Education arouses resistance: Fans love the music of The Last Dinner Party, enemies despise the elitist background

The Last Dinner Party achieved their international breakthrough in 2024. The London band worked hard for this success. Following the release of their debut album "Prelude to Ecstasy," the five British musicians toured Europe and America, performing at prominent festivals such as Coachella, Primavera Sound, and Glastonbury.

"Things are really going very well for us," says bassist Georgia Davies enthusiastically in a Zoom interview. "We can now afford a certain level of comfort on tour. The days when we had to share hotel rooms or huddle together in the tour bus for weeks are a thing of the past."

The Last Dinner Party owes its rapid rise to the active support of the American artist agency Q Prime, which has advised major artists such as Metallica, Madonna, and Muse. The band had already opened for the Rolling Stones in London's Hyde Park before their first single, "Nothing Matters," became a hit in spring 2023.

Their second album, "From the Pyre," will be released on October 17th. Immediately following, the musicians embark on an extensive concert tour (which will also take them to Zurich in February 2026). On "From the Pyre," the band consistently develops their blend of rock glamour, chanson melancholy, and pop urgency. Influences as diverse as Queen, Abba, Johnny Cash, Virginia Woolf, and William Burroughs resonate. The songs are played and sung with virtuosity.

The eclecticism, which is also evident in the musicians' lascivious Victorian stage look, is no coincidence. All members have broad horizons, partly thanks to their academic backgrounds. Georgia Davies, singer Abigail Morris, and rhythm guitarist Lizzie Mayland studied English together at the University of London. Guitarist Emily Roberts and keyboardist Aurora Nishevci are graduates of the renowned Guildhall School of Music and Theatre in the east of the British capital.

This academic background has also brought The Last Dinner Party criticism. For the many class warriors who perceive a gentrification of British pop culture in the British cultural scene, the musicians with bachelor's and master's degrees seem like boarding school students with guitars. In the virtual pillory of social media, the members of The Last Dinner Party are cursed almost like witches: Their connection to global player Q Prime is criticized, as is their feminist stance. They are denounced as woke warriors who supposedly don't tolerate men at their concerts.

It's not for nothing that Abigail Morris teasingly compares herself on "From the Pyre" to the French national saint Joan of Arc, who was first celebrated as a freedom fighter during the Hundred Years' War and then burned as a heretic. "Some people are desperately looking for an excuse to hate us," Georgia Davies notes. "Just because we care about the safety of our young female fans at our concerts doesn't mean we're engaging in any kind of gender profiling."

On the contrary: Georgia Davies is pleased that older rock fans are also coming to her concerts. She attributes this interest, in part, to The Last Dinner Party's lead guitarist, Emily Roberts, whose nimble runs are reminiscent of 1970s heroes like Mick Ronson and Brian May. In fact, Roberts was named one of Britain's best young jazz musicians by the BBC even before she joined The Last Dinner Party. "With Emily, we're serving an often-neglected niche market," says Davies. "I don't know of any other band in today's rock and pop mainstream where you can hear proper guitar solos."

"From the Pyre" reflects the vast stage experience The Last Dinner Party has gained since the release of their debut album: The five-part choral melodies have become denser, the rhythms richer and more feverish. However, the tenor of the lyrics has become noticeably more subdued. While "Prelude to Ecstasy" dealt with personal awakenings, "From the Pyre" describes feelings of alienation.

"This Is the Killer Speaking," the first single from the new repertoire, proves to be a protest ballad in a time when the number of femicides is constantly rising. "The world we move in as a band seems increasingly dangerous and unpredictable," says Georgia Davies. "Stability and routine don't exist in our everyday lives."

Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, entry into the US has become a challenge for foreign citizens. Now, The Last Dinner Party fears being turned away by authorities before their next American tour. However, the band intends to continue pursuing the US, and not just because America is an important market.

During their last visit to the US, they met many queer Americans who felt understood at their concerts, says Georgia Davies. "We don't want to withdraw our solidarity with them. Perhaps we can make a small contribution to ensuring that the US, despite all adversities, remains a place where diverse voices and opinions can be heard."