The buzzed about Brixton quintet proved that it is not only capable of living up to, or eclipsing, its reviews. It is also not going to be seen in a venue that size for again any time soon.

From the opening classical notes which opens the band’s expansive and flamboyant debut Prelude to Ecstasy to the final notes of the third encore Nothing Matters, the band was in complete control of the room, the crowd and presenting its particularly engaging brand of modern, glam-drizzled Brit Pop.

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Considering its short three year-long existence, the group owns a stage like it was born to be on one.

Credit the dynamic pipes and physicality of lead singer Abilgail Morris and the locked-in backing harmony vocals of twirling bassist Georgia Davies, guitarist and vocalist Lizzie Mayland, keyboardist Aurora Nishevici and touring drummer Rebekay Rayner for being as tight as anyone could desire. Then reserve a special place for powerhouse lead guitarist/flute player/mandolinist and harmony singer Emily Roberts for absolutely shredding the whole set.

Without doubt, this is a band on the way up.

Not only did it bounce to a venue ten times the size of its original booking in town for its debut, but songs such as the slinky Feminine Urge or upbeat, bopping Sinner are already late for arenas. The band is already playing them at home.

Trust me, if it keeps this level of songwriting and performance, the quintet is going to be huge.

Sadly, it might have to ride the ramp up with its cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game to get there. Because, even after the stellar performance last night, I still heard someone noting how “they can really rock for girls” on the way out the door. An undebatable single will clear that tedium out of the air and often some classic hit is how groups get there.

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The Last Dinner Party certainly comes across as a band that spent more time enjoying Savages, the xx or timeless acts like Sparks than worrying about which semi-talented junkie guitarist from the punk era was the best. In other words, they rock. Get over it.

The rest of the fans could revel in how great My Lady Mercy brings Catholic schoolgirl experiences into a heavy harmony blast that could have topped charts in any number of eras. Maybe with some auto-tuning in the remix it could do it again today.

This is most certainly not Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, but it is a band that will probably have a lot of other ‘girls who can rock’ forming groups to blow up the tedious rock patriarchy. It needs all the help it can get as country music outsells it these days.

The Last Dinner Party can certainly write a good kiss-my-whatever sendoff to past partners while still managing crafting mesmerizing four or five part harmonies in their arrangements as well. Ideas like that are refreshing and fun.

Prelude to Ecstasy is the debut album from U.K. band the Last Dinner Party. Released on Universal Music Canada, the group tours in 2024. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Morris is perfect front person material.

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Not only does the singer have a powerful and projecting instrument, Morris flings into the audience and hype it like a carny tout with chops sharp enough to make a Blackpool promenade pro bow down in approval. One can’t help but wonder if the music biz isn’t already working on positioning the vocalist as the Main Dish in future.

Hopefully not too soon, as the way the group could move from the short Armenian language folk ditty Gjuha to the upbeat pulse of the addictive Cesar On a TV Screen, is something that deserves time to develop into a multi-album legacy at the least. There is some really unique songwriting going on in Prelude to Ecstasy which it would be great to hear more of. The one new tune the band dropped into the show last night was suitably catchy.

Clearly, the place to look for great rock n’ roll right now is the U.K., specifically to female fronted bands such as Dry Cleaning, Wet Leg, Picture Parlour and others. And, yeah dude, these women rock.

The Last Dinner Party served up a full meal deal and more. Better yet, they kept it short.

Let’s hope this gig marks a return to the concise, quality shows bands like My Bloody Valentine, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and others served up in the nineties. Like movies, concerts have got too long.

sderdeyn@postmedia.com

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