Indie band The Last Dinner Party have responded to controversy surrounding their comments on the cost of living crisis, which they say have “lost all context, tone and intent”.
The debut album of the five-member London band Prelude to ecstasy topped the UK charts when it was released in February.
In an article published yesterday in The Just on the lack of bands at this year’s Brit Awards, the paper’s chief rock critic Will Hodgkinson called The Last Dinner Party a rare success story, quoting their lead singer Abigail Morris as saying: “People don’t want to hear post-punk anymore and they don’t want to hear anything about the cost of living crisis.”
Hodgkinson then remarked: “Having attended the liberal boarding school Bedales, where fees can be as much as £43,000 a year, the cost of living crisis is probably not a major problem for Morris.”
A screenshot of this section of the article quickly spread on social media, but it has since emerged that Hodgkinson was actually speaking to the band’s bassist, Georgia Davies. The times has published a correction and apologized for his error.
Hodkingson also apologized for his personal X/Twitter Account and wrote: “Yesterday I wrote an article about the crisis that is hitting bands and – unfairly – used a quote from The Last Dinner Party from an interview I did with them late last year. Now they’re getting a lot of trouble because of it. They don’t deserve it and I’m very sorry.”
In a statement posted on the band’s website, X/Twitter Davies wrote on his account: “I can say with certainty that Abigail never said the quote attributed to her in the article doing the rounds.
“The comment was taken from an interview we did six months ago, ripped out of context, tone and intent, and now forced into a new article about something completely different. The context in which I originally mentioned the cost of living crisis is extremely important, and it is disappointing that it was presented in this way. What was said was about people seeing theatre music as a form of escape from the brutality of our current political climate, which is in a state of national emergency.
“The speed of our journey as a band and the privilege we have (personally and as a result of signing to a major label) is not lost on us. The venues that have given us our careers in this industry are closing at an alarming rate due to rising living costs and corporate greed. Without these venues there would be no TLDP so naturally it is something that is extremely close to our hearts. It is becoming impossible for artists from working class and other marginalised backgrounds to be heard. Over the last few months we have been working with the Music Venues Trust on something to call for the protection of independent venues and artists but more on that another time.
“I completely understand why people are upset. It would upset me to read that. But I just wanted to make it clear that Abi never said that and it is completely contrary to what we believe.”
“Love Georgia and the rest of TLDP”
In a five-star rating from Prelude to ecstasy, The IndependentHelen Brown, chief critic of the album, wrote: “Most musicians who came of age during the pandemic are quiet and thoughtful, but The Last Dinner Party appeared with a call for a ‘doomsday orgy’ – and Prelude to ecstasy delivers happily.”
