The Last Dinner Party have cancelled several UK tour dates “due to an unforeseen illness in the band” after some fans were subjected to “strange” behaviour when arriving at a gig at the weekend.
It comes after the Brit-winning and Mercury-nominated band said they were “appalled and disappointed” that some fans were left feeling “uncomfortable and disrespected” at The Engine Shed in Lincoln.
Audience members online suggested male fans faced prejudice and an investigation into security policy at the gig has since been launched by the venue. Several male fans said they were quizzed on their knowledge of the band before they were given entry.
The band performed at Reading Festival in the summer. Pic: Cover Images/AP
The show in Lincoln was cancelled at short notice, with the band citing a “sudden illness”. Now, they have called off further headline shows in Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol and Southampton, “following medical advice”.
“We have to prioritise our health at this time,” the band said in a statement on social media, saying they took the decision “with heavy hearts”.
They also cancelled a show in Cardiff on Sunday.
The Last Dinner Party are an all-female indie outfit featuring lead singer Abigail Morris, guitarist Emily Roberts, Lizzie Mayland on rhythm, bassist Georgia Davies, and keyboard player Aurora Nishevci.
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Feb ’24: The Last Dinner Party at the Brits
“We are devastated not to be sharing these nights with you, and to have missed the shows in Lincoln and Cardiff,” a statement on the band’s social media said.
“You should all know you’ve made this the most wonderful year of our lives and we can’t thank you enough for your love and support, truly.
“TLDP is here today because of you and we want to keep touring and sharing our music with you for a long long time – but in order to do that we have to make serious decisions like these now so that our long-term health doesn’t suffer.”
A statement posted on the band’s social media following the controversy at the Lincoln gig said they were not aware of the security policies at the show and “they would not have been implemented had we been made aware of them in advance”.
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The Engine Shed, which bills itself as Lincolnshire‘s largest live music venue, posted a statement on its official Instagram page to say their entry procedure had fallen “far short of our venue entry policy, which requires all attendees to be treated equally and be subject to the same entry requirements”.
It said security policy was changed in response to “incidents” at one of the band’s previous gigs, but that it resulted in the “unacceptable treatment of some guests” during entry.
The Last Dinner Party’s debut album, Prelude To Ecstasy, topped the charts following its release in February. It was subsequently nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize, and the band also picked up the rising star gong at the Brit Awards.