THEN & NOW: YUNGBLUD Rules New York! By Daphne Rivera
Continuing with the THEN & NOW feature for March, NOW is Yungblud.
YUNGBLUD, whose name is Dominic Harrison, is a 22-year-old artist hailing from Doncaster, Yorkshire, England. The alternative music singer and songwriter is known for being vocal about mental health, societal injustices, and his signature pink socks. He released his debut EP, YUNGBLUD, in 2018, and, in that same year, released his debut album, 21st Century Liability. In 2019, the rocker followed in the footsteps of My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way in releasing a graphic novel, YUNGBLUD Presents: The Twisted Tales of the Ritalin Club, as well as releasing a highly anticipated EP, The Underrated Youth. The singer’s 2018 single “Tin Pan Boy” was featured on the Netflix show 13 Reason’s Why Season 2 soundtrack, along with “Falling Skies” a collaboration with singer Charlotte Lawrence. In 2019, Harrison collaborated with Halsey and Travis Barker on their single, “11 Minutes”, and with Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker on their gold-certified hit, “I Think I’m OKAY.”
Since 2018, YUNGBLUD has spent his days touring and writing. He supported K. Flay on their “Everywhere is Somewhere” tour, toured his debut album (21st Century Liability) with Arrested Youth (American dates) and Carlie Hanson (UK and Europe Dates). Just a few weeks after the end of his debut album tour, the British rocker embarked on his “Don’t Wanna Be a Loner” tour, and then a few weeks later on the “Twisted Tales of the Ritalin Club” tour. At this point, I got the opportunity to go in New York.
On October 14, 2019, I missed my parents 24th wedding anniversary so I could see YUNGBLUD, an artist I had spent 2018 and 2019 listening to, in concert. I hadn’t been fortunate enough to see him live when he came in April that same year, so to say I was excited for this show was putting it mildly. Now, this wasn’t the first time I had seen him live as I was able to attend his 2-song VEVO Lift Live Session just a few days prior, but it was the first time I would get to experience his full length concert. Upon arriving to Webster Hall, on 11th St, the line went around the corner and reached 12th St. Finally, the clock struck 7:30pm, and we began entering the venue. The show opened with supporting act MISSIO, an electronic alternative duo, whose music compliments YUNGBLUD’s. Around 9pm, YUNGBLUD opened with his song 21st Century Liability. Instantly the crowd let out a roar. Harrison, whose goal at every show is to have at least one mosh pit, got his chance to mosh with fans during “King Charles,” and even came into the crowd to sing “Kill Somebody.” Favorites, “Parents” and “Loner” thundered through the New York venue and onto the street.
Photography by Daphne Rivera.
The singer later surprised fans with special guest, Machine Gun Kelly, to sing “I Think I’m OKAY,” one of my favorites. As a fan of both artists, and Travis Barker (not at the show), this song was an instant download for me when it first released. With lyrics like “I think something’s f**king wrong with me,” the song shows the coming to terms of inner demons. It is that knowing that there is an underlying issue and accepting your faults, whether it is substance abuse or other mental health problems, that makes the song amazing. Since I had known MGK was in NY at the time, I had a feeling this was going to happen. Since both artists had a history of bringing each other out at their shows it wasn’t difficult to inference he might make an appearance, but it was still such an incredible surprise to have my suspicions confirmed. The British rocker ended the show with his 13 Reason’s Why Season 3 single, “Die a Little,” a song he has is about accepting the darkness inside of you.
Just as the last note rang through the air, he was instantly called back for an encore where he performed “The Underrated Youth,” the titular song off his latest EP, and “Machine Gun (F**k the NRA),” a song he wrote out of anger after the continuous news of multiple senseless shootings at schools and public spaces featured on his debut album. It was this final song that had the crowd fully enthralled. During his North American tour, Harrison made it a point to lead the crowd at every city in a chant of “F**k the NRA” and record/post a video of it, and this New York show was no different.
Photography by Daphne Rivera.
There is something about a crowd singing the lyrics of every song back to the artist that is so beautiful. This was the first time, out of all the concerts I’ve gone to (approximately 20), that I witnessed every single concertgoer not only singing every word, but fully immersing themselves into the show. They moshed, they sang, they responded with the little responses in songs (“Parents”, “Machine Gun (F**k the NRA), and “Loner”). What makes the show the best, and my favorite, is the energy YUNGBLUD put out and received right back from fans (myself included). Everyone there fully enjoyed the show and became a part of something bigger than themselves for a moment. The relationship he nurtures with his fans is something many artists should try to emulate. He is kind and caring to his fans, takes any opportunity to meet them and talk to them, he is open to them about his struggles, and puts their needs ahead of the industry. He understands his fans and they understand him, truly showing just how symbiotic a fan-artist relationship is. This is unsurprising as most of his shows create that same environment. An environment where everyone is free, that is, making no judgments and offering full acceptance.
YUNGBLUD is already set to embark on what seems to be a 6-month 2020 tour, “The Underrated Youth” tour, starting in March in Asia, making his way through South America, North America, and back to the UK and Europe for the final shows in late August, which I cannot wait to attend. If you can make it to any of his shows, listed found here on his website, you will undoubtedly have one of the best times of your life. And, if his past touring schedule has shown us anything, it is that YUNGBLUD will no doubt continue to tour not long after the end of “The Underrated Youth” tour.
Photography by Daphne Rivera.
Instagram: @yungblud
Written by Daphne Rivera, Contributing Music Writer, PhotoBook Magazine.
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