It's hard to believe that the second album from the UK's The Last Dinner Party only came out last year and by the way the sold out crowd of Hammerstein Ballroom was singing and vibing along to the songs, you'd think this one has been part of people's record collections for ages. The powerhouse band pulled out all the stops too, their elaborate stage set up a bit reminiscent of Chappell Roan's recent medieval castle on stage, brought flowing, gothic vibes that were accentuated with a rumpled curtain as a backdrop that enhanced their billowing sleeves and dresses which the audience also seemed to be decked out in to abundance. While Abigail Morris took the reigns on vocals for the majority of the night, watching them all together on stage made it much more apparent of how much they are in fact a band and all of their contributing parts really make each of their songs. Guitarists Lizzie Mayland and Emily Roberts let their parts rip, evocative solos flying high through the air while the crowd waved their arms in pure glee to sway along with the thumping riffs. While bassist Georgia Davies was sadly injured earlier in the tour and forced to miss the remaining shows, her bandmates paid tribute to her given it happened to be her birthday and the crowd even showed up with gifts for the fallen member. The communal aspect of the show was strong, clearly the songs triggering something deep for their fan base as people seemed riveted for the songs and ready to let loose when the big choruses hit. From "Count the Ways" to "The Scythe," the room was locked in and people above in the balconies were headbanging along as if this was the heaviest and most intense performance of their life. At various points, the floorboards were bending, caving to the passionate crowd who were jumping in such unison there may have been a moment or two where I looked at my friends to see if we all thought the ground might collapse below us. After playing us a new song, the band declared their final track of the night was up next and it was probably their biggest and most popular as well. To help make the moment special, Morris requested everyone put their phones away so we could all relish in the moment together and the crowd complied with raging fan fare. "Nothing Matters" erupted with fire and the band made it their strongest moment of the night without question. The baroque post-punk energy filling the room in a massive swell, it was theatrical as much as it was rock and roll, the energy a stupendous rush that lifted the crowd into the stratosphere. Returning to the stage to cover LCD Soundsystem's "New York I Love You But You're Brining Me Down" was a lovely surprise that had the room under a hush before they roared into "This is the Killer Speaking" to really close out the night. One final surge of the night that sent us all out on a high note that spilled out into the streets.
Set list:
01 "Agnus Dei"
02 "Count the Ways"
03 "The Feminine Urge"
04 "Caesar on a TV Screen"
05 "On Your Side"
06 "Second Best"
07 "I Hold Your Anger"
08 "Woman Is a Tree"
09 "Gjuha"
10 "Rifle"
11 "Big Dog"
12 "The Scythe"
13 "Sail Away"
14 "Sinner"
15 "My Lady of Mercy"
16 "Inferno"
17 "Knocking at the Sky" [New song]
18 "Nothing Matters"
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19 "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" [LCD Soundsystem cover]
20 "This Is the Killer Speaking"
21 "Agnus Dei"
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