AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS AT DANFORTH MUSIC HALL IN TORONTO
The Monday blues weren’t apparent as this show had sold out. Opening for Australian punks Amyl and The Sniffers was Toronto's own, Bad Waitress. The local punk band has been making waves here during the pandemic, being suggested by bands like PUP and The OBGMs. Last year they released their first LP through Royal Mountain Records titled No Taste, and followed up with some wacky creative music videos like “Rabbit Hole” and “Strawberry Milkshake”. The four piece arrived on the dark stage a bit nervously in front of the one third full venue. Drummer Eva Moon raced around to get into place. Once they got moving, full confidence erupted. Lead guitarist Katelyn Molgard took up the most of the energy on stage and provided some of the slimiest solos, Moon was an absolute beast on the drums, and lead singer Kali-Ann Butala’s raspy growls heightened the attitude even more. The punks in the crowd cheered them on while they played a good mix of slow and fast tempo songs. They definitely gained some fans last night.
Next up was Upchuck, a rising punk/hardcore act from Atlanta, Gerogia. The five piece band came on stage in the dark with an anticipatory riff. Lead vocalist KT commanded the stage with power and clarity. They had no problem starting up a mosh pit in the hungry crowd drawing inspiration from heavy metal, 70s punk, and the current hardcore scene. Halfway through their set, two men, who I didn’t remember being in the band before, suddenly took over for KT and the rhythm guitarist who left the stage. This was either stalling, or they actually swap band members’ roles. This man continued for one more song, but was a bit less captivating than KT; a lot of onomatopoeia rather than words, so it is assumed he was stalling for one reason or another. KT and the guitarist came back with more energy by spraying a water bottle into the crowd and KT stood on the barrier over the crowd. I think if Upchuck headlined in Toronto in the future, they would get a sold out show as well. They were well composed and engaging.
After Upchuck's set, some members of AATS set up their own gear in a humble moment. Drummer Bryce Wilson smiled to himself as the crowd cheered in excitement. The venue had finally filled up to the brim. All four members of Amyl and the Sniffers humbly walk on stage with no fancy light show and bursted into the instrumental hit “Starfire 500”. Lead singer Amy Taylor was instantly drawing everyone’s attention with her platinum blonde mullet banging, frantic movement, and incredibly animated faces. The mosh pit was inevitable and never stopped, even Upchuck joined in. After four bangers from their self-titled album and their breakout album Comfort To Me, bassist Fergus Romer shouted, “This is our biggest ever show! Fuckin’ yeah!” They included an extended version of “Shake Ya”. Amy prefaced the song “Choices” by saying, “This one goes out to all my females and non-binary friends!” which felt really lovely to be seen. Amy also engaged on all sides of the stage and looked out for the crowd surfers and moshers to see if they were okay. They played “Knifey”, which is a slower but important song about how women feel threatened and need to carry a knife just to walk at night. That song felt so honest to include in the setlist so all the women felt seen and it was truly sung with pleading passion. Lead guitarist Dec Martens shone by playing the riff from “Don’t Need A Cunt (Like You To Love Me)” up and behind his head. Romer reiterated about how happy they are to be back touring after 2 years and then a crew member came on stage to serve him liquor straight from a bottle. The night seemed to get rowdier and louder throughout the show Amy was whipping the mic cord like a lasso, shaking her booty towards the crowd, stuck out her tongue out at fans in the front, and raised her arms to flex her biceps to which the crowd constantly showered her in cheers.
This band is truly one of the reasons why any alternative fashion/music is making a comeback. They are brutally honest in their songs about hard topics such as imprisonment, being a minority, and complex emotions. In a live setting they can totally attract people from all sides of the rock spectrum with their accessibility in either topic or catchy sing-along songs. It was truly an iconic feeling watching this band and having that gut feeling that I may have been a part of watching something that may get bigger and become successful in the future. Much like the success that IDLES have seen in the past few years, the fan base numbers never really lower, but it does remain a bit niche. Amy Taylor is one of the best front people I had the pleasure to see - truly a captivating and relatable face of the band.