Yungblud - Camden Market, London, 18/3/2024

  by Steev Burgess

published: 29 / 10 / 2024

A line of mostly teenagers and twenty-somethings started to line the walls of Camden Market from 6am after news broke of a free concert to be given by Yungblud in the venue, a stone’s throw from his (and once Amy Winehouse's) favourite Camden pub, the Hawley Arms. The impromptu little sunken arena (suitably close to the Amy statue) held about 250 wristbanded people, although such was the buzz about this show that at least four times as many people had wanted to get in, even on a weekday. This event was partly to announce the singer’s own upcoming festival, Bludfest, which will take place in August, and which aims to introduce more affordable prices than the industry norm. As more and more people arrived, social media announcements were made from the Yungblud camp that the market was a public space and for folk to come along anyway for this 5pm freebie. This was my first introduction to the artist. Tempted in by the enthusiasm of two young friends and with the crowds deepening, I suggested a good view could be had by going into Birra Baladin's ornamental little two seater pizza delivery van parked by the railings to get a ringside view, and they surprised me by doing just that! Yungblud and his band took the stage and opened with 'Strawberry Lipstick', then continued with his signature tunes 'The Funeral' and 'I Love You Will You Marry Me' – the latter an exciting blend of indie-punk-rock-rap, with the agile singer soon leaving the stage, showing his trademark pink socks and climbing the perimeter railings and round on top of the pizza van to sing 'Fleabag. He took selfies between songs against the crowd from on high, with an exuberance and connection with the crowd that reminded me of a young Adam Ant. The Bludfest in August was announced with a banner unfurled and the short concert ended on "Loner" as Dominic, Yungblud’s birth name, ran through the crowd into the Hawley Arms with half of his followers in tow and forming another queue to get in. This singer has the type of close connection to his fans, the Black Hearts, that's similar to that of a young Peter Doherty. His music has strains of Nirvana, Oasis and early rap and is, I think, only one part of the appeal. There's a closeness among his followers that the singer has cultivated, a welcoming throng of predominantly but not exclusively girls whose fashion indicates a growing number of outsiders. There were emos, punks, trans and queer people, some travelling in from far afield that gave me the feeling that something new and positive was born of the Covid lockdown. Yungblud may not have the poetic, lyrical, depth of an Ezra Furman or Gabi Garbutt, but he's good at scooping up the current obsessions, representing the misunderstood and being from Doncaster is unencumbered by any sense of the need to slum it fashion-wise. You can draw this character with one line and the young crowd sang every word in assembly. Yungblud has already made an impression in the USA, and there's a very wild and exciting ride ahead for him I'm sure. Set List: Strawberry Lipstick The Funeral I Love You, Will You Marry me Fleabag Loner Photos by Steev Burgess

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