Gretel leads the charge for Dork's Hype List 2024 show at the 100 Club in London

Words: Jamie Muir.Photos: Patrick Gunning.

New Year, New resolutions. New… stuff? One thing remains the same, Dear Reader: Dork's Night Out serving up some of our favourite artists. Tonight at London's famed 100 Club, it's all about the blazing names ready to take over in 2024 and beyond. You need look no further than Gretel. Ushering in a bold new era while already boasting a mesmerising back catalogue, she creates her own world unlike any other, transforming the venue into her own personal playground.

Ambition is front and centre, too, with Slaney Bay, kicking off the evening with a roaring bang. They twist darkness-tinged bass lines with sky-high hooks in a manner that grabs from the gut and refuses to let go. 'I Could Love You Better', 'What If?' and 'Take Your Time' pour across a jam-packed 100 Club already bursting at the seams, while new track 'Missed Your Call' points to a desire to push that ripping sound even larger. As 'Move On' rounds out their razor-sharp set, Slaney Bay stake claim to being a band who kick in the front door to become a bonafide live favourite. On tonight's evidence, they're going to be impossible to resist.

Tearing apart the rulebook when it comes to the live stage, Shelf Lives are a bubbling cocktail of excitement and riotous fun. Blending electro-clash, alt-rock, crunching riffs and a sprinkling of indie-sleaze spirit, they're an eruption of energy and attitude that'll whip any crowd into beaming fun. Their set is an immediate burst that acts as a teaser for the full live takeover to come. 'Shelf Life' and 'Skirts & Salads' capture that firebrand force in full flow, bouncing off one another on stage and turning the venue into a late-night club that's the talk of the town.

With The 100 Club at fever-pitch, Gretel walks onstage with that feeling of anticipation swirling in the air. With each release, another layer of what Gretel is all about is unveiled, straddling that line between mystery and openness in a way few artists can. It's captured in the sheer excitement of tonight. Standing in the spotlight as raw opener 'Little Vampire' hypnotises The 100 Club. It's a stunning opening that immediately sets the tone. Touching upon grunge, folk, electric hooks, fuzzy-indie and crunching US alt-rock, Gretel turns the darkness into empowering light with a grip on everyone gathered. The gurgling 'The Head Of The Love Club', the swooning 'Wiggy' and the fizzing 'King Of Nothing' all pepper a set that doesn't sit still for one moment. 'Apple Juice' and 'Motorbike' may be early cuts, but they're met with devoted singalong refrains that make them feel undeniably fresh. Spanning across her career to date, including recent single 'Cry Me A River', tonight feels like a celebration and an application to be the one of the biggest artists on the planet - unreleased track 'Far Out' is a knockout punch complete with electro kicks that points to the big leagues.

A special cover of The Cranberries' 'Zombie' (dedicated to those currently suffering in Gaza) sees a singalong that can be heard down Oxford Street. With 'Drive', 'It's The Future Baby', a stunning 'Today (can't help but cry)' and closer 'Slugeye' putting an exclamation point on tonight, it's a superstar evening.

You wanted Hype? Well, here it is.