The Last Dinner Party – Hebden Bridge Trades Club (4/3/24)

Every so often you get your timing absolutely spot on and get to witness an artist where they are just at the point of transitioning from much talked about underground phenomenon into global megastars. That was the fortune that I had when getting to see The Last Dinner Party performing at the Hebden Bridge Trades Club early in 2024.

With their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy crashing straight to the top of the UK album charts and the subsequent twenty-two date national tour of medium sized venues selling out within days, it already felt that their days of performing at two hundred capacity venues should have been behind them. But thanks to Brits Week in aid of War Child a one off appearance at Hebden Bridge Trades Club had been arranged, which somehow I’d beaten the queues to get tickets for.

With an audience comprising young hipsters and Trades Club regulars the band strode confidently on stage shortly before nine and launched straight into opener Burn Alive. The album may have only been out a handful of weeks but the audience seemed to know every lyric – Caesar on a TV Screen‘s verse about feeling like an emperor with cities to burn already taking on iconic standing.

Asides from the music, it was frontperson Abigail Morris that provided a captivating presence throughout, her theatrical flourishes meaning that eyes were focussed on her throughout. And as My Lady of Mercy entered it’s thrilling breakdown her and bassist Georgia Davis climbed into the crowd as the song build up to its crescendo.

With only a limited back catalogue to fall back on the set climaxed after an hour with a euphoric rendition of Nothing Matters. I suspect every member of the audience left with the same feeling as I did, that they’d witnessed something special from a band destined for greater things and larger stages.

In the six months since the gig The Last Dinner Party’s star has continued to burn yet more brightly, capped by a stunning performance at Glastonbury where tens of thousands of fans were won over by a band with the swagger and musicianship of veterans. As long as they can avoid the curse of the second album it won’t be long till they are headlining festivals and selling out arenas around the globe. But I’ll always have the memories of seeing them perform to a couple of hundred people on a rainy March night in Hebden Bridge.

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The Last Dinner Party Performed:

Burn Alive
Caesar on a TV Screen
The Feminine Urge
Beautiful Boy
Up North
On Your Side
Gjuha
Sinner
Second Best
Portrait of a Dead Girl
Mirror
My Lady of Mercy
Godzilla
Nothing Matters

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Youtube Highlight of the Evening: What else but finale Nothing Matters (courtesy of Sam Wilkies) – watch out for the swearies those who don’t like bad language!