Dork's Day Out 2024 at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road: Down With Boring has never sounded so good

It’s hot, isn’t it? Maybe a bit too hot? Well, you know what we recommend to help soothe you during this time? Some live music. Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Patrick Gunning.

It's a stacked day in the heart of summer at London's Signature Brew brewery on Blackhorse Road for Dork's Day Out 2024, our third annual takeover bringing together former Dork cover stars, undeniable faves and sun-soaked magic.

Kicking off the day, Welly ooze with swagger and tongue-in-cheek charm, their set bursting with indie-pop brilliance. 'Shopping' and 'Soak Up The Culture' point to brilliant ambition, a band who want to bring you along into their uncompromisingly technicolour world.

Likewise, Delights thrive in the summer sunshine. It's a perfect home for their irresistible disco-indie grooves and soaring pop hooks. Inviting everyone gathered to the dance floor, their set is a statement-making moment for a band on the rise. 'Tender' and '1989' already see singalongs, and with a debut album out in just over a month, Delights are primed to soundtrack many stages to come.

As are Lip Filler, whose spinning kicks of indie-punk are an in-your-face masterclass. They fizz and fury in equal measure, with cuts from their latest EP 'witchescrew' sitting effortlessly alongside some of their first work, such as 'cool', for an infectious kick that makes Dork's Day Out their own. Lip Filler are overflowing with electricity; jump on while you can.

Phoebe Green is having fun carving a distinct new future. Her debut album, 2022's 'Lucky Me', served as one of the most immediate releases of that year, and she's taking that and running with it. Diving into electronica and modern pop with a twist, Phoebe's latest EP 'Ask Me Now' comes alive on the Day Out stage, showcasing her grounded-yet-dazzling alt-pop that revels in the here and now.

Bleach Lab grab the Dork's Day Out stage and immediately turn Signature Brew into their own ethereal world. It's approaching a year since the release of their 5* debut album 'Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness', and with each move they make today, the band feel fresh and hungry for more. Tracks from across that album are hypnotic, using the space around each note to pull everyone closer. Whatever they create next is bound to take more and more listeners' breath away.

When a superstar walks into a room, you just know it. That's what happens when Nell Mescal takes to the stage at Dork's Day Out, taking North London through a set that blends the raw with the euphoric, that has singalongs, smiles and emotion ringing out. The jubilant 'Homesick' and rapturous 'Killing Time' are essential pop done perfectly, while cuts from her latest EP 'Can I Miss It For A Minute?' hit like a tonne of bricks because they feel so incredibly dialled in. Big stages await, and Nell Mescal is bringing everyone with her.

Capping off a day like today is no small order, yet for Gretel, it's the rightful coronation of an artist in a league of her own. Her world of alternative-meets-pop-meets-grunge-meets-indie-meets-everything-else plays out like stunning panoramic cinema. 'King Of Nothing', 'Apple Juice' and 'Motorbike' are fizzing and knockout in every way, setting the course for a show that feels like letting loose a box of fireworks into the night sky.

'Wiggy' and 'Today (I Can't Help But Cry)' point to her immediate anthem-led status; everything Gretel does is underpinned by this gritty reality that comes straight from the pit of her stomach. The result is an artist taking the everyday and stopping people firmly in their tracks, all with an added glint and wink of mystery.

With the brand new 'Far Out' kicking out dance moves and spinning electro-goth-rock-pop as a true highlight of the set, Gretel shows tonight at Dork's Day Out that she's an essential artist for essential times. It caps off a Dork's Day Out that once again hosts some of the most exciting new artists doing the most exciting things in the most exciting of ways. Down With Boring has never sounded so good.