© Loretta Marie Perera
A heavy dose of energy, rage, politics, and unapologetically Aussie punk? Fans have come to expect no less from Amyl & the Sniffers.
Just a day after Green Day set Lux Expo ablaze, the raucous, ragey tunes of Amyl & the Sniffers, led by vocalist Amy Taylor, spurred Rockhal into a frenzy of the best kind.
Three albums in, the band has gone from a shared flat in Melbourne to opening for the likes of Fall Out Boy and Green Day and eventually their own tour in the US. In 2025, the group stands boldly in between opening for The Offspring and an upcoming London show with Fontaines D.C., all while saving the spotlight for themselves with their own opening acts.
At Rockhal, that came in the form of Big Noter, a new hardcore rap collective led by Aboriginal Australian rapper Adam Briggs. Addressing the audience as "Ladies, Gentlemen, and all my non-binary friends", Briggs after the show explained his focus on inclusivity.
"It's such a simple thing to do", he said. "I want everyone to feel invited."
In true punk fashion, Amyl & the Sniffers seized the stage and delivered nonstop hits for just over an hour, with barely a breath in between. That's impressive for anyone but absolutely par for the course for the likes of Amy Taylor, who showed off her perfectly toned physique proudly – from sculpted arms to unbelievable core strength, the woman is as much of a performer as she is an athlete.
© Loretta Marie Perera
Known for songs critical of capitalism and sexism, which champion freedom and women's rights, the band turns these heavy but important messages into danceable, catchy beats, doused with overtones of fury. But as much rage as there is in songs like Doing in Me Head to Some Mutts (Can't Be Muzzled), there's only room for fun in other numbers like Tiny Bikini and Do It Do It.
Essentially, it's perfect mosh pit music: the band had fans erupting in a delightfully messy scrum, with young and old alike taking turns to surf the crowd.
Still there was room for the raw honesty and tenderness fans know well, as delivered in a song dedicated to "all ladies, non-binary and trans people". Knifey tells the story many know – a simple wish to safely walk in the park and look at the stars.
"Please stop f*cking with us", she pleads on behalf of us all.
Beyond their music, Taylor took the time to address what's dominated headlines in the past week: censorship at Glastonbury. Calling out governments who have not done or said enough, she defended fellow musicians Kneecap and Bob Vylan, as she has in recent interviews.
"Artists need to be able to speak out", Taylor said. "That's the whole point."
The audience approved her message; the party continued.
© Loretta Marie Perera
While the Rockhall crowd didn't quite fill the room, the space was brimming with appreciation and love for a common cause: punk, good music, each other, and the world around us, led by one band who came a very far way to be here.
Given such positive vibes, the few corny jokes from the band about speaking French (and then throwing out swear words that were in fact Spanish) were quickly forgiven and forgotten.
Closing with two of the band's biggest hits – Hertz and U Should Not be Doing That – Amyl & The Sniffers came back for just one song (GFY) in the encore, before ending the night at a reasonably early time.
After all, we all have longer ways to go – and a few more battles to fight tomorrow.
