There are some bands that draw a fanatical crowd. One where you can taste an electricity in the air before they even appear on stage.
Upgraded to the gorgeous Olympia Theatre because of demand, Amyl and the Sniffers is one of those bands.
Absolutely packed to the rafters, this crowd is like a coiled spring. The band come on to a dance club classic before smashing in to "Freaks to the Front" and the venue explodes!!! It's no exaggeration to say the whole ground floor of the venue becomes one massive mosh pit. Having no choice but to join in or be swept away, standing in the second section I grip the barrier, lock my elbows, and ride that lightning like a motherf**ker.
The energy in the room and coming from the band is a joy to behold.
Amy Taylor is an unbelievable presence and twists, turns, gyrates, and physically embodies every piece of the music.
Heavier live than on album the band smash through the songs. The crowd sing every word. With "Security" for example becoming a massive sing along.
This is pure punk rock at its best and the pace never dips. The band are in fine form and the playing is so tight. Amy talks between some songs but I admit her Australian accent was so thick I couldn't understand a word of it!! But the crowd welcomes every utterance with massive roars.
A slight calm appeared during "Knifey" and I foolishly thought the audience was getting tired. When the band played the opening riff to "Some mutts can't be muzzled" the pit began again with renewed ferociously. The fact that the song was played at twice its normal speed, almost touching thrash metal tempos may have had something to do with the huge increase in crowd surfing and the tidal wave of bodies that traveled over my head and across the barrier into the first maelstrom of a pit in the front section.
The band ended an amazing set with Herz, before taking their bows to thunderous applause.
The atmosphere tonight was fantastic.The crowd were equally friendly and wild. Bodies took flight and those who fell were pulled to their feet by the people next to them. The last time I witnessed this type of unbridled energy from band and crowd was Slayer.
Like the rest of the crowd making their way to the exit, I'm dripping in sweat, drowned in flying beer (at least I hope it was beer!!!) and my ears are destroyed by the volume.
A proper old skool gig, a great laugh, and a great bloody night.
-Bobo Coen
