The Last Dinner Party is a once-in-a-generation band that transcends the boundaries of a musical act. They are a spectacle. 

Wrapping up their North American tour in Los Angeles, The Last Dinner Party stopped by The Fonda on August 10th for one last show, before returning home to London. I had the honor of photographing the show, and while I was there, one photographer compared them to a modern-day, female-fronted Queen. Something anyone would agree with after witnessing a performance of “Caesar on a TV Screen”. Front woman Abigail Morris has all of the magnetism and flare of Freddie Mercury, yet she and the band are anything but derivative. The band’s unique twist of Catholic themes and imagery, social commentary, and heavy-hitting vocals and production has breathed fresh air into the lungs of music.

Everything was perfectly in place for The Last Dinner Party’s arrival. The stage had been set with two banners on each end, showcasing the band’s bow-and-arrow-wielding cherub logo. The Fonda was filled with fans styled in the band’s signature baroque-inspired aesthetic. And on the stage, where each member would soon be standing, were bottles of Peroni and glasses of red wine. 

Then, with the lights dimmed, the band took the stage to “Prelude to Ecstasy”, the instrumental title track to their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy. The audience erupted and as they transitioned into “Burn Alive”, every voice sang along so passionately as if the words were being pulled from their chests.

The set list consisted of their entire debut album but also featured “Second Best”, an unreleased track written by guitarist Emily Roberts. The song, about being made to feel second best in a relationship and finally reaching a breaking point, is dripping with the angst we have come to know and love from The Last Dinner Party. 

The energy eventually settled in the venue in preparation for “Gjuha”, a song written and performed by the band’s keyboardist, Aurora Nishevci. The song, which is titled in Albanian, means “tongue”. Having grown up in England, Nishevci prefaced that the lyrics reflect the shame she feels for not knowing her mother tongue. At center stage, Morris provided harmonies, watching with a look of admiration as Nishevci gave a performance that was both hypnotically tense and hauntingly beautiful. 

The band also shouted out the opening act King Isis, who had been touring with them. Morris said that they heard King Isis’ cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” during their opening set, and felt inspired to add a cover to their setlist. The band then broke into a lively and joy-filled performance of Sparks’ 1974 glam rock song “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us”. 

Finally, they announced the second unreleased track of the set, “Big Dog”, which has quickly become my most anticipated release, with its harsh rock sound and biting lyrics. Morris threw herself around the stage in true rockstar fashion, falling to her knees and delivering incredible vocals as the crowd waited for her next move.

They finished with the high energy, high angst track “My Lady of Mercy” before leaving the stage. Fans chanted for “one more song” and the band eventually returned for their “Yeehaw Interlude” with dramatic, synchronized steps across the stage. 

When Morris then announced that they had done a raffle for cowboy hats and called two winners, Sally and April to the stage, everyone looked a bit… confused. But there they were, Sally and April emerging from the floor to claim their prize. When the couple made it on the stage, the band embraced them and stood aside as a proposal unfolded. The band raised glasses of wine, wiped tears, and finished the moment with a group hug with the couple. I was later told that this had been months in the making. One message to the band’s Instagram account and the rest was history.

Eventually, Morris pointed out that there had been one song left to perform, and everyone knew what they were in for. “Nothing Matters”, The Last Dinner Party's most popular song, welcomed King Isis back to the stage with their band. She serenaded the crowd alongside Morris, the two in an embrace. Guitarist Lizzie Mayland crossed the stage to play with their bandmates, while King Isis’ drummer kneeled before bassist Georgia Davies as she played. The newly engaged couple danced with the bands as everyone sang, and quite literally frolicked across the stage, in what felt like the end scene of a feel-good movie. This was the high note we all wanted to leave on if we did, in fact, have to leave at all.