The Last Dinner Party / The Bodega / Nottingham
I love the Bodega in Nottingham. It’s a small intimate venue which has hosted some amazing up and coming acts over the years, including the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine, Imelda May, The Kooks, Mumford and Sons, Snow Patrol, The Strokes and The White Stripes, just to name a few. The atmosphere is always amazing, and tonight, we’re in town to see one of THE most talked about bands of 2023 The Last Dinner Party, following the online success of their debut single Nothing Matters.
First up in support we have Slow County from Manchester. And what a nice surprise was instore for us, with an Alternative / Folk Rock inspired set of ballads mixed with more indy-toned tracks. Joined part way through by Manchester based singer/songwriter Yasmin Coe for a track. The tracks have an emotional quality to them, with some delicate well written lyrics. Pick of the bunch for me was the excellent Mother and best of all Amy Stew, soft, slow and oh so emotional.
A really great start to the night, and with the doors opening half an hour late, there was a good sized crowd in to enjoy their set, and it certainly went down well.
Set List
TIG2H
Longing
Walking Song
Mother
Red Wine
Amy Stew
2x1
The usual break to quickly retrieve all their gear from the stage, and for the headliners crew to move everything on, and set it all up, and we were ready for The Last Dinner Party.
The Last Dinner Party (TLDP) have been working hard, establishing themselves first and foremost as an authentic live band first before putting out any material. Consisting of five core members in Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (guitar & vocals), Emily Roberts (guitar), Georgia Davies (bass) and Aurora Nishevci (keyboards) it’s hard to compare them to anything else really. Visually they have the appearance of a female bohemian travelling folk group, with comparisons to Kate Bush’s early look, and for me singers like Julianne Regan from All About Eve, but then with a sound and presence of modern acts such as Dream Wife, but mixed with the energy and attitude of something like CLT DRP and the complex genre bending style of Black Country New Road. 2023 has the shaping of being a defining year for the band, and early indications are it’s going to be just that, following their outstanding debut performance at Glastonbury packing out the Woodsies Stage, this headline tour, a supporting act for Hozier, too, and hopefully a debut album in the works. Bring it all on !
What impressed me, was for a band with only two singles, it certainly felt as the set progressed that each and every track was as good as the last, and this was not a one hit wonder, but a band that’s worked hard on their material, and who set themselves high standards. The opener Burn Alive was
Fast and energetic and had the sold out, packed crowd cheering right form the off followed by Caesar on a TV Screen which is a blazing foot stomping track if ever there was one, and the beautiful On Your Side.
The quality continues through Feminine Urge and Beautiful Boy which really showcases Abigail as a star in the making. She has a wonderful stage persona with a brilliant mix of Wuthering Heights innocence with formidable sense of power in her performance, owning the stage and interacting effortlessly with the audience
Musically, that time spent perfecting their live performances comes over as time very well spent, spot on in every department.
One of the highlights of the set has to be Gjuha sung by keyboardist Aurora along with Morris. The word gjuhë translates as language or tongue and is a nod to her Albanian heritiage. It’s an emotional heartfelt track, and I guess a sense of longing for home. Exquisite from start to finish.
Up next is their latest release Sinner which is fully charged full of static and sexual energy, a tension between the yearning for a friendship and deep attachment, and a lustful longing for what could be. This is where TLDP meet CLT DRP full on with their flamboyance and energy set to max. It’s an absolute belter of a track live and has the crowd bouncing and joining in with the lyrics.
Perhaps my favourite track was Portrait of a Dead Girl which is followed by Mirror with its dramatic bass, and slower drum track, and at one point the music goes quiet leaving Morris’s voice hold the crowd in absolute awe.
But how else could the set end, but with Nothing Matters which brings the night to a rousing close. The crowd have loved every minute of this one tonight and are in full force for the final number, singing and dancing (as much as they could bearing in mind the size of the crowd). The atmosphere was incredible.
We started by asking the question in the title…. Worth the hype ? Well the answer to that is very simple – YES ! This is not some record company produced project, but a genuinely innovative and creative bunch, honing their skills in the whirlpool of live shows. Something that feels old, and yet modern and fresh, with an innocence and yet a subtle lustful energy to it.
The Last Dinner Party are a band on the rise, and one to watch out for. If you get the chance, go see them, so you can tell others how you ‘were there when they played at….. in the early days’
Set List
Burn Alive
Caesar on a TV Screen
On Your Side
Feminine Urge
Beautiful Boy
Gjuha
Sinner
Portrait of a Dead Girl
Mirror
My Lady of Mercy
Nothing Matters
