A spontaneous decision and a hand-made sign led to a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a Wollongong music fan, who found himself playing guitar upside-down on stage with British rockstar Yungblud in front of a packed Sydney arena.
The sign that started it all
Jayden Webb, a 25-year-old metallurgist from Wollongong, was among tens of thousands of fans at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Hoping for a chance to interact with his favourite musician, he crafted a simple sign with a bold claim: he could play Yungblud's song fleabag upside down.
"I got pulled up on stage, and pretty much went crazy from there, it was unreal," Mr Webb said, describing the whirlwind experience. "Being up on stage, I felt like I was in my element, it wasn't even nerves, it was pure adrenaline."
A wife's challenge and an hour to prepare
The extraordinary chain of events began just hours before the concert. While driving home from lunch with his wife Lyndsay, the couple joked about the possibility of getting on stage, as Yungblud is known for inviting fans up.
When Mr Webb mentioned he was left-handed in a right-handed guitarist's world, his wife issued a playful challenge. "She said, well, learn it upside down then, you've got basically an hour to get it sorted before we hit the road," he recalled.
Rising to the occasion, Mr Webb spent the next sixty minutes first mastering the song the conventional way, then borrowing his wife's guitar to practice playing it completely inverted. "My wife was saying that I was dreaming but I was more optimistic than not," he said.
From the crowd to the spotlight
After battling their way to the front of the massive crowd, the couple waited. As Yungblud began playing fleabag, Mr Webb thought his moment had passed. "Then all of a sudden, he stops playing and looks over," he said.
The rockstar noticed the sign, invited Mr Webb on stage, and even made a witty remark about how playing a guitar upside down seemed fitting "while down under" in Australia. The Wollongong local then proceeded to play the entire song alongside the international star, holding the guitar upside down to the crowd's delight.
"It was awesome, just an insane experience," Mr Webb reflected.
A lifelong passion for music
This wasn't Mr Webb's first major performance. Having played guitar since he was eight years old, he previously showcased his talent at the Sydney Opera House as part of the HSC showcase Encore, after graduating from Cardiff High School in Lake Macquarie.
Now working full-time in metallurgy, he values music as a passionate hobby rather than a career. He believes keeping it separate from his professional life preserves the joy and fun of playing.
The incredible Sydney concert moment serves as a testament to the power of seizing an opportunity and the unforgettable connections that live music can create between artists and their fans.
