Dork's Christmas Night Out 2023 brings a festive bash to The 100 Club in London

Words: Jamie Muir.Photos: Patrick Gunning.

What's the most important day in the festive calendar? Yes, okay, 25th December may be quite high up the list, we'll give you that - but here at Dork HQ, Dork's Christmas Night Out has become an MVP in jingle bell fun. Serving as both the perfect farewell to the year that was, while getting very merry with some Dork favourites - it once again falls to the famed 100 Club in the heart of London's busiest shopping street for a script-flipping celebration. Panic Shack. Lambrini Girls. The Itch. Name a better Christmas list.

Roaring with vitality and with no songs out, The Itch have become a word-of-mouth live band packing in shows across London and beyond, and tonight sits as a true statement of intent. Sticking the disco ball into a blending wall of sound that touches across alternative, club and feverish punk in equal measure, the jam-packed 100 Club bears witness to a scorching set that sets the tone for the party to come. At times hypnotic and always electric, it's an immediate crowd-pleasing starter course that signals a 2024 where The Itch are on everyone's lips.

From the moment Lambrini Girls take to the Dork's Christmas Night Out stage, they've one goal: to turn The 100 Club on its head. Ripping firmly into frame, it's an in-your-face reminder of how they've been turning heads all year, emerging as one of the most in-demand live bands going and stepping into an era where everyone has no choice but to dive into every circle pit and sweaty punk-rock eruption. With both Phoebe and Lilly from the band regularly diving into the crowd, it's a searing mix of unpredictability and danger that revels in the chaos it brings. A visceral shot in the arm, the likes of 'Terf Wars' and 'Lads Lads Lads' are met with rapture as Phoebe surfs across the room, jumps up on grand pianos and turns The 100 Club into her own personal playground. More than just the fun, the set is filled with callouts rallying against JK Rowling, the government and sweaty nonces. By the time 'Boys In The Band' and 'Craig David' wrap up proceedings, Lambrini Girls have seized yet another night. A glorious live phenomenon with a vital message and purpose, there's no choice but to dive in.

For many, wrapping up an evening already drenched in blow-away moments would seem impossible, but not for Panic Shack. Their reputation as a towering on-stage force has taken them across the globe, with tonight serving as a prime example of the tidal wave of spinning punk energy that makes them a band you'd happily follow into battle. 'Meal Deal', 'Mannequin Man' and 'Jiu Jits You' swing across The 100 Club, complete with synchronised dance moves and an all-encompassing spirit that pulls everyone closer. At the forefront of it all is that welcoming warmth (even when there are pogoing pits and scream-along hooks galore) that has come to define what Panic Shack are about: having fun and making every single person gathered feel like they've been mates with them for life. It's an Xmas celebration of the highest order.

With new tracks making their way across the set, it serves as a moment to toast a year which has seen Panic Shack become an undeniable sensation. With singalongs and beaming smiles, they're a punk band twisting and turning punk into whatever they see fit, and as 'The Ick' and 'Who's Got My Lighter?' put the festive cherry on top, The 100 Club sits in awe. The greatest gang in town prove those credentials and more. It's a Panic Shack world now (not just for Christmas).