In the middle of a whirlwind festival schedule, in a week that began with Bearded Theory and will end with Primavera Sound, Amyl And The Sniffers have somehow found time to shake up London Town. The Scala feels more than sold out, with punks old and young packed onto balconies and stairs, as we eagerly hope to catch a glimpse of the Melbourne pub rockers (while, of course, pretending to be totally jaded to the whole experience).
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Amyl & The Sniffers @ Scala (Paul Lyme)
“Get rowdy!” Frontwoman Amy Taylor doesn’t need to command us because as soon as opener Control drops, the pit is open for business. Live, Amyl And The Sniffers are far less discordant than their records suggest, tapping into old school punk energy in their glorious nastiness like The Stooges meets The Vines with a bitter twenty first century bile. As Got You’s buzz saw riff and coarse gang vocals give way to a gorgeous drum-backed bridge, Taylor skips dishevelled above the chaos of her own creation, her voice the acid lynchpin of the Sniffers sound.
What elevates Amyl And The Sniffers above similar punk acts is how they’re both as unsubtle as a hammer to the face and incredibly crude, but simultaneously retain a sense of fun and refreshing relatability. “I think world is so sick. We need a nurse to make it better,” says Taylor with a sly grin as she removes her oversized trench coat to reveal her costume before launching into new song Facts with it’s shredding guitar like a pneumatic drill and sneering backing vocals which just dare you to answer back. Compared to the sheer volume of swearing from the band, I’m Not A Loser comes across as almost sweet. Taylor’s rapid vocals become more unhinged with each line, the pit hanging on her every word. Fan favourite Security sparks a universal shout-along with our arms up as we twist and flail. If anything, the song is slightly slightly softer live, the narrative more sympathetic as Amyl And The Sniffers raise the drum volume and turn the bass into leftover alcoholic sludge. Below Taylor, strutting like Debbie Harry with a wolf cut, a proper old school pogo pit explodes, while up on the balcony someone breaks out their air guitar.
There’s more than a few surprises in their very fast-paced set, as if furiously cramming twenty songs into ninety minutes wasn’t enough. Despite usually making music rooted in reality, Taylor’s brief climb onto a soapbox is as simple and effective as everything else that we hear from the stage. “Keep learning! Lift everyone up who’s trying to learn!” She shouts, her accent broad.”Free Palestine!” Her hair whips around her face as the rapid-firing Maggots begins and a crowd surfer raises his hands in euphoria. Time seems to be running fast and infinitely slowly as the song fills the air. Starfire 500 is another unexpected moment, the tone changing to almost seventies metal as Dec Martens and Gus Romer duel on guitar and bass for a long, galloping instrumental breakdown, the echoing guitar tones on Capital could almost be post-punk in their darkness. Knifey has an unpredictable prettiness live as Taylor channels goth-punk despair and frustration into murderous sonic droplets.
Most importantly, Amyl And The Sniffers remind us that being angry at the world and finally getting the chance to let it out can be so much fun. From new track U Should Not Be Doing That’s stomping boot beat, dark determination and sweary sarcasm like a bottle thrown against a wall to the moment Hertz‘s guitar ripcords into a free fall solo, we’re furious and loving it. Only hours after the show finishes at the Scala, the band announce a major UK tour for November this year and you can bet anything you like that every single one of us at the show tonight will be at the Roundhouse this autumn for another shot of Amyl And The Sniffers.
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Amyl & The Sniffers @ Scala (Paul Lyme)
Live review of Amyl And The Sniffers at Scala in Kings Cross on 27th May 2024 by Kate Allvey, photography by Paul Lyme
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