
© John Angus Stewart
Brace yourself for a wild one: Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers are headed to Luxembourg for a blistering live show at Rockhal on 1 July, and Today Radio has tickets to give away.
The Melbourne-based band, fronted by the electrifying Amy Taylor, have built a reputation for loud, sweaty, no-filter shows that channel the raw energy of classic 1970s punk. Their sound nods to Iggy Pop, the Stooges and the Damned, but their spirit is pure chaos.
Taylor herself once compared the band's music to the rush of amyl nitrite, the drug that gave them their name. "You sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like."
Formed in a Melbourne share house in 2016, the band consists of Taylor on vocals, Bryce Wilson on drums, Declan Mehrtens on guitar and Gus Romer on bass. Their 2019 debut album, Amyl and the Sniffers, put them on the global radar. That was followed by Comfort to Me in 2021, and now their latest release, Cartoon Darkness, which dropped in October 2024.
The new album has earned critical acclaim, with nominations at the J Awards, the Australian Music Prize and the AIR Awards, and a win for Best LP at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards. It tackles big themes with the band's trademark punch and wit.
"Cartoon Darkness is about climate crisis, war, A.I., tiptoeing on the eggshells of politics", said Taylor. "We look like adults, but we're children forever cocooned in a shell. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun."
The album features standout singles like U Should Not Be Doing That, Chewing Gum, Big Dreams and Jerkin', the latter of which caused a stir with its uncensored video, released exclusively on the band's website.
Want to win tickets? To be in with a chance of seeing Amyl and the Sniffers live at Rockhal, answer the following question:
What is the name of the band's most recent album?
Text your answer along with your name and email address to the Today Radio studio phone. One winner will be chosen at random.
Get ready to sweat. This show is going to be loud, fast and unforgettable.