THE LAST DINNER PARTY + HUTCH – GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON 11.3.23
It was rather nice to see that the organisers of The Great Escape are getting this year’s ‘New Music Festival’ action going earlier than normal, as they were hosting a free entry showcase concert at the Green Door Store this evening, featuring The Last Dinner Party and local outfit Hutch. Suffice to say it was a sold out affair, but clearly not everyone had managed to make their way to the popular music venue located beneath Brighton railway station.
The band name ‘The Last Dinner Party’ has actually only been in existence since 27th January this year, on the account of having to change their original name ‘The Dinner Party’ due to a clash of names with an act across the pond. Despite the new name, the outfit have been on the Brighton & Hove News radar for several months now, having last reviewed them at the Moth Club in Hackney on 15th November 2022 as part of The Great Escape’s ‘First 50’ series of concerts. This was their final gig of the year. Prior to this, we witnessed their Brighton set 12 days earlier as part of the ‘Mutations Festival’ on 3rd November 2022. Our first encounter with the band was a massive one for the band members as they were playing in London’s Hyde Park on 3rd July 2022 as one of the support acts for some outfit called The Rolling Stones…you may have heard of them?
To my knowledge, the outfit’s debut Brighton concert was not far from where we are this evening in the Green Door Store, namely over the road at The Prince Albert. They performed another free entry concert on 27th June, but sadly we had other plans, as did many folk that night according to The Last Dinner Party frontperson Abi, who made reference to that night, during this evening’s concert, stating that it was only half full unlike this evening, which is heading towards capacity.
The Dinner Party as they were then, was conceived during a wine-stained evening in Brixton, the name embodies a musical and aesthetic ethos of decadence, mystery, spectacle and charm. Finding artistry in the intersection between the beautiful, sublime and grotesque, the band are guided by their favourite Romantic poets and Gothic novelists.
Vocalist Abi who is very animated and feels every note is joined in the band by Emily on Music Man guitar, flute and Ashbury mandolin; Lizzie on Fender Telecaster guitar; Georgia on Fender Mustang bass; Aurora on Nord Electro 6 and Roland keytar keyboards; and the assistance of a session drummer for live gigs. Together they have burst out of the recent enforced isolation and gone forth gloriously into the guitar music renaissance. They usher in a new era of unashamed maximalism and untethered euphoria. They cast their net of inspiration across artists and genres, from Kate Bush and David Bowie, glam rock and new wave, to unexpected moments of twelve bar blues, classical overture and heavy synth breakdowns.
Thus whilst enjoying this evening’s ten tune 37 minute set that ran from 9:06pm to 9:43pm, it was nigh impossible to accurately pigeonhole their sound. They are unique and no doubt that’s a reason why they are included in The NME 100 essential emerging artists for 2023. Here is an outfit that are ploughing their own furrow and no doubt in time the masses will cotton on and follow like The Pied Piper.
Their manner of dress tonight was, as you would say, spread across the ages, with both Abi, Georgia and Emily flying the flags for distant times, and the other trio falling into recent fashion. I personally preferred the Edwardian frocks look as it is something rarely ever observed during current live performances.
From the very start of their performance, it was pleasing to be able to hear all of the instruments sounding particularly crisp, especially the Nord Electro 6 keyboard. During the first trio of numbers ‘Burn Alive’, ‘Cesar On TV’ and ‘On Your Side’ there were nods to Kate Bush, but somehow different. ‘On Your Side’ started with the Nord sounding like a piano, and the following song ‘Beautiful Boy’, saw Emily take to the flute for this quiet reflective number.
The next composition might be called ‘Godzilla’ (not that it looks like that on the setlist) and this was followed by ‘Sinner’. During this period Emily played the mandolin and Aurora had more of a lead vocal. The sound might be defined as an Elizabeth’s court dance number from a hidden forest which then changes tact and gets rather energetic.
Abi introduces the next number ‘My Lady Of Mercy’ and informs us that it is about going to Catholic school, cue knowing groans from certain members in the audience behind me. There was great use of the Nord along with the Roland keytar. This tune has a bouncy beat and arguably the most upbeat thus far, but again it changes direction as has many of the previous numbers. Abi came for a little wander among us during this tune.
After getting us buzzing, they then slowed it down for the next number ‘Portrait Of A Dead Girl’ and Abi came back again to briefly be with us. She then informed us that the following number will be their penultimate tune and that it will be their new single which is set to drop next month, the title of it being ‘Nothing Matters’, and that it’s a love song. Intriguingly some of the wording was “and I will f*ck like nothing matters” and initially the vocals sound just like ABBA, but once again morphs somewhere else.
