“They came, we saw, they conquered”
The first time I heard about Amyl and the Sniffers was on a podcast when Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins mentioned they opened for his band on the Australian leg of their 2022 tour and quoted, “within ten seconds of seeing Amy I knew she was a star.” I was totally intrigued by his comment and the brilliant band name, so immediately went to YouTube and was completely blown away by this incredible punk band from Melbourne with the most amazing chiasmatic frontwoman I have seen in sometime. I knew I just had to see them live!
Fast-forward to February 2025 and Amyl and the Sniffers are making their debut concert tour of NZ supporting their incredible 2024 album called Cartoon Darkness. The sold-out venue is steadily filling as local act Miss June take the stage and deliver the most surprising set of the night for me (I had added their album to my Spotify by the end of their set.) Next was the Sydney band C.O.F.F.I.N., who delivered a highly energetic set and a killer cover of ‘Riff Raff’ by fellow Aussie rockers AC/DC. Then we are given a healthy pause for the venue to finish filling and the stage lights go RED … the tension is palpable and the mosh pit is seething.
The three boys wander on stage like they have just come from the pub … which it turns out they had! The line up is hard-hitting drummer Bryce Wilson, the understated and simply brilliant guitarist Declan Mehrtens (whose parents are Kiwis, so we will claim him as ours, thanks). But the unexpected highlight of the trio of boys for me was Gus Romer on bass. Not only did he hold the groove down brilliantly but he also brought the true punk ethos of old and totally entertained from his double middle finger entrance to his do-si-do boot scoot’n dance off with Amy after the encore.
Then we have the entrance of the woman herself, and she does not disappoint. Lead singer Amy Taylor struts out in kick ass boots, a corset and tiny hot pants and her platinum blonde feathered hair that has the effect of a wind machine blowing it. She flexes her muscles, parading the stage with ultimate confidence and bravado, her showmanship both admirable and charming. “How the f*** are ya?” she asks the crowd in a high-pitched Aussie twang, which she delivers with passion and authority. “It’s great to be here”, and the feeling is obviously reciprocal as the crowd erupts.
Taylor’s style and attitude is an essential part of the band’s appeal. She plays with nostalgic tropes and twists stereotypes, she’s sexy (she knows it) and unapologetic about it. She asserts that women have the right to wear what they want and she can argue her stance in interviews with intelligence and insight beyond her years. Given the typical reaction from most men when presented with a beautiful, confident, cheeky and talented women on the mic, she quickly lays down the rules. “Don’t touch anybody who does not want to be touched,” she warns. Looking down from the balcony at the mass of humans packed in like sardines, I wished them luck. They kick it off with the brilliant ‘Doing In Me Head’, a song that sums up the subject matter of their latest album; fear at the world as it stands with climate change, big tech and simply being fed up with all of it and everyone. Taylor’s response to the horrors of social media and fake news is “f*** it” as her and the band find positivity in the sh*t storm of life, but most importantly, they are about having fun before the whole sh*t house comes down!
Now it’s time for the infectious ripper ‘Security’ from their 2021 album Comfort To Me. A hard hitting punk number about love and judgement. We all shout from the top of our lungs, “Security will you let me in your pub? I’m not looking for trouble, I’m looking for love!” whilst watching the thriving pit and array of crowd surfers build steadily. The situation on the floor is then completely lit when the band kicks into the next song ‘Do it, do it’. After a wild start to the show and Taylor setting her energy bar high, she finally pauses for a breath. “It’s a pleasure to be here, this is f***ing lit,” Taylor says. “This next song is how everything’s f***ed up; this song is about being confused being a person right now.” They drop into ‘Capital’, a scathing critique of the failings of the Australian Government.
There was plenty of audience interaction and communication throughout the set. “Did anyone go to the jumping off the bridge thing?” Taylor asked, referring to the Manu World Champs. She and the band also railed against Trump and Musk, calling them w*nkers and rightfully accusing them of inciting division and “making everyone hate everyone”, which saw the crowd explode into cheers of affirmation to the honest and widely felt sentiment of the state of the world. The set continued with ‘Got You’, ‘Chewing Gum’, ‘Guided by Angles’, then a favourite of mine ‘Knifey’. “Stop killing us,” she pleads, as the band launches into the gut punch riff and powerful lyrics about dreaming of walking in the park and by the river safely.
“You like swear words?” Amy asks. To which the response is “Yes! We f**k’n do!”. We all join in for “You’re a dumb c***, you’re an asshole,” as she belts out the lyrics like a woman possessed. I honestly haven’t seen a front person of this magnitude and star power since I saw Axl Rose with Guns N’ Roses at the Big Top 1988. It did make me smile to see a male dominated crowd (including me) singing “jerkin; on your squirter cause you’ll never get with me” in wild abandonment. Whilst watching Amy on stage you distinctly get the feeling she knows the power she has cultivated over the band’s career and enjoys having all of us in the palm of her hand (no pun intended).
Then there are some songs for the girls with ‘Me and The Girls’ (which interestingly the lyrics are co-written by the guitarist Declan) and Amy is joined by her friend Jane as a hype girl! ‘Tiny Bikini’ is oozing petulance and sensuality, though Amy’s not wearing one. However, there are a few women in the crowd donning a bikini in honour of Amy and perhaps the song. One young lady, dressed in what looked to be a school uniform, was invited on stage to sing with Amy, which was touching to watch and had to be a thrill for her! We even got comedy as guitarist Mehrtens filled us in on why seagulls fly upside down in Australia … but you just had to be there!
“We’re gonna slow it down for ya,” Amy says, and it’s time for the band to show it’s softer side with ‘Big Dreams’. It’s a step away from their previous sound and is one of the best songs on the album, exploring the limitations and frustrations of small-town life, being broke, and getting out. This is followed by fully energised bunny versions of ‘It’s mine’, ‘Maggot’ and ‘I’m not a loser’. Then comes another favourite of mine ‘U should not be doing that’, which has the crowd and the pit in a complete frenzy by this time. Amy’s delivery as a front woman never falters and keeps the crowd pumped to the bitter end. However, the trio of lads that make up the rest of the band are no backing outfit. It all just works, and the four of them ARE a band. This is not just Amy’s show, you get the feeling that without all four elements the magic sauce just isn’t going to happen.
Then it’s time for ‘Hertz’, an explosive, impulsive thumper from Comfort to Me that gets everyone going. “Take me to the beach, take me to the country; climb in the back seat, if you love me.” Then in just over an hour and 19 songs later it’s all over, like a slap to the head you didn’t see coming, and the band leave the stage. Thankfully we see the roadie tune the bass and the chanting begins … The band then return to the stage and receive thunderous applause. It’s encore time! For our outpouring of love for our newfound punk heroes from across the ditch we get two more, ‘Balaclava Lover Boogie’ and ‘GFY’! Then it’s a heartfelt “you c**ts are alright” from bassist Romer, who clearly is ready to party way into the small hours. I left feeling like, did that really just happen and how can I see that again?! Fortunately for Amyl and the Sniffers the NZ tour is entirely SOLD OUT, but unfortunately for me, I’ll have to wait for the next tour.
When the band return to NZ I imagine it will be in a much bigger setting. So, it was like catching lightning in a bottle to see them climbing to the height of their powers in such an intimate setting. In 2025 the eternal question for many in music is; is rock & roll still alive and well? In times where it can be hard to see the light because of all the turmoil in the world that people are going through, it’s bands like Amyl and the Sniffers that prove there is still plenty that music can do other than just offer an entertaining way to pass the time … starting with a little bit of healthy disrespect for authority.
