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The Last Dinner Party Finally Release ‘Big Dog,’ a Riff-First Staple From Their Live Set
The Last Dinner Party have released "Big Dog," a live-tested riff rocker from their set—out now on Island alongside a studio intro, "Come All You Beasts."
The Last Dinner Party have quietly opened another chapter: their long-teased live staple “Big Dog” is out now on Island. It’s the sort of feverish riff-rocker the group has been teasing in clubs and festival slots since 2023, and after months of live carnage the band has decided to commit it to record.
The English art-rock troupe released their sophomore album From The Pyre last year and have been busy ever since—earlier this year they contributed “Let’s Do It Again!” to the benefit compilation HELP(2). Later this year they’ll be opening shows for Olivia Rodrigo, who also appears on that same HELP(2) collection.
I’ll be catching them next week at Salt Lake City’s Kilby Block Party. If you see me there, for god’s sake, say hi. I don’t know anybody in Utah. You’re not interrupting me. Don’t be weird and write something online about how you saw me in the crowd. Just say hi.
Back to the music: “Big Dog” isn’t new to anyone who’s followed the band’s live set—what’s changed is that it’s finally available as a proper single. The track rides a blunt, insistent riff while the band toggles between florid theatricality and full-throttle rock. They pull off Kate Bush-style frippery one moment and a headbanger riff the next, which remains one of their more thrilling balancing acts.
Video, B-side, and the ritual intro
Elliott Arndt directed the accompanying video, which leans hard into live footage—crowd shots, sweaty stages, the sort of kinetic editing that wants you to remember how the song feels in a packed room. Alongside the single the band also shared a studio recording of “Come All You Beasts,” the poem they recite as an intro during shows. It isn’t just a spoken-word curtain; the studio take functions more like a prelude, complete with riffs and a sense of buildup rather than a quiet recitation.
There’s a small thrill in hearing a song that’s been battle-tested on stage finally given a life in the round of streaming platforms. “Big Dog” is that moment for The Last Dinner Party: familiar to those who’ve seen them, and a clean, sharp invitation for everyone else.
“Big Dog” is out now on Island.
