26 February 2024 (gig)
26 February 2024
Whether it be down to hype, or the buzz around the just released debut album or right time right place theory, The Last Dinner Club are just about the most talked about band of the moment. The scramble for tickets to catch them live on this, their first a European tour has been tumultuous thanks to high demand and the fact they are playing small clubs. Indeed tonight’s gig at the Santeria Toscana 31 club in Milan is sold out instantly , hardly surprising as holds about 500 max.
The band, Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass), and Aurora Nishevci (keyboards, vocals) formed in 2021 and released their first single ‘Nothing Matters’ in April 2023. It barely reached Top 20 in the UK and less so around the world, and yet its chorus with the lines “and you can hold me , like he held her, and I will f**k you like nothing matters “ has taken hold of festival crowds all over and the video has been watched in its millions. Lyrics that turn the tables in this #MeTwo era inside a delectable pop tune. The debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ is chockablock of bangers, almost progressive pop alla Queen, with changing time signatures, haunting atmospherics almost Floydian to my ears, and lots of catchy choruses. Abigail has a Siouxsie style delivery that spells trouble and angst adding to the mystique and the necessity of it all.
It’s a warm dry night in Milan but it’s all smiles at the Santeria with lots of young girls and boys drinking and as we are in Italy, smoking, outside. The Milanese crowd is a very friendly LGBTQ one and fill up the place at the dot of 21.30 when the band scheduled to come on at that time surprise everyone by actually doing so. The five are set up in a line on stage with touring drummer Rebekah Rayner behind. Well, the setlist is the same as the other European dates and will probably stay the summer for the US tour and the UK tour in the autumn. It is basically the album played in a different sequence. No new songs, no covers; really more of a showcase than an actual gig. The band are still learning their chops onstage so no room for individual improv or sudden blood rushes to the head band jamming. Still, don’t get me wrong, they are all clearly blown away to play these songs, their songs, in different European cities where enthusiastic crowds seems to know most of their lyrics and sing along with them. But their is a certain rigidity to the live show at the moment which meant I personally wasn’t really moved emotionally.
However, what is certain is that Abigail is without doubt an absolute star. Engaging, quite frivolous, carefree and theatrical as she dances around the stage, caressing and cajoling her fellow band mates; such a beautiful smile and so very anxious to involve the fans in the show by getting them to sing along, accepting their gifts of flowers and drawings with grace and sincerity . She is a damn good singer, her demeanour and delivery pleasantly soft but then able to belt it out in the choruses. Abigail is a natural and definitely the lasting memory of tonight’s show. Emily is most clearly the most talented musician in the band playing some nice guitar throughout.
They close the set with ‘Nothing Matters’ and then after just 50 minutes on stage, they take the applause,thank the crowd profusely and depart. Most people don’t really seem to mind that by 22.20 it’s all over, considering tickets were a reasonable 25€; not that bad really but personally I would have liked them to risk a little bit more in the performance. The band deserve more than the slander of “Industry Plants” and such,but what we have so far is a great debut album and a brilliant frontperson, but that is fine enough for now. They are a band and that is unusual in pop’s singer only stance of late so let’s follow the TLDC project with fingers crossed.
