📍ACL Live — March 27, 2026
Written by: Krysta Ayers

The members of The Last Dinner Party entered the stage as if we all bought tickets to watch a parody of Bridgerton or some pseudo-modern rendition of a Shakespeare play. They bring drama and intrigue with Regency-esque attire: long army coats paired with tights, corset dresses, long, wispy sleeves, etc. The venue is mostly full and, more importantly, completely engaged, a fervent fan base ready for their hunger to be satiated by these Brits.

It’s the second time The Last Dinner Party has played a show in Austin, but, as Abigail Morris (lead vocals, guitar) noted, this is a significantly bigger venue (they played The Scoot Inn previously), and they have already improved so much. And so, with moody red lights and a layered tapestry background seemingly made of skirts worn by the monarchy, the band starts the set with “Angus Dei” from their 2025 album, From the Pyre. And the energy, theatrics, beastly talent, and bewitching London rock are dialed to 100 til the very last note of their encore.

In between songs, they take quick swigs of beer (Lonestar, Heineken), dance as if they are alone in their living room, and engage in banter. When they start up a song again, the vocals are sweet and biting and sometimes the notes are elongated like an Opera. They are Florence + the Machine meets Yeah Yeah Yeahs meets Chappelle Roan. They are young, fun, and oh-so talented and eager to rock. “The Feminine Urge” booms through the speakers early on, and Abigail is loose, doing a blithe, floppy sort of dance while Georgia Davies (bass, backup vocals), Emily Roberts (guitar, flute), Lizzie Mayland (guitar, vocals), and Aurora Nishevci (piano, vocals) turn side to side in rhythm.

Halfway through the set, they played “Rifle,” which was sung predominantly by Lizzie, in both English and French. The song changes pace from verse to chorus, and Emily and Lizzie plucked their guitars for a gentle lullaby before pausing to break out into a headbang-worthy riff while Georgia added a pulsing bass line to make it even punchier. Played live, it showcased every member’s talent: they are all great vocalists, able to harmonize beautifully, and play multiple instruments.

They played “Second Best,” “Sinner” (which was also a standout), “My Lady of Mercy,” and closed the set with “Nothing Matters.” It was rambunctious, unapologetic, and a fever dream of rock n’ roll bliss. A woman next to me cried. There was a visceral joy radiating from the stage, and we were all so quick to feel it. It was the loudest crowd I had heard in a while asking for the encore, begging them for more stage time. The real closer was “This is the Killer Speaking.” It’s a fun song, infused with “ah ah ahs” for easy crowd participation, and the almost five-minute recorded song was stretched for a couple more minutes to include an interlude so Abigail could teach us choreography.

And so, as we alternated our arms to bend in a stabbing motion and kicked up our heels to our butts, we ended the night dancing with The Last Dinner Party. It was the perfect ending to a robust night of theatrical art-pop rock—and, we hope, the best kick off for their tour.