The Dork's Day Out 2024 survival guide: Gretel, Nell Mescal, Bleach Lab, Phoebe Green and more

A selection box of sonic delights to send your brain all fizzy this Saturday (3rd August), as Dork's Day Out hits London's Signature Brew Blackhorse Road.

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The Borings out there may bemoan the death of guitar music and the homogenisation of pop, but quite frankly, fuck ‘em. Our annual summer party Dork's Day Out stands as a defiant middle finger to such dreary prognostications. A gathering of the discerning cognoscenti, now in its third year, it’s become a beacon for those seeking the thrill of discovery, the joy of the unexpected, and the sheer unbridled pleasure of watching tomorrow's stars today. This Saturday (3rd August), Signature Brew Blackhorse Road will once again transform into a veritable Wonka factory of musical delights, where the only golden ticket required is a willingness to embrace the new, the bold, and the brilliantly bonkers. And an actual ticket, obviously.

From the raw energy of Gretel's bill-topping bangers to the alt-pop-folk spectacular of Nell Mescal, Dork's Day Out 2024 promises a selection box of sounds that should send your brain all fizzy. It's a day where there are no rules, where the only constant is the endless buzz. Screw the industry plant nonsense of the perpetually dull - this is the greenhouse of the very best new acts.

So, Dear Reader, prepare to embark on a journey so exciting you’ll not even care if we’re there yet. Welcome to Dork's Day Out 2024 – where the future of music is now, and it's never sounded so good.

Headlining this year's festivities is Gretel, aka the-artist-formerly-known-as-Gretel-Hänlyn, whose rise has been as thrilling as it has deserved. With a voice that could make reading the phone book sound like a brooding masterpiece (not that she'd ever do anything so pedestrian).

Her latest single, ‘Far Out’, is a testament to her evolving artistry and ear for a bop – a track that manages to go off like little else. It's the sound of an artist not just finding her voice but wielding it with the confidence of a seasoned pro. Expect her set to be a masterclass in mood and atmosphere, with songs that paint vivid pictures of suburban ennui and gothic romance.

Gretel's journey from her folk-tinged indie beginnings to her current alt-pop powerhouse status has been nothing short of remarkable. With each release, she's pushed her sound further, exploring the darker corners of pop with a fearlessness that's both thrilling and inspiring. Gretel's performance promises to cap off a day of musical exploration. It's not just a headline set; it's a coronation.

Nell Mescal arrives at Dork's Day Out riding a wave of well-deserved hype, armed with an arsenal of songs that are both achingly personal and unnervingly universal. Her debut EP, ‘Can I Miss It For A Minute?’, released in May, is a collection of vignettes that capture the bittersweet experience of growing up and moving on with a clarity that belies her relative youth. Nell’s sets always end up being one of those "I was there" moments – the kind of performance that people will talk about years from now when she's selling out arenas.