The Rock en Seine festival has always been a celebration of music’s vibrant spectrum, but this year, something truly special happened on Thursday, August 22. Picture it: the sun was still high, and while most early bands play to a smattering of die-hard fans, the London-based quintet, The Last Dinner Party, took the stage at 4:35 p.m., greeted not by a half-empty field, but by a crowd that was already two-thirds full.
Why, you ask? Well, part of the reason was that some attendees were staking out prime spots for the evening’s headliner, the sensational Italian rock band, Måneskin. But let’s be honest, a significant portion of the crowd was there for The Last Dinner Party, a group that has been setting the British press alight with their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy (Island, Universal Music). Since the start of the year, the band has become a favorite across Europe, thanks to word-of-mouth that spreads faster than a catchy chorus.
This festival, held in the lush Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, is known for drawing a sophisticated crowd, and The Last Dinner Party fit right in with their mix of cabaret-pop, glam-rock, and a touch of playful pop. For just under an hour, the band, led by the charismatic Abigail Morris, along with guitarists Lizzie Mayland and Emily Roberts, keyboardist Aurora Nishevci, bassist Georgia Davis, and their drummer, served up a performance that had the audience eating out of their hands.
Between each song, the audience applauded with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for a favorite band’s encore. The setlist was a delightful mix of cabaret-pop reminiscent of the quirky brilliance of Sparks, with a touch of the ethereal, Kate Bush-like lyricism, and the glam-rock flair of Bowie and T-Rex. Highlights included the theatrical “Caesar on a TV Screen,” the haunting “Sinner,” the anthemic single “Nothing Matters,” and a fresh new track, “Second Best.” And just when you thought they couldn’t top it, they covered Blondie’s “Call Me”—a nod to one of their musical influences that had the crowd swaying in nostalgic bliss.
The buzz generated by The Last Dinner Party’s set was just the beginning of a day that would be dominated by rock. The festival itself is a joint venture between Combat, the media and cultural arm of the businessman Matthieu Pigasse (who, by the way, is also a member of the supervisory board of Groupe Le Monde), and AEG Presents France, a branch of the American entertainment behemoth AEG, known for organizing some of the world’s biggest musical and sporting events.
As the sun dipped lower and the crowd prepared for the night’s headliners, one thing was clear: The Last Dinner Party had made a lasting impression, proving that they are not just the darlings of the British press but a force to be reckoned with on the European festival circuit. Their performance was the perfect appetizer for what promises to be a feast of sound at Rock en Seine.
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