I’ve thought long and hard but I can’t quite find the words to express the true worth of Yungblud’s sold out show at the O2 Institute Birmingham. I think that is the exact reason why we’ve seen 22 year old Dominic Harrison capture the hearts of so many people across the world in such a remarkably short space of time. If one thing’s for sure; Yungblud is the hope our youth of today have been waiting for.
On Friday night the Institute was bursting with a unique atmosphere oozing creativity, individuality and passion as the group of exhilarated fans clung together waiting for their idol to take to the stage. After a lengthy entrance track; a hopeful pre-recorded speech by Dom set the tone for the entire evening; “From this moment on you will never be lonely again, if you are here, you are with ME, you are with US. Look at the people around you, you finally belong somewhere.” With that, the show was off to an incomparably energetic start as Yungblud with his statement pink socks and a dark lipstick look entered the stage jumping several feet in the air on each beat to the alternative rock anthem, 21st Century Liability.
The room felt alive as every inch of the space was filled with movement; people jumping, singing and having the time of their lives through all the hits such as Parents, Original Me and Loner. The dedicated fanbase beamed with happiness reciting every word proudly back to the down to earth musician. Dom’s stage presence and energy was relentless; with an infectious smile spread broadly across his face you could truly tell he was living his dream and not taking a second of it for granted.
There were no hierarchies present at the concert as demonstrated by Dom breaking every boundary possible between himself and the fans; even moving his performance to the very centre of the crowd to sing with them the moving and poignant hit, Kill Somebody. As his stripped back voice stumbled over the words “I can’t find the light” the Institute illuminated further becoming a galaxy of stars with phone lights shining bright from every corner, almost as if to say “Don’t worry, we’ve got you”. The tear-jerking lyrics echoed fiercely around the room with each and every person singing perpetually at the top of their lungs; this was not a fanbase but a family of inspiring individuals that had finally found a sense of belonging.
A quick outfit change and the performance progressed back on stage resuming the untainted high energy levels as Yungblud fired through his recent Machine Gun Kelly collaboration, I Think I’m Okay, with the recurring pit opening up once again for audience members to immerse themselves in the song. The remaining tunes rushed by including an acoustic section with a few heart-warming and honest words from Dom explaining his own struggles with feeling lost in this world followed by thanking the fans for saving him from ever feeling that way again; their supportive and impactful response indicated the feeling was completely mutual.
Yungblud is unmistakably one of a kind and has a love for his community like no other. A show that emanated enough inspiration to fuel the dreams of anyone and bring truth back to the music industry. In the words of the talented musician himself; There’s Hope For The Underrated Youth. You can experience all of this yourself by grabbing tickets to one of the newly announced ‘Just For A Laugh’ occupy London shows HERE (tickets on sale this Friday 29th November).
YUNGBLUD: Instagram | Twitter | Website | Spotify
