Yungblud – Live at Alexandra Palace, London – Livestream

There’s a first time for everything, even in the world of livestreams. On October 3^rd, 2021, I watched Yungblud perform his biggest headline show at Alexandra Palace in London. What made this livestream experience so unique for me? It featured a full house. 10, 000 fans. A sold-out gig, with a roaring crowd filling every inch of the venue. Thousands of phones rising in the air to capture every moment as soon as the curtain dropped on stage. Goose-bump worthy after being in lockdown for months.

It’s a testament to the versatility of Moment House, who are becoming the frontier of pandemic related livestreams, and who previously hosted the Halsey and Client Liaison livestreams I’ve reviewed. Where those streams were run on a tight, seamless schedule – beginning right on the event start time – Yungblud’s livestream felt more reminiscent of live events, with the concert beginning 10 minutes after the advertised start time. The delay only added to the excitement.

Yungblud (Dominic Harrison) is a performer that has boundless energy. From the moment the curtain dropped he stormed on stage on a mission to entertain. The crowd was treated to high kicks, non-stop jumping and an expression of both anarchy and joy that was evident in every single move made. Harrison is a master of the stage, demanding attention, and the same energy he so eagerly gives the audience. It almost felt like Yungblud was the ringleader of a circle of misfits.

The 1.5-hour gig was a celebration of an impressive catalogue of music, and community. As someone who hasn’t had the pleasure of seeing Yungblud live in person (yet) I was in awe of the response of the fans filling the packed mosh pit. The fans screamed every lyric of every song back at Harrison – even his latest release “Fleabag” which had only been in their ears for a few weeks. The fans waved rainbow flags, raised their hands in heart shapes above their heads, formed a wall of death and chanted “F*#$ COVID” along with Harrison – both lead by him naturally. The anarchy was contagious.

This was complemented by electrifying production and pyro, with flames illuminating the stage and making the scale of the show feel larger than life. There was even a point where a piano was brought out on stage for Harrison to play and yep, you guessed it – it was surrounded by flames. It looked incredible.

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The sense of community and gratitude that arose from the livestream is memorable. Amongst multiple costume changes, Yungblud wore a red jumpsuit with the words “the future is bright cause we are in it” printed across the back. On the venue screens, bright neon red signs flashed in time with performances reading “look around yourselves, these people are your family, they will uplift you, they will support you, and they will love you for being exactly who you are”.

It made me tear up at home as I watched along. It made Harrison tear up on stage. The singer did not hold back from sharing his emotions with the crowd, speaking of how overwhelmed and grateful he was to be playing such an important show and to be surrounded by so many loving, accepting, and understanding fans.

Yungblud’s catalogue of music covers a vast array of emotions and the flow of the setlist was perfect… creating rise and fall, moments of chaos and moments of calm, before concluding on a high. Opening with “Strawberry Lipstick”, “Parents” and “I Love You, Will You Marry Me” created a ruckus in the venue, in the best way, which continued right through to “Anarchy”.

Harrison was at his most vulnerable during the performance of “love song” – a moment of intimacy and calm that reduced the singer to tears. Where “love song” encompasses acceptance, self-love and growth, the reassurance that we’re not alone came during the performances of “I Think I’m OKAY” and “god save me but don’t drown me out” – two of my personal favourites. Hearing “weird” live was also incredibly powerful, with the lyrics acting as the perfect antidote to COVID related lockdowns and isolation felt by fans all over the world.

Yungblud’s London gig was the first time I purchased a ticket to a pandemic-inspired livestream event that featured a live crowd. It reminded me that the world is returning to some form of normality, whilst still being capable of utilising modern technologies and opportunities for global fans. It provided livestream viewers with a heightened sense of emotion, and adrenaline, making us feel as close to the live experience as we possibly could… considering many fans were miles away from Alexandra Palace. Moment House has hosted quite a few of these livestreams now, and it’s worth purchasing the ticket… every single time.

Setlist
1. Strawberry Lipstick
2. Parents
3. Superdeadfriends
4. I Love You, Will You Marry Me
5. Anarchist
6. Mars
7. Weird
8. Fleabag
9. Medication
10. Loner
11. love song
12. I Think I’m OKAY
13. god save me but don’t drown me out
14. Charity
15. Teresa
16. Machine Gun

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