“People have been trying to get us to switch to Kemper for years and we keep telling them to f**k off!”: Why Yungblud still uses real amps on stage
Alt superstar Yungblud has explained why he sticks with traditional amps onstage during his live shows.
The 27-year-old, real name Dominic Richard Harrison, says in the new issue of Total Guitar that he prefers the pure volume of an old-school amplifier setup during concerts. He also claims to eschew pedals altogether.
READ MORE: Yungblud thinks social media might have stopped Pink Floyd releasing The Dark Side Of The Moon if it had existed at the time
“I don’t even use pedals, I stick with gain from the amps,” he says. “We might use a couple of Boxes Of Doom [isolated cabinets] backstage, but it all comes from plugging straight in. That’s what I like.”
Yungblud goes on to say that he’s been urged by others to switch to digital amplifiers such as Kemper, but that he’s not a fan of the way they sound. “People have been trying to get us to switch to Kemper for years and we keep telling them to fuck off,” he continues. “All of our mates come on the side of the stage and I want that area to be a party. Sometimes I take my in-ears out and it’s blaring at me. I just want my amp all the way up and ready to go… the only thing I need is for it to be fucking loud up there!”
Yungblud released his first singles in 2017 and his debut, self-titled EP in January 2018. He then put out his debut album, 21st Century Liability, the following July. Yungblud’s second album, Weird!, was released in 2020 and debuted at the top of the UK album charts. His third album, also self-titled, repeated that feat in 2022. It also topped charts in Ireland, New Zealand, Austria and Australia.
Last month, he headlined his own one-day festival, Bludfest, at Milton Keynes Bowl, while the undercard featured Lil Yachty, Soft Play, Noahfinnce and more, plus an “icon slot” for punk legends The Damned. The musician launched the festival to be an affordable showcase of some of his favourite artists, as he explained in a recent Kerrang! interview.
“The reason I’m doing Bludfest is giving power to the artists and the people,” he said. “This whole thing doesn’t work without people. That’s a fact. If people aren’t buying your magazine, you’re fucked. If people aren’t turning up to my show, I’m fucked. The reason I started Bludfest and why I’m so fucking vocal online is because it has to change.”
He added: “Music has got categorically worse because of monetisation and market share. You talk to the industry and it’s like, ‘Okay cool, let’s pay the investors,’ instead of, ‘What moves me?’”
The post “People have been trying to get us to switch to Kemper for years and we keep telling them to f**k off!”: Why Yungblud still uses real amps on stage appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
