The Great Escape: First Fifty, MOTH Club, London • Festivals • DIY Magazine

November: the days are getting colder, the nights are drawing in, and the sun-drenched scenes of festival season feel like a whole lot longer than a few months ago. Luckily, The Great Escape is on hand with a tonic to cure those winter blues - namely, an eight-pronged, simultaneous takeover of East London’s finest venues to rocket-launch the fest’s 2026 lineup with performances from artists comprising its prestigious First Fifty bill. An annual highlight of any self-respecting gig goer’s live calendar, these First Fifty shows offer the chance to keep ahead of the curve and catch some of next year’s most exciting musical prospects before they hit the stages of Brighton at TGE 2026 next May.

And, as ever, it’s shaping up to be a truly eclectic affair: across the First Fifty programme, punters can opt to see dance-punk purveyors The Itch at Sebright Arms; catch indie-pop duo (and real life siblings) SISTRA headline Oslo; or head to The Jago for the stunning stylings of alt-folk songwriter Tommy WÁ. It’s Hackney’s arguably most iconic venue, though, that DIY are taking over tonight, bringing a full spectrum of pop brilliance to the glittery hallowed hall of MOTH Club’s main room.

Up first is Irish producer Annie-Dog, who, despite being the sole person onstage, nevertheless cuts a striking figure, her one-woman-band setup suggestive of a kid-in-a-sweet-shop enthusiasm for experimentation. Between the laptop before her and the guitar slung around her neck, she builds layered soundscapes that nod to both the playful electro-pop of PinkPantheress and the evocative indie of her namesake Smashing Pumpkins cut, creating an atmosphere that’s equal parts heady and hypnotic. Think The Japanese House featuring on Charli’s ‘Apple’ remix, and you’re halfway there.

Next on MOTH’s famed gold-spangled stage is an artist who, between his Cameron Winter-esque mop and skater boy style, can’t help but exude a certain swagger. But then again, maybe that’s not surprising - Max Baby is from Paris, after all. Pairing angsty alt-rock energy with tracks chock-full of breezy pop hooks, his is an intriguing, dynamic proposition that, as he does his level best to lap the venue and jump off any available surface (kick drum included), proves increasingly irresistible. Making a convincing case to be the spiritual successor of mid-noughties faves MGMT, Baby - apparently his real name - is as compelling a performer as any five times his size.

Completing tonight’s trio of next gen pop risers, then, are Liverpool-via-Norway five-piece Girl Group - an outfit who, we’re happy to report, do exactly what they say on the tin: formation dance routines, multi-layer harmonies, and winking, attitude-laden anthems. Fun may be the name of the game here, but from the off, it’s clear the band are impeccably rehearsed, switching between pop-punk, sassy call-and-response segments, bouncing electro-pop moments, and instrumental duties with apparent ease. In true girl group form, there’s no frontwoman to be found: instead, they take it in turns to hold the spotlight, delivering both synchronised choreo and the sort of dancing you’d do alone in your room with a hairbrush, deliberately playing into tropes in order to take ownership of their own narrative (“this next song is about boys… it’s called ‘Shut Your Mouth’, they grin; another is titled ‘Man-Made Girl Bands’). Confidence, camaraderie, and just the right amount of cockiness - The Great Escape 2026 won’t know what’s hit it.