More about: YungbludTeenageCancerGigs

Many artists inspire absolute dedication amongst their followers – but after spending a night with the ‘Black Hearts Club’, you’d be hard-pressed to think of another musician quite so universally adored amongst their fanbase as YUNGBLUD. Treating the Royal Albert Hall like it was a local O2 academy, fans turned the historic venue into a pure rock club, camping outside and taking their tops off within minutes of the rest beginning. Honestly, it looked like fun - oh to be young.

And they shared the energy. Providing the same excitement for supports Daisy Brain and Nova Twins, even the security could be heard remarking on how strangely nice this crowd of teenage emos were.

But you know who they’re there for. From the sea of striped t-shirts and red hair, seemingly everyone in the room tonight has come dressed as the man on stage. The screeching wall of noise that accompanies his arrival is reminiscent of The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl. And perhaps most remarkably, even the mouthful of beer he spits at the front row halfway through his set is greeted with a sense of elation.

Clearly, however, YUNGBLUD is not one to get complacent. Tonight’s show at the Royal Albert Hall still represents a significant night in Dominic Harrison’s young career – and the Doncaster-born singer isn’t afraid to beg (he frequently asks the audience to scream, jump and even boo), borrow (his single ‘Parents’ is a re-telling of My Chemical Romance’s ‘Teenagers’) or steal (‘fleabag’ blatancy rips off Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’) to get the party started.

Early single ‘Loner’, ‘mars’ and the brand new 'The Funeral' provide the biggest sing-a-long moments in a set that’s rarely short of energy. Yungblud’s music may lean heavily on the pop-punk bands of yesteryear, but what sets him apart is his palpable sense of showmanship. Every song is made to feel like the show-stopper, and the crowd is never given an opportunity to settle. Even when accompanied by a classic cellist for the slower ‘it's quiet In Beverly Hills’, crowd participation is still encouraged as Dom screams for a louder singalong to take over, giving him a chance to soak it in as the Hall lights up with iPhone flashes.

Harrison has never been shy to state his stadium-sized ambition in the past – and while tonight’s show is far from a sell-out, it felt like one. Managing to get the floor of the famed hall shaking as they removed the plush seats to give room to a mosh pit, it’s not hard to imagine him performing on even bigger stages in the near future with an equally as captivated crowd. But please, Dom, save the beer spitting for when we’re COVID free.

YUNGBLUD performed as part of the #TeenageCancerGigs. To donate to Teenage Cancer Trust, visit: https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

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More about: YungbludTeenageCancerGigs