He brought the house down at Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, and once hilariously defied a no-moshing order at a Japan show. Like it or not, Yungblud is the star rock music needs
It’s easy to get stuck in our own way. We’re all guilty of it in varying degrees: we find the artists we like, put a metaphorical wall up around our tastes and treat those new to our radars with scepticism.
This is exacerbated generationally. You don’t need to go far to hear the ‘back in my day’ platitudes uttered by those who grew up in what they’d call rock’s ‘golden generation’.
They might be talking about glam metal’s heyday in the ‘80s, the emergence of grunge in the ‘90s, or even the new wave of American heavy metal (NWOAHM) in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
But nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
When Black Sabbath announced the lineup of their monumental farewell 5 July show at Villa Park, metal fans rejoiced at the inclusion of a pantheon of metal’s elite (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Pantera, to name but a few).
However, some were a little more hesitant at the mention of Yungblud, the Doncaster native whose music already spans so many genres it’s hard to keep up.
In the lead up to the show, I spotted a number of comments on social media and online forums poking fun at the 27-year-old, real name Dominic Richard Harrison.
“I’d hope he’s just going as a guest of the Osbournes as a spectator,” one Reddit comment read. “Surely they’ve got enough awareness to know Yungblud’s not going to go down well with a die-hard metal crowd! If he does come on stage I hope the bars are well staffed!”
Of course, Yungblud did not simply attend the event as a “spectator”; he performed a breathtaking cover of Sabbath’s Changes – from 1972’s Vol. 4 – channeling Ozzy Osbourne and, it must be said, Freddie Mercury at Live Aid, in quite frankly one of the day’s most rousing performances.
In the video above, it’s clear to see that the sold-out Villa Park crowd was enraptured by his performance, and, indeed, anyone who did visit the bar during missed out big time.
I’d say it’s satisfying to see haters silenced, but I don’t think that’s the source of the gratification here. I think it’s more to do with previously closed off people opening their minds and discovering new things that they genuinely love.
“I’m here from Back to the Beginning,” one metal fan wrote following the show. “Never heard of this dude before. I’m an old punk metalhead that doesn’t really seek out new music, ‘cause it’s mostly trash. This dude, though. This dude is fucking good. I started watching his music videos. Brilliant.”
“He got us all in a chokehold after that Ozzy performance,” replied another. “I have been listening all day. This isn’t even my usual kind of music/aesthetic at all. But I don’t know why I’m captivated by him. His voice is amazing.”
Another put simply: “I have not been this juiced for any new music or new artist for, literally, DECADES. Dude is something special.”
It can’t be ignored that in our attention economy where people make their minds up about things in seconds, a name like Yungblud might make someone think, ‘Okay, SoundCloud rapper. Next.’
But in reality, Yungblud represents the young blood – sorry, that was awful, but it’s true – that rock music so desperately needs. He’s a formidable songwriter – take parents, Zombie and acting like that (with mgk) as evidence of that – and an even better performer.
And the best part? The guitar is so often front and centre in his music. For those new to his catalogue, check out his 2021 single fleabag, which features a killer tapping-laden guitar solo at the 2:05 mark.
So as people continue to debate the future of guitar music, will Yungblud save it? The jury’s out on that one, but he’ll definitely help.
Yungblud’s also got that from-the-heart rebellious nature that made us all fall in love with our now-aging rockstar heroes in the first place.
In a newly resurfaced clip that’s been doing the rounds on social media as the world continues to discover him following Back to the Beginning, Yungblud hilariously recounts defying a no-moshing order at his 2022 Summer Sonic performance in Tokyo.
“After his show in Osaka yesterday, I am very worried about this next performer,” the announcer says. “Whatever he says, you must not mosh or shout.” Of course, what follows is a clip of the crowd in the palm of his hands going absolutely mental – and, yes, moshing.
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Now, we’re not encouraging the defiance of venue rules and safety measures by any stretch. But rebellion has always been synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll, and Yungblud possesses it in abundance. And with his out-of-this-world voice, stellar songwriting skills and unrivalled stage presence, what more do you want?
Contrary to what you might think if you’re just discovering him, Yungblud is not an outsider to this world of rock and metal we all love. He’s very much in it, and even formed a close personal relationship with Ozzy Osbourne prior to his death on 22 July.
In an emotional post on social media following the news, Yungblud proclaimed Ozzy as the “greatest of all time”.
“You will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage,” he wrote. “Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. You took us on your adventure – an adventure that started it all. I am truly heartbroken.”
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In an earlier clip of the pair talking backstage at Back to the Beginning, it’s hard not to well up as Yungblud and Ozzy embrace. “I love you,” Ozzy tells the young musician. “I fucking love you, man,” Yungblud replies.
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Reflecting in another post in the days following Ozzy’s passing, Yungblud wrote: “I’m trying to compute the last couple of days and honestly I’m absolutely fucking shattered.
“I owe so much to you, your wife and your family – you all gave me a road to run down and supported me when people would turn their nose up…
“To sing this song for you at an event surrounded by legends inspired by you to a crowd that loved you was truly my life’s greatest honour and I vow to play this song every night for the rest of my life.
“You’re my hero in every regard. I hope you’re up there ‘avin a drink with Randy [Rhoads].”
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It’s a cliché that rings true in rock and guitar music as it does everywhere in the world: the only constant in life is change. Rock music will never be what it was in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. But is that necessarily a bad thing?
Why can’t we crystallise those memories and continue to enjoy them while making room for newer artists whose music is actually pretty exciting.
And if Ozzy Osbourne, the guy who – with his Black Sabbath bandmates – invented an entire genre, took him under his wing, maybe it’s time you started paying Yungblud some attention…
You can see a full list of Yungblud’s upcoming live dates at his official website, and given his comments, you’ll probably hear Changes if you go…
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