When Dork’s Night Out rolls into The 100 Club, there’s a palpable sense of history unfolding before your eyes. From the scattered images of past greats lining the walls to the atmosphere of Oxford Street’s premier music hall, every element speaks of landmark moments.
It’s the perfect setting for Picture Parlour’s next chapter. Since bursting onto the new music scene, their natural showmanship has grabbed attention, becoming the sort of word-of-mouth sensation that draws eager fans clamouring for a better view. They emerged as a band brimming with ambition, unusually confident in their identity for newcomers stepping into the spotlight. After a year of honing their cinematic vision, their return tonight showcases a band reborn – one ready to seize the biggest moments. If making history is standard at The 100 Club, Picture Parlour deliver their return by unveiling a show that realises that ambition.
alphabet command attention from their opening notes. If they’re not your favourite new discovery at the start, they certainly are by the end of a set that crackles with dark dream-pop energy. The call-and-response vocals between Lena and Milo captivate the room, with singles like ‘All The Words’ and ‘Artificial Light’ establishing their essential appeal. Blending shoegaze, dream-pop and touches of goth-punk, alphabet feel fully formed and primed for their next leap forward. Their ascent to bigger stages and sold-out shows seems inevitable.
My First Time strike like a bolt of candy-coated punk lightning. Their performance explodes with pure fun – from diving into the crowd to igniting pogoing masses, their intent is clear. Here’s a band positioned to cause riots, get banned from venues, and become cult heroes in the process. Their mix of unreleased and established songs commands the room, with ‘Wind Up Merchant’ and ‘Celebrity’ embodying their essence: sharp commentary wrapped in twisted rock with pop flair. ‘Man Of Ill Repute’ seals their manifesto – showing how tearing up the rulebook makes the perfect soundtrack.
It’s a frenzy when Picture Parlour take to the stage. Moving with an indescribable swagger, tonight’s ushering of a new era stems from every drop of ambition they’ve shown since the start. With posters adorning the walls of The 100 Club (motioning to ‘Save The Parlour’) and matchboxes featuring a phone number to glimpse what’s ahead, tonight feels like Picture Parlour unveiling the scope of their potential.
Leaning into a setlist of mostly unreleased music, The 100 Club stands in awe of a bold reintroduction. The spellbinding cinematic flair that first captivated audiences with ‘Norwegian Wood’ now meets fizzing, crunching riffs that defy any doubters. Opener ‘Cielo Drive’ rings like a modern classic meant for grandstand TV stages, yet through a distinctly 2025 lens, while ‘Who’s There To Love’ delivers garage-rock punch with White Stripes energy.
This feeling courses through Picture Parlour’s entire set – they’ve returned with a clear message to their peers. ‘Neptune 66’ leaps from hypnotic calls to psyche-breakdowns to roaring rock fury with mammoth impact, while the bouncing ‘Talk About It’ and ready-made classic ‘Used To Be Your Girlfriend’ showcase their expansive sonic world.
‘Face In The Picture’, an all-encompassing ‘Ronnie’ and the arm-in-arm singalong of ‘Judgement Day’ are greeted like cherished old friends, as Picture Parlour cement themselves at the heart of a thrilling new era. They close at The 100 Club, fans pressing closer, with the song that started it all – ‘Norwegian Wood’ – but tonight belongs to the future. The stage is set. The soundtrack is here. Picture Parlour have evolved into an even bolder version of their promised potential. You’re no longer just invited to the Parlour: it’s a mandatory requirement. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
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