Yungblud - aka 27-year-old Doncaster-born Dominic Harrison - is a divisive presence in modern alternative music. His cult of devoted fans deify him as the next saviour of rock, while other dismiss him as an industry plant. He's the kind of musician that the gatekeepers are proud to claim they've never heard of, but who needs their approval anyway when the guy can launch, curate and headline his very own festival?
Enter the inaugural Bludfest, taking over Milton Keynes National Bowl for the day, with a bill largely showcasing emerging pop punk solo artists from the UK and US, some with friends in high places: Landon Barker, is Blink-182 man Travis Barker's son, and Jesse Jo Stark, fashion heiress/goddaughter of Cher, also happens to be Yungblud's partner. Which is all well and good, if you actually get to see them, because physically entering Bludfest is a painful, two-hour ordeal that had me grappling for information from stressed-out stewards, standing in unmoving lines and trying to explain to security that my sertraline was not an illicit substance.
The event features the main stage and a smaller, more intimate one which hosts the highs and lows of the day. Hannah Grae’s performance is much grander than the stage that holds her, with the powerful vocals of Who Dunnit? and the brutally honest lyricism of Star Crossed Lover. On the other hand, Landon Barker arrives late, greeting us with an inauspicious ‘Sup, London.’ His brand of pop-punk feels stale compared to the more innovative acts that follow.
The Damned fill Bludfest’s icon slot, assuaging some of my initial fears that, at 24, I might be the oldest person at the festival. And icons they are, with the most skill and polish of any act that takes to the stage. Today the age difference between them and the crowd is not lost on frontman Dave Vanian who quips, “We do our own shows occasionally, and you're all welcome to come. And we don't charge extra for young people.” The crowd at the main stage feels criminally small for these genuinely pioneering legends, but The Damned still shine on Eloise, Beware of the Clown and Neat Neat Neat, one of 1977's timeless punk classics.
Soft Play are undoubtedly the heaviest band on the lineup, and the the artists formerly known as Slaves are bursting with energy, boldly leaning heavily upon songs from their recently-released Heavy Jelly album. Unfortunately for them, the momentum of their set is broken up by lengthy pauses to address audience safety concerns.
In theory, there are no clashes at Bludfest. The schedule alternates between the stages, giving you five minutes to dash from one to another in time for the start of the next act. But while this is a laudable idea, in practice, the short set times mean that if you get caught in a queue – for water, food, or just moving around the festival – the best you can hope for is catching the closing ten minutes of a set.
Towards the end of the evening, the tight schedule blurs, causing sets to overlap. With the two stages in close proximity, it means that NOAHFINNCE’s blinding pop-punk battles with the sound of Lil Yachty winning over the crowd on the main stage. The rapper's command over the audience is dazzling, capturing the crowd in a way that no other main stage act has managed.
The day's main attraction, naturally, is Yungblud, and from the reception he receives from the minute he bounces onstage, it's obvious that he's the reason that everyone is here. Love his music or not, you can't deny the guy is a born showman. To the outsider, declarations such as, “This is a night you’ll remember for the rest of your life!” feel clichéd, even presumptuous, but to the Yungblud family, Bludfest may be a near-religious experience, every bit as defining as Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is for the Swifties, a parallel accentuated by elaborate costumes and the swapping of friendship bracelets.
The man of the hour zips through the highlights of his career to date, and from I Love You, Will You Marry Me? through Mars and The Funeral, the crowd are with him all the way to the concluding Loner. If his hopes for the festival included expanding the horizons of his live performance and hitting new heights he comfortably hit the target.
Creating a bespoke music festival from scratch with a focus on affordability and accessibility is a hugely admirable mission, and staging an event of this scale for a £50 ticket fee is a genuine achievement when arena-level artists are charging three or four times that for mid-price seats. That said, one wonders if pulling this off with the margins involved comes at the cost of thoughtful planning and gives what could have been a truly joyful experience a frustrating edge. As one punter mutters at one point, “It’s not Bludfest, it's Queuefest”.
With some revisions based on fan feedback, future Bludfests could well become the haven Yungblud and his devoted fans dream of. Keeping it as affordable will be a whole other challenge for one of rock's most irrepressible characters.
Update: Promoters AEG Presents have now issued a statement in response to complaints/feedback given by fans attending the festival.
It reads: “We recognise that some fans experienced delays in entering Bludfest this weekend and apologise for the inconvenience caused. These delays were due to rigorous and heightened security measures, put in place following recent unprecedented events which have taken place in the UK, to ensure the safety of all fans arriving onsite, which is our number one priority.
"We always endeavour to allow fans into the venue as quickly as possible, whilst at the same time working with local authorities to ensure all essential security checks are carried out thoroughly.
"As part of our pre-event messaging, we encouraged all ticketholders to come prepared for the hot weather and our teams on the ground assisted with handing out water, communicating shaded areas, and directing guests in need of additional assistance to the nearest welfare and medic stations. Upon the local authorities and security giving us the relevant permissions, we also opened additional gates and entrances.
"We have taken on board all the feedback received and will make every endeavour to ensure appropriate changes are implemented in the future.”
