CHICAGO | The Salt Shed, a music venue that’s known for hosting musicians with good reputations, reaffirmed this statement last Monday night with the headlining band, Amyl and the Sniffers. This four person band came all the way from Australia, but took the Windy City by storm. Lead singer Amy Taylor emerged onto the stage wearing a little bikini and matching knee high boots that accentuated her long legs. As she shook her head around in excitement, her bleached 70s styled Farrah Fawcett hair, brightly under the neon green lights, illuminating her entrance.
The band instantly went into their first song, “Control,” which sent a thunderous explosion of energy throughout the venue. The crowd vibrated with energy as the lead guitar buzzed around our ears encapsulating us in a trance of impressive technique. Taylor was running around the stage screaming, “I like control!” which set the powerful and progressive tone of the show.
While the band gave us a strong, powerful and entertaining performance, there was a unique element the group brought to the stage: feminine rage, but with style. Taylor made it a point — many times — to prove that women belong in music, specifically the punk scene, just as much as men do. She often mocked sexual gestures that are typically seen doing by men, adding some feminine flare. Although her outfit was attention grabbing, her words, talent and energy was demanding the crowd to look past her gender and appreciate her raw one of a kind talent.
Throughout their set, the guitarists had playful banter with each other and the drummer, which made their group more than a band; but rather a group of good friends. The lead guitar loved to stand in front of the towering Marshall speakers sending reverberations to the crowd, which left people shuddering in awe. Both the lead and bass guitar sang backing vocals to Taylors screams, which allowed the bassist to release a guttural shout and bark, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
During their song “Security,” the entire front section of the crowd opened and became a mosh pit. The open space was huge; with people circling around it as energy built up as if it was the calm before the storm. Then bam! Taylor’s voice hit like a crack of thunder, and a rush of people flooded to the stage to admire the musicality of the group. Purple and green lights illuminated the stage, though the band didn’t need it as they were electrifying the venue on their own.
Toward the middle of the show, their drummer Bryce Wilson, took off his boot and drank beer from it, per the audience’s request. While Wilson succumbed to the pleas of the crowd, the band watched in disbelief of his actions. Then, the lead guitarist, Declan Martins, played a heavy riff while Taylor rolled on the floor sticking her tongue out and screaming. It was total chaos, but it was controlled and the crowd reveled in it.
“Balaclava Lover Boogie,” “Choices” and “Maggot” offered a different side to their music. While each song remained gritty and punk, Taylor stood out even more here, aside from being the only woman on the stage. She ran around and started ad-libbing little phrases like, “Girl power! I’m strong! I like being a powerful woman!” As there was a small altercation between Taylor, a crowd surfer and a security officer, her reply was, “I can stand up for myself! In fact, I like to!”
Their last song, “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled),” ended the show with a spark. Taylor stated, “This song goes out to all of those ladies who don’t like being toyed with! My heart is filled with an abundance of love for all of the women in here tonight! I love you all, now let’s rock!” It’s a song about feminine power and societal rage, which is what this band is made from. As Taylor stood on a spot on the stage that had been worn