Amyl & The Sniffers Detonate Ally Pally: Amy Taylor Leads a Punk Riot
- Dave Broome
- Oct 26
- 3 min read
Alexandra Palace, London - 25th October 2025
IMAGES / WORDS DAVE BROOME
Every now and again something or somebody takes a sledgehammer to mainstream music and smashes it to smithereens. Currently that is the undertaking of Aussie punk band Amyl & The Sniffers. They get exposure on mainstream tv shows such as BBC’s Jools Holland and Channel 4’s The Last Leg but they always come with a “some may find this offensive” warning, which is all the invite anyone needs to tune in and give it a watch. Amy Taylor is the frontwoman extraordinaire of the group and is about to bring her own brand of chaos to North London. Alexandra Palace to be precise. This may normally be the home of darts and snooker, but noisy, raucous, unruly music will take centre stage tonight.
Amyl & The Sniffers formed in 2015 in Melbourne and released their self-titled debut album in 2019. Since then, they have been garnering praise and accolades all across the world. “The next big thing”, too late for that I’m afraid, they’re already huge. This is a big night tonight, headlining Ally Pally is a big deal for any band and I sense before the show they are going to relish every second.
To warm-up the crowd a fellow Aussie band Floodlights are here to bring their own brand of indie rock. There’s no shortage of instruments to entertain everyone. There are the usual drums and guitars but there’s a constant presence of trumpet and a regular contribution from the harmonica. They play an energetic set of catchy indie pop tunes and go down extremely well with an expectant crowd.
It’s almost time for the man event as the Fun Luvin’ Criminals, Scooby Snacks plays on the PA, the minute hand painstakingly ticks around to 9pm. The lights dim and the first sight we get of the band is drummer, Bryce Wilson who creeps up behind his kit and has a huge smile on his face as he catches first sight of the capacity crowd in the grand hall. Bassist, Gus Romer and guitarist, Declan Mehrtens are next and finally bouncing onto the stage comes singer Amy Taylor.
There’s no easing into an Amyl & the Sniffers” gig, it’s an onslaught from the get-go. The pace is ferocious, and the crowd respond in kind. There are arms and legs everywhere and those at the front look to be part surviving and part enjoying every second. “Doing in Me Head” has that anthemic chorus and the whole place shouts along with Taylor “It’s doing in me head, head, head, head”.
This is a pub gig but on a massive scale, it has all the energy and informality of small local gig but played out in front of 10,000 extremely buoyant fans. The band are tight like a group of musicians who have played together for years, which they have of course. This is their 10-year anniversary Taylor reminds everyone, but it’s still raw, borderline feral. Taylor owns the stage and stomps and runs around delivering every line with a sneer. But she also wears a disarming smile, she has a constant grin throughout and twice stops the band just to look around and smile at the crowd.
Newer tracks from the latest album, Cartoon Darkness bring a freshness to the set. “Chewing Gum” makes an early appearance and “Tiny Bikini” seems to be a fan favorite already. There’s a brief moment of quietness and solidarity as a track is dedicated to the trans community then boom! It’s back into full throttle noise and mayhem.
This was a landmark night for Amyl & The Sniffers, and for their UK fans. They took a step up, played big, played bold, and did not compromise the raw energy that made them special. If you were there, you walked out buzzing. If you missed it, you should aim to catch them next time — this band is proving that punk-rock is alive, vital and still capable of blowing minds in larger venues.
SET LIST
1. Balaclava Lover Boogie
2. Chewing Gum
3. Some Mutts (Can't Be Muzzled)
4. Doing in Me Head
5. Got You
6. Freaks to the Front
7. Tiny Bikini
8. Me and The Girls
9. Security
10. Do It Do It
11. Shake Ya
12. Starfire 500
13. Motorbike Song
14. Knifey
15. Maggot
16. Control
17. Big Dreams
18. It's Mine
19. Guided by Angels
20. Facts
21. U Should Not Be Doing That
22. Hertz
Encore:
23. Jerkin'
24. GFY
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