Sometimes you watch a band and its difficult to believe that they made their live debut less than four years ago. Having emerged to a music scene finding its feet in the post-pandemic era at the end of 2021, The Last Dinner Party have gone from strength to strength in that time, rapidly building up a devoted fan base as they rose up festival bills, winning Best New Artist at the 2025 Brit Awards and establishing themselves as one of the big draws on the live music circuit. Whilst it took me till early 2024 to catch theme live (read my review of their Hebden Bridge Trade’s Club show here) their infectious performances meant that eighteen months later their visit to Sheffield’s Octagon to promote recently released second album The Pyre had somehow become my sixth time seeing them live.
As with all groups that have grown to iconic level, The Last Dinner Party mean more to the fans than just the music. Their baroque fashion sense was worn by large swathes of the audience, bringing a heightened sense of style and extravagance to the night. And many of those sporting the traditional gig going outfit of jeans and t-shirts had stylised their outfits with the Ribbons acquired as part of the charity drive in support of Bankuet the band had partnered for again this tour. Whilst pre-concert audiences always have a certain level of anticipation hanging over them, sometimes there’s an indescribable extra hum of excitement as they impatiently wait for their heroes to emerge, with passage to anywhere near the barrier blocked off long in advance of the start of the set.
Whilst the stage design was less elaborate than the moon lit display of last year’s autumn tour (pictures available in the review of the Manchester show here), if anything this directed even more focus on the band’s performance. Kicking off with Agnus Dei and Count the Ways, the opening tracks from their sophomore album, the night started on a high that never dipped. Performing for over a hundred minutes, the set comprised almost all of the band’s released material, the absence of anything resembling filler showing both the quality and imagination that the band have as a song writing team.
As the set progressed the sheer variety of the material became evident; whilst it’s possible to recognise a Last Dinner Party song when you first hear it, there isn’t a typical sound that can be attached to the band. Whether it was the Zepplin-esque power riff of Big Dog (whose omission from their latest album still feels like a minor crime), the honky tonkiest of murder ballads of This is the Killer Speaking, the emotionally poignant The Scythe or the jaunty power pop of Inferno, the sheer variety of sounds and influences the band can toy with yet still. And centre to this all was genius guitarist Emily Roberts, breathing life and character into every song with her intricate and stylised playing.
Whilst Emily have been the musically bedrock, it was singer Abigail Morris who as always proved a captivating sight throughout as she twirled, pirouetted and floated across the stage, barely standing still at any point of the evening. Her between songs chat seemed to have become more natural and relaxed than on 2024’s tour, particularly when she attempted to claim bassist Georgia Davies’ can of cocktail, then changing the opening lines to euphoric set closer Nothing Matters to reflect her drink claiming victory over her bandmate.
Finishing the evening with a reprise of Agnus Dei put the emphasis on the song’s chorus lyric of “All I can give you is your name in lights forever”, a line that reflects the group’s quest for fame and success and could have been their mission statement from their maiden show four years prior. Whenever a band generates a storm with a unique sound and look for their debut album there is a fear that they may have used all their stardust to produce something impactful. The Last Dinner Party though have laughed in the face of difficult second album syndrome, turning around a sequel in a short space of time that has continued to build their legacy and expand rather than dilute the brilliance of their live shows.
Have you seen The Last Dinner Party on their current or past tours? Make sure to leave your thoughts on their performance in the comments section below.
The Last Dinner Party performed:
Agnus Dei
Count the Ways
The Feminine Urge
Caesar on a TV Screen
On Your Side
Second Best
I Hold Your Anger
Woman is a Tree
Gjuha
Rifle
Big Dog
Portrait of a Dead Girl
The Scythe
Sail Away
Sinner
My Lady of Mercy
Inferno
Nothing Matters
***
This Is the Killer Speaking
Agnus Dei (reprise)
Alex Reviews Gigs 
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