Yungblud exploded onto the scene with his self-titled EP in 2018 and hasn’t stopped blowing up since. Over the course of three studio albums (’21st Century Liability’, ‘Weird’ and ‘Yungblud’), Dom Harrison has thrown off that scrappy punk sound and confidently dabbled in everything from brit-pop to grunge and electronica.
Live though, his shows have stayed safely within the realms of chaotic energy. From Camden’s Electric Ballroom to Reading Festival’s Main Stage, Yungblud has always relied on vibrant carnage while trying to make the biggest of stages feel more like the basement venues he grew up on. It’s always worked as well with Yungblud’s lust for a good time, annoyingly infectious.
Speaking to Dork last year, though, Dom revealed “the age of the new kid on the block is over,” suggesting he wanted more for Yungblud. Taking to London’s Wembley Arena on Saturday night, he unveils an ambitious new attitude to playing live.
Starting the show behind a big, white sheet with his silhouette twisted into a devil, Yungblud opens with a rampant ’21st Century Liability’ before celebratory emo anthem ‘The Funeral’ unites the room. The hits keep coming as well, with poppier moments like ‘Tissues’ and ‘Strawberry Lipstick’ causing just as much anarchy as the snarling ‘Die For The Hype’ and ‘Medication’, which sees Yungblud spinning around on a b-stage as flames erupt from behind him. So far, it’s everything you’d expect from a Yungblud show.
However, things soon take a turn. Sitting on a toilet, Yungblud lights a cigarette and pretends to read the book ‘El And The Mirror’ while a voiceover tells the tale of self-acceptance and community out loud. “They realised they were no longer alone, and neither are you.” It then starts raining before the disco punk dance of ‘Sex Not Violence’ kicks in.
Following that dramatic moment of encouragement, the storytelling bombast of ‘Mars’ and the glitching electro hammer of ‘I Cry 2’ are allowed space to be as brilliantly weird as possible, with Yungblud not trying to hide their theatrics behind a coat of scrappy punk rock. Likewise, the twinkling ‘Sweet Heroine’ is confidently gooey and soft. It’s not as in-your-face as usual, but the show is much better for taking a few new risks.
A final five-song flourish sees Yungblud once again turn Wembley Arena into a swirling mass of snarling self-expression with the soaring ‘Hope For The Underrated Youth’, the urgent ‘The Boy In The Black Dress’ and ‘Loner’ ’s rock and roll swagger letting Yungblud stake his claim once more as a guitar hero for a new generation.
Yungblud’s never been one for doing the expected, and while this dream-come-true show at Wembley Arena may be the biggest headline gig he’s ever played, it feels like the start of something new for the star. Where he goes next is anyone’s guess, but the door is very much open.
