Live Review: YUNGBLUD Delivers Concert of the Year 2026
20 January 2026 at The Ice Cream Factory in Perth, Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
At 9:45 p.m. midway through the third song, we called it: YUNGBLUD’s IDOLS World Tour is 2026’s concert of the year. It was only the 20th night since new year’s day, and here’s why – in under four minutes…
Earlier, the temperature peaked at 100 degrees in the old scale but that didn’t stop the die-hards. At 3:30 pm, Katrina (48), a fan who bought her ticket before they were sold out in two minutes, started queuing at the ironically named venue, The Ice Cream Factory in the inhumane heat. It was a cruel tease, as if they were begging for some cooling intervention. But she wasn’t alone; some fans had been in line since 5 am. That should be illegal, or at least a sanity intervention.
By the time the opening act Dune Rats finished their set, the angry sun had finally dipped behind the city skyline. But the heat lingered, like an open-air oven in the heart of Northbridge – Perth’s entertainment district. Four and a half thousand hot, sweaty bodies fused in anticipation of what was about to unfold on stage, a percolation months in the making, fuelled by a barrage of videos flooding our social media feeds. Whatever team YUNGBLUD is doing, it works. But what’s marketing without the product?
At 9:15, YUNGBLUD hit the stage with a nine-minute bender-Hello Heaven, Hello. The Brit built the mood with haunting, introspective tones and soft, eerie echoes, before sonically punching the atmosphere with the biggest pow-wow in the pre-chorus. Distorted guitars, crashing drums, and layered vocals tumbled into a show fest. The vest came off, and Dominic Richard Harrison became his alter ego, YUNGBLUD.
One word – maybe two, three, or more: sassy, sensuality, sexuality, sexy, savvy, salacious and sweaty. There was so much S’s and sex in the air- metaphorically – that the heat was forgotten, replaced by the rule of engagement. It was sensual foreplay combined with the orgasmic performance by a rockstar, complete with raspy, Northern English vocals. He zig-zagged across the stage like a dog at the back of a ute, but with the maniacal charm of 007 on heat. The shimmering shine on his wet body was a decorative catalyst to his rockstar moves – something we haven’t seen since the 90s.
He flicked his hair, dripped with sweat, and caressed them in wonderment as if he was posing for a fashion shoot commissioned by GQ Magazine, drawing screams from the female fans under the Perth City backdrop.
It’s a dream for rock fans to witness someone like YUNGBLUD. Even after 200 shows in 3.5 years, it’s a dream for this photojournalist to photograph a rockstar with such stage presence and unfiltered vocals – fluid dynamic range between spoken word verses, melodic choruses, and enduring screams.
“I want to stay in Australia forever,” he said in his Northern English accent.
And ladies and gentlemen, that was just during the first song.
The onstage shenanigans that would outpace most twenty-somethings were on repeat for The Funeral and Idols Pt 1. There was plenty more theoretical flair. Despite the soaring temperature, fans weren’t given any reprieve as great balls of fire were thrown at every critical juncture and crescendo by the fourth track, Lovesick Lullaby.
This kid is a punk who deserves a rockstar medal. In Fleabag, he stepped down from the stage, into the crowd, standing on the shoulders of (possibly) patrons, singing and having a (assumedly) cigarette before tossing it into the crowd.
Hey, hey they sang in unison, as hands punched through the canopy of heads, while flames thrown in the background in perfect cadence. He grabbed a video camera and filmed the crowd while still perched on some soul’s shoulders.
From rockstar screams to spoken word verses in Lowlife, executed perfectly in a Northern English accent that added urban resonance of Britpop from the ’90s, defining anthemic choruses, working-class themes. The spoken-like verses offered a break for everyone, allowing witty, observational lyrics.
We needed a longer break, so came the cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes. The undulation was striking, as fans settled into a reflective mood of melancholy, sadness, poignancy, and celebration. YUNGBLUD’s ability to switch was simply masterful. The haunting, piano-driven ballad was a beautiful sentiment and a departure from the heaving rock. The slow, sombre mood seeped into every heart; the mournful tone of YUNGBLUD’s voice was palpable, a reflection of the loss of his friend. He stared into the sky, holding the mic, his emotion visible to all. In those nine minutes of dedication – that felt like a good eternity, YUNGBLUD the rockstar reverted to Dominic Richard Harrison – an immortal, a vulnerable human, a tear away from a breakdown. The chorus was carried by a 4,500-strong crowd in celebratory revelry:
“I’m going through changes.”
It went on repeat as the crowd swayed their arms in the air, while many held signs: “You held us, now we will hold you!” and “Through fooking thick and thin!”
“Make some F*cking noise,” YUNGBLUD screamed, and the electric guitar soared like a rocket.
“Sing it with me… sing it…God bless Black Sabbath. God bless Ozzy Osbourne.”
We had just witnessed one of the most awe inspiring moments in Perth’s concert history.
The night could have ended then. More tease to come – this time with ice cream man. YUNGBLUD could have made a pun with the venue – Ice Cream Factory – but that was a missed opportunity.
Ghosts was part of the encore, while the night ended with Zombie, a cathartic release with fans screaming every word. Smashing Pumpkins weren’t present, but the band was watertight all night.
It was a fitting ending; the visceral moment seeped into our emotions. Some fans were in tears.
The obvious missing numbers were Abyss – from Kaiju No.8 and KISS’s I Was Made For Loving You- which would have nuked the venue. But for most, it was enough to be the best concert of 2026, and it’s only January.
But one thing is guaranteed: this is the last time we’ll see YUNGBLUD performing in a mid-sized venue.
It’s time, probably, and currently, for this gentleman to lead the way in reviving the global rock scene, because YUNGBLUD is arguably the greatest rockstar of the current era.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Frontier Touring and YUNGBLUD for the media accreditation.
YUNGBLUD’s IDOLS World Tour in Perth 2026
Hello Heaven, Hello — Single (2024)
The Funeral — YUNGBLUD (2022)
Idols Pt. I — Single (2023)
Lovesick Lullaby — Single (2024)
My Only Angel (Aerosmith & YUNGBLUD) — Single / Collab (2024)
fleabag — fleabag EP (2021)
Lowlife — Single (2023)
Changes (Black Sabbath cover) — original from Vol. 4 (1972)
Fire — Single (2024)
Monday Murder — Single (2024)
ice cream man — Single (2024)
Loner — Single (2019)
ENCORE
Ghosts — Single (2024)
Zombie — Single (2024)
About the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
