“It’s taken 12 years to get to the O2! We’ve done it!” says a beaming, screaming, sweating, half-crying, heart-baring, butt-shaking, hyper-hyperactive Yungblud as he landed in London on an arena tour which has turned into a victory lap. Over the last year or so the Doncaster’s finest crazyperson has crossed over from punk-pop cult act into big league rock star, having released the ambitious album Idols, suddenly exploded in America and going viral for his performance of Changes at the Ozzy Osbourne tribute concert.12 years to finally become this overnight success…
But it’s a strange thing: he hasn’t really made total sense until this moment. As in, he was always a massive rock star who now finally has the massive rock star stages to strut around on. Previously - at least among snooty media - Yungblud was a curio. A highly likeable punk kid, articulate, outspoken about mental health, fearlessly political, funny, good-looking, he was too poppy to please the metallers, too much of a showman for slouching hipsters, and his teen appeal was just not the done thing; heavy forbid rock n roll, a music invented by and for teenagers, should actually have a teenage audience. And yet through sheer force of will, he has built and built his crowd, working hard, building his “family” and just making it happen - this was a guy who couldn’t get booked for festivals, so he simply put on his own; this summer the 3rd Bludfest takes place in Czechia.
