There was a lot of anticipation around YUNGBLUD’s up close and personal shows at Circuit in Kingston, and it was easy to see why. Hosted by Banquet Records, the event was split across two sets, an early 5pm show and a later 7pm performance. Both were built around keeping things small, close, and fan-focused.

Fans had started queuing from around 10am, turning the pavement outside into its own little community before the doors had even opened. Wristbands were handed out with song titles on them, and entry order was decided by whichever track happened to be chosen at random. It was a very YUNGBLUD way of doing things. A bit chaotic, a bit playful, and built around making fans feel like they were part of something rather than just waiting outside for hours.

The venue itself suited that atmosphere well. Circuit, formerly known as Pryzm, has become a regular stop for Banquet’s intimate release shows, and while it still carries traces of its club-night past, it’s now carved out a place for these close-up performances that feel much more personal than your average in-store. Banquet have become especially good at turning album or EP promo into an actual event, and this felt like another example of that.

The 5pm set itself only lasted around 25 minutes, but it never felt throwaway. If anything, its brevity made everything hit a bit harder. YUNGBLUD walked out to a room already fully with him and launched into “My Only Angel” and “Wild Woman,” both taken from the new Aerosmith x YUNGBLUD project. They felt loose and fun live, but there was still enough bite to stop them feeling like novelty tracks.

From there, things moved quickly through “The Postman,” “Lovesick Lullaby,” and “Time,” with barely any dead space in between. It had the energy of a secret set rather than a polished promo run-through. There were beers launched into the crowd, beer spat into the crowd, and enough mess and unpredictability to remind everyone that even in a smaller setting, YUNGBLUD still likes a little chaos.

That said, it wasn’t all just laddish mayhem and fan service. There was a real emotional centre to the set too, and it came right at the end.

Before closing with “Zombie,” he dedicated the song to a fan in the crowd who had lost their son. It was a small moment in terms of stage time, but it changed the room instantly. Everything got quieter. People listened differently. For all the noise and mess that had come before it, that final stretch reminded everyone why YUNGBLUD still connects so strongly with the people who follow him. Beneath all the personality and movement, there’s still a genuine instinct to make room for people’s grief, joy, anger and everything in between.

That’s probably what made the Kingston shows feel so successful. They weren’t long. They weren’t grand. They didn’t need to be. They gave fans a chance to see an artist who usually exists on a much bigger scale in a room where every little thing feels that little bit more personal.

And with the IDOLS World Tour just around the corner, including UK arena dates in Sheffield, Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, London and Manchester this April. These Banquet-hosted shows felt like the last breath before everything gets much bigger again.

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