Chloe Slater, Disgusting Sisters & more bring boisterous fun to Night 2 of Hello 2025

We might have barely reached the halfway mark of January, but bitter cold and lethargy be damned! We’re back at The Old Blue Last for a second helping of Hello 2025, and it promises to be quite the boisterous affair. Heading upstairs in the infamous Shoreditch boozer the room is packed from the off, a gaggle of enthusiastic fans already gathered in front of the tiny stage.

Enthusiasm, it turns out, is the name of the game tonight, as South London outfit PUNCHBAG leap onstage and dive headfirst into a dizzying opening set. Led by sibling duo Clara and Anders Bach, their punky offerings come supercharged with a fizzing energy, while Clara gallantly tries to whip up the crowd into a similar frenzy for their (sort of) self-titled anthem ‘I’m Not Your Punchbag’. They may only have one single officially out so far - last year’s thumping ‘Pretty Youth’ - but if Clara’s affinity to the Duracell Bunny is anything to go by, they’ve got plenty more where that came from.

From one sibling duo to another… It’s no secret that when DIY first saw Disgusting Sisters live at our First Fifty show last November, we were all in, with the pair’s brand of camp, chaotic choreography matched perfectly by their sloganista sprechgesang. Tonight - a few technical mishaps aside - they’re just as gloriously OTT; from giving Clueless vibes in their near-matching outfits (American football jerseys, tartan skirts and visors, naturally) to throwing manic shapes to their Shampoo-esque hit ‘TGIF’, or just diving into the crowd for one final dance-off, fun is the only item on the menu for Jules and Josie tonight.

Variety is the spice of life, and as such, tonight’s more pared-back appearance from Blossom Caldarone (the Londoner who also plays live regularly alongside English Teacher) provides a welcome break from the chaos that’s unfurled already thus far. Armed with just a keyboard and her voice, the stripped back quality of her set means that her gorgeous offerings glow even brighter, stunning the usually-rowdy Old Blue Last crowd to a meditative quiet.

If there’s one new artist who seems to be taking the live circuit by storm right now, it’s Chloe Slater. There’s a giddy zeal that ripples through her audience as the Manchester-based singer takes to the stage with her band, and judging from her live set, it’s easy to see why. Packing an even gnarlier punch on stage than in her recorded offerings, her brand of scuzzy, politically-infused indie feels invigorating and accomplished, despite being little over a year into this phase of her musical journey. The jagged edges of ‘Nothing Shines On This Island’ feels akin to the more wide-eyed dark moments of Wolf Alice, while ‘Fig Tree’ is a defiant, fist-pumping rally against the patriarchy that feels even more potent tonight. If Chloe represents the latest hope in indie’s lineage, then it’s set to be a very exciting time indeed.