Punk Is Alive, Amyl and the Sniffers Are Its Heartbeat

On Friday night inside the House of Blues in Dallas, Amyl and the Sniffers ferociously proved why we might be in a new golden age for punk music.

IDLES have fashioned themselves as both a box office stalwart and critical darling, two rare classifications for the genre. U.K.-based Bad Nerves are making a name for themselves built on frenetic two-minute Ramones-esque sonic sprints. Sweden’s Viagra Boys exist in their own bizarre, ironic lane that’s more punk by nature than sound, although it sounds pretty close too. Last summer, Australian band Speed released one of the best hardcore punk albums of all time, ONLY ONE MODE.

In America, we’re partial to the fun-loving, hip-shaking sound of Los Angeles’ Plague Vendor and Baltimore’s dynamic Turnstile. In Texas, the Austin-based all-girl powerhouse Die Spitz. In North Texas, the genre is a reliable seller in the underground scene, thanks in part to acts like the Wee-Beasties, Asshats and Gagging Order (RIP).

The contemporary punk scene can’t be discussed without mentioning Amyl and the Sniffers, the Australian group that’s on the road after the release of their third album, Cartoon Darkness. Their name comes from a fusion of frontwoman Amy Taylor’s name and Australian slang for the drug amyl nitrate.

Last night marked the seventh stop on the band’s 2025 North American tour, bringing together a sold-out crowd of punks, young and old.

“I thought I was gonna be the oldest, fattest guy in here,” said one attendee, who, if he’s reading this, genuinely didn’t look like either of those self-deprecating adjectives.

A woman overheard him and chimed in.

“Old punks never die,” she said. “They just drive nicer cars.”

Behind her, a young father was carrying his adolescent daughter, who looked like the most excited person in the room, on his shoulders. These audience members were flanked by swaths of teenagers and young adults, eager for the charmingly vulgar stage show coming up. Songs on the band’s latest album, Cartoon Darkness, include “Jerkin'” and “Tiny Bikini.”

When Amyl and the Sniffers took the stage around 9 p.m., Taylor’s presence was immediately felt. Her trademark aggressive, raw vocals immediately commanded the sold-out room. Her aura, physicality and nonstop energy have earned the endorsement of fans and fellow rock stars alike, who are ready to anoint her as the princess of punk.

“I looked at her for ten seconds on stage and I said, ‘Holy mother of God. This is a true rockstar.'” said Billy Corgan one time during a radio interview.

Being in the room with Taylor as she thrashes her way through a full set, inciting equal pandemonium in the crowd and her bandmates, is completely breathtaking. With respect to the Sniffers, made up of guitarist Declan Mehrtens, bassist Gus Romer and drummer Bryce Wilson, who are all great players, Taylor could be backed by a slow-drying wall of paint and we’d still be first in line to buy a ticket.

Moshing on Friday night was relatively tame compared to our raucous expectations going in. The violent crowd thrashing picked up the pace, however, on a few songs, namely 2021’s “Hertz” as well as “Jerkin'” from Cartoon Darkness. We theorize that Taylor’s energy is so entrancing that it is hard to rationalize taking your eyes off her even for as long as it takes to shove a stranger four feet to the left. Her movements often resembled an ’80s aerobics home video, only substituting what would be a 2-pound pink dumbbell with a bedazzled wireless microphone. That, combined with her tongue-in-cheek sexuality and bleach-blonde hair, all add up to a sort of chainsmoking, working-class Sabrina Carpenter. 

The band’s setlist included cuts from all three of their studio releases. “Me and The Girls” from Cartoon Darkness is probably the group’s tightest song in live form. “Security” from 2021’s Comfort To Me takes the belt for loudest crowd singalong, with lyrics that chronicle the desperation to get into a certain club. The song’s chorus, “I’m not looking for harm, I’m looking for love,” is that sort of everyman punk line that you just can’t resist. “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled),” which remains, arguably, the band’s best-recorded output to date, sounded exponentially more aggressive in person.

Throughout the show, a multi-cam projection of the band was shown on the screen behind them, including portable camera footage from the photography bay and a camera facing the front row barricade. At times, the shots looked like a concert movie, serving as a reminder to the audience that the show that looked so good on a screen was literally happening right in front of them.

Nights like these sneer in the face of the ridiculous desire to eulogize rock music. Rock, especially punk, is as good as ever if you know where to look. Luckily, it’s impossible to look any other way when Amyl and the Sniffers are around.