‘Meet you in the pit, boys?’

A familiar sentiment as people stood by the bar, gearing themselves up for a night of punk energy. The crowds have gathered in their punk variations. Textbook punks, new aged punks, aesthetic punks, punks in disguise. To be here is to confide in the semantics of what punk represents past the aesthetic. The Australian band are well suited to The Roundhouse venue with the Camden punk housing them perfectly in what becomes a night of raucous, head thrashing, fun.

Two girls declare their intention for the night, simply ‘I need to see her. A massive draw to this band is in the lead singer, Amy Taylor. Peroxide blonde flouncy hair, in a matching leather bralette and short shorts, flexing her muscles, parading the stage with ultimate confidence and bravado, her showmanship is both admirable and charming.  

Half of the show built off their new album with tracks like ‘Do It Do it’ setting the tone for the night. Prepare for whiplash, boys. Big Dreams highlights the balance between light and dark moments in ‘Cartoons Darkness’ amidst the loud brash guitar and fast drums. It’s a song that shows of her vocal capabilities outside of her demanding shouting calls she has become known for, translating well into the live format. ‘Tiny Bikini’ captures the liberating feeling that comes with scantily clad outfits, crotch grab and a jump off the platform ensures us that there’s still plenty of energy to come. ‘Me And The Girls’ comes to be my favourite moment of the show, the new album’s closer plays into this childlike back and forth between boys and girls that is a fun embrace of female friendship. Instrumentally, it veers of the typical Amyl sound but makes for a great album closer and fun track to stick your middle fingers up at the air to. No vocoder or jew’s harp presence live unfortunately.

‘Some Mutts (Can’t be Muzzled)’ embodies the grows and utterances of the aforementioned mammal in the title of the song, a warmly welcomed callback to their debut album sits as a reminder that although their presence and name has gotten a lot bigger of the year, the songs still base themselves in this calling out of feminine freedom, unleashing yourself from expectations placed onto us by society.

What can’t you get behind here? An utterly convincing frontman in Amy Taylor, a friendly yet viral mosh pit sucking in more people by the song, and a reminder that punk is still here. Sure, thrashing and head banging was ensued. If you wanted your kids to possess an ounce of coolness and to inhabit a liberated, mindset free from societal types, I’m sure that a little introduction to Amyl And The Sniffers would send them well on their way. Amy begins the show with making sure people follow a set of simple rules, and the crowd follow indeed. An alternative future idol to look up to in the presence of Amy Taylor. There is something for everyone at an Amyl and The Sniffers show, making it family friendly fun for everyone, I reckon.

Photography by Louise Phillips