The last time London-formed The Last Dinner Party performed in Newcastle, it was shortly before the band took a well-deserved health break. As the group said during the show, they were aching to get back to the stage, and they showed the Geordie faithful they’ve only gotten better since then.
Newcastle’s own Imogen and the Knife opened the show with a homecoming applause. The band showcased an exceptional mix of genres, displaying anything from hard-hitting punk rock to the wandering ballad ‘If It Won’t Talk of Rain’. The latter, a musing on growing up in the North East region, was one of a number of displays of lead singer Imogen Williams’ excellent vocal range.
Then The Last Dinner Party took to the stage, opening their eclectic and energetic set with ‘Agnus Dei’, as a packed O2 City Hall hung on to every word. The show was predominantly a display of their recent sophomore release ‘From the Pyre’, but the outstanding first record ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ was certainly given it’s flowers, and that’s where I think the night truly reached it’s pinnacles.
There were a barrage of highlights to mention, namely the enchanting, choral performance of ‘Gjuha’, prefaced by an insightful speech by the band’s Aurora Nishevci on reconnecting with the language and culture of her family, being of Albanian descent.
The band also gave fan favourite song ‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’ it’s tour debut, with lead-singer Abigail Morris’ impressive performance being echoed by a lively crowd, who were sure to belt every last word of the anthemic chorus, so much that the singer remarked the Geordie crowd ‘might have put that one back on the set list’.
Whilst the enchanting show displayed just how much all 5 members have grown and matured into exceptional on stage performers, to accompany their remarkable musical talent, they have always shown their maturity outside of the musical space. This was compounded by the bands’ short pause to address the re-establishing of ‘Ribbons for Provisions’, their partnership with food donation group Bankuet. Morris went on to announce that £6,000 had already been raised as of this show, a sign that maybe there is still some good in the music industry after all.
‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘This is the Killer Speaking’ brought the show to a phenomenal climax, as the set list truly made the fans wait to belt out the rocking hits whilst the band paraded around the stage, enjoying it just as much as the adoring audience. The togetherness radiates from the group, and as much as they have faced undeserved criticism for their silver-spoon upbringings, everyone was equally alive in the Pyre.
