Usually, the first bands to perform at a major rock festival in the afternoon play to a sparse audience. But on Thursday, August 22, when the all-female quintet The Last Dinner Party took to the stage at 4:35 pm at the Rock en Seine music festival, which runs until August 25 at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud in Paris' western suburbs, the lawn was already two-thirds full. Some of the audience had probably arrived early for the evening's headliner, the Italian band Maneskin, while others, judging by the reception The Last Dinner Party received, had already embraced the London group. Since the beginning of the year, they've been the darling of the British press with their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy, and seem to be benefiting from this favorable word-of-mouth throughout Europe.
For just under an hour, singer Abigail Morris, guitarists Lizzie Mayland and Emily Roberts, keyboardist Aurora Nishevci and bassist Georgia Davis, accompanied by a drummer, were carried along by the fervor of the audience. They applauded enthusiastically between each song, seduced by the group's blend of Sparks-style cabaret-pop, lyricism reminiscent of Kate Bush's universe (with whom Abigail Morris comes close to vocally at times), glam-rock (Bowie, T-Rex) and playful pop with vocal harmonies. The group performed many of the tracks on their album, including the theatrical "Caesar on a TV Screen," "Sinner," the single "Nothing Matters," a new song, "Second Best," and a cover of Blondie's "Call Me," which could also be an influence.
This enthusiastic start to the second day of Rock en Seine – owned equally by Combat, the media and culture arm of businessman Matthieu Pigasse (a member of Le Monde Group's supervisory board), and AEG Presents France, a branch of the American music, sports and entertainment giant AEG – was followed by a more rock-oriented program.
Kasabian, formed in 1997, has evolved from the proud rock of Oasis – an influence the band often cited – to include more pop, psychedelic and electronic elements, as witnessed during their set, led with gusto by singer and guitarist Sergio Pizzorno. On this day, the festival was marked by distorted guitars, assertive vocals, a few ballads and nervous rhythms, including performances by American groups Dead Poet Society and Durry, the English band Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, and Sweden's The Hives.
They had previously performed at Rock en Seine in 2007 and 2014, creating a sensation with their straightforward rock, their desire to make the stage a playground, and the ardor of singer Pelle Almqvist. A dense sound from a band that hasn't changed since its creation in 1993, except the replacement of the bassist in 2014. Dressed in black-and-white suits, The Hives again conquered the crowd with their rock urgency and their flair for showmanship, calling on the audience to clap their hands and sing along to a bass line, all designed to boost the band's energy.
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