They closed their set with ‘Mirror’ which starts with a menacing 80’s sound care of the Nord overlaid by the bass and guitars and vocally wandering into The Doors ‘The End’ territory.
If you are heading to a festival this year, such as Reading and Leeds, Green Man, Boardmasters, HowTheLightGetsIn, Y Not Festival, Truck Festival, and of course The Great Escape, then you could quite possibly head on over to where The Last Dinner Party are performing and check out their sound for yourselves.
The Dinner Party:
Abi – vocals
Lizzie – guitar and bv’s
Emily – guitar, mandolin, flute, and bv’s
Aurora – keyboards and bv’s
Georgia – bass and bv’s
Session drummer for live gigs
The Last Dinner Party setlist:
‘Burn Alive’
‘Cesar On TV’
‘On Your Side’
‘Beautiful Boy’
‘Godzilla’
‘Sinner’
‘My Lady Of Mercy’
‘Portrait Of A Dead Girl’
‘Nothing Matters’
‘Mirror’
Support this evening came from Brighton’s very own Hutch who formed in the Sackville Road area of town and define themselves as “yacht-rock soft-psychers”. Or as we previously noted in a 2021 review, that “Their ‘sound’ could possibly be conceived as an amalgam of the final work of The Jam interspersed with The Beatles with the 1965 hit ‘California Dreamin’’ from the Mamas and the Papas”.
They were originally a quartet consisting of Jack Pritchard (lead vocals and Fender Jaguar guitar), Dan Shepherd (Paul Reed Smith piezo guitar and bv’s), Charlie Bogg (Revelation bass and bv’s) and Owen Bullock (drums and bv’s), but then added the talents of Eva Lunny on harp and Korg keyboard for that something a little different.
Their 31 minute six song set ran from 8:07pm until 8:38pm and it was pleasing to see the concert room, possibly around three-quarters full from the outset. The quintet launched into a crescendo at the beginning of their set to announce their arrival for those that were on the other side of the curtain in the bar and those having a social drink outside. This in contrast then led to Eva (sister of Lambrini Girls Phoebe) plucking her harp, which was rather pleasant.
All four of the lads often share harmonies in perfect timing and vocally do sound rather the same, although Jack does present the lead vocals for the first handful of numbers before handing over the reins to Dan for the closing number which tonight is ‘Mechanical Bull’, which you can listen to HERE. I must say that I do actually prefer Dan’s voice as it reminds me of that back in the day sound that would have appeared on Glasgow-based Postcard Records, with the likes of Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice fame.
Hutch are clearly developing a strong local following judging by the applause they received for swinging floaty opener ‘See It All’. Their vocal harmonies along with the psychedelic soft sounds are a sign that certain quarters of Brighton’s gigging set have been craving for. Track two is their first single ‘Radiator Centre’, a ditty penned about the nearby shop, listen HERE.
Song three was ‘Dancer Of The Moon’ which got my mind drifting off to distant rock numbers that were the staple of John Lennon’s solo work meets Fleetwood Macs ‘Don’t Stop’. As had been with today’s headliners, the sound was again crisp and it was pleasant hearing the occasional harp interjection. The lighting successfully accompanied their flight rock sound.
Their next tune was about ‘Snails’ and titled ‘Slowest Creature On Earth’. After this we had their forthcoming single ‘Taking Your Time’, which was enjoyable, bar Eva’s Korg being well down in the mix, as in from where I was positioned, front right, I couldn’t hear it at all. They concluded with the aforementioned ‘Mechanical Bull’. They certainly have become a tighter unit since they first appeared on the scene and although far from what I usually enjoy, I pointed out to Jack after their set that they are grinding me down! As in I’m warming to them!
Hutch:
Jack Pritchard – lead vocals and guitar
Dan Shepherd – guitar and bv’s
Charlie Bogg – bass and bv’s
Owen Bullock – drums and bv’s
Eva Lunny – harp and keyboard
Hutch setlist:
‘See It All’
‘Radiator Centre’
‘Dancer Of The Moon’
‘Slowest Creature On Earth’
‘Taking Your Time’
‘Mechanical Bull’
The Great Escape Festival will take place in Brighton throughout many of our town’s concert venues and will play host to more than 150 up-and-coming music acts, some of which will be performing more than once. The event runs on 10th to 13th May. Find out more about this year’s lineup HERE and check out your ticket options HERE.
