Youngr at Heaven

If there is one thing guaranteed at Youngr’s live concerts, it’s his impressive solo performance. After a non-stop summer filled with back-to-back festivals in North America and Europe, with stops in Amsterdam and Romania, the one-man-band arrives in London with an electrifying gig at Heaven.

On the stage, as they used to, his brother Lorne Ashley accompanies the artist with energetic guitar. But then, all the many other instruments are in the hands of the eclectic percussionist. Cheering the audience with his face-personalised cups – provided by the venue – Youngr opens the night with the upbeat bootleg Give It Up.

Dario Darnell, aka Youngr, has had impressive success with his self-released debut single Out of My System, which he performs at the end of the Friday night concert. Prior to that, the singer/percussionist made his name known to the internet with unique bootlegs of artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Daft Punk. The brilliant remix of Billie Jean and Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz is definitely one of the highlights of last night’s show. Through combining these tunes, this talented producer has created a surprisingly powerful piece of music.

There is hardly one instrument Youngr cannot play: keyboards, bass, drum and talking drum, synthesizer, his own voice, among others. And furthermore, to watch him playing all of them on the stage, one after the other, with exact pace and coordination, is simply spectacular.

With such a variety of sounds at hand, through the sequences could be heard influences from funk, groove, pop and definitely rock. The resulting original style is a mix that dares to experiment with the most diverse tunes. Monsters makes the whole room dance, while What’s Next explodes, everyone in the crowd enjoying the fitting “What’s next is happening now” refrain.

The energy is vibrant and the floating balloons launched over the audience halfway through the show are light and colourful just like the bouncy musician on the stage. Rocking all the way, Youngr is looking at a steep rise in his career, without leaving out the original energy and creativity that makes him a unique artist to listen to and watch.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

For further information and future events visit Younger’s website here.

Watch a live video of Out of My System here: