In 1974, music writer Jon Landau famously said, “I saw rock and roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” Landau became Springsteen’s manager soon after and still is today. It has been a long time since rock produced anything truly meaningful on that scale. Dominic Harrison, better known as Yungblud, feels like the real thing. He is the future, ordained by the past. His recent collaborations with The Smashing Pumpkins and Aerosmith feel less like guest spots and more like a symbolic passing of the torch.
At 28, Yungblud has already outlived Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, and Janis Joplin, the infamous members of the 27 Club. He performs rock with genuine quality and presence, channelling the confidence of Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop, touches of Billy Idol and Oasis, and carrying the endorsement of Ozzy Osbourne. Yungblud wears his influences openly, just as The Stones did with Muddy Waters, just as The Beatles did with Little Richard. You can trace the lineage clearly, from The Beatles to Oasis, from Oasis to Jet. This is how rock survives.
Yungblud has looked the modern, disposable, ringtone-era music industry straight in the face and said, “Fuck that.” He has made rock feel real again.
And then there’s the show.
In front of more than 10,000 fans at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Harrison somehow maintains a personal connection that feels rare at this scale. It’s not just that he feels like one of them. It’s that the songs hold up. They really do. The closing track, “Zombie,” would have been a classic in any rock era you care to name.
“Hello Heaven, Hello” opened the night with absolute confidence. From the second he stepped on stage, Yungblud owned it. This song was clearly written to kick doors open, and it did exactly that.
The production was big without being bloated. Pyro, confetti, smoke, and fire filled the stage with genuine wow factor. Early in the set, Yungblud dropped the microphone. It didn’t matter. The crowd carried the song without missing a beat. “The Funeral” and “Idols Pt. 1” arrived early, but the standout moment came with his tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, a stripped-back and heartfelt rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Changes.”
Melbourne was treated to “Monday Murder,” which had been missing from the Sydney setlist. There were plenty of nods to Melbourne’s famously intense crowd, along with a reminder of his first-ever show in the city four tours ago, playing to just 50 people.
It’s hard not to reflect on how far he’s come since his first Melbourne show at the Corner Hotel in July 2018. Only one song, “Loner,” appeared in both setlists.
Yungblud in 2018 is not the same artist standing on stage in 2026. Somewhere between Weird and Yungblud, his creative growth shifted into overdrive. The 2025 album Idols feels like the start of another leap forward. Whatever comes next is worth waiting for.
Music moves in cycles. Every so often, someone comes along and shakes the tree hard enough to make people pay attention again. For rock, Yungblud is the most exciting thing since Nirvana.
For the younger fans in the crowd last night, this is one of those artists who will still be around to play a 50th anniversary show. Enjoy the ride.
Rock is not dead. Not while Yungblud is here.
Setlist 13 January 2026, Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl:
Hello Heaven, Hello (from Idols, 2025)
The Funeral (from Yungblud, 2022)
Idols Pt. I (from Idols, 2025)
Lovesick Lullaby (from Idols, 2025)
My Only Angel (from One More Time EP with Aerosmith, 2025)
Fleabag (single, 2021)
Changes (Black Sabbath cover)
Lowlife (single, 2023)
Fire (from Idols, 2025)
Monday Murder (from Idols, 2025)
ice cream man (from Weird, 2020)
Loner (single 2019)
Encore:
Ghosts (from Idols, 2025)
Zombie (from Idols, 2025)
Remaining shows:
15 January, Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
17 and 18 January, Brisbane, Riverstage
20 January, Perth, ICF
Yungblud is touring Australia for Frontier Touring
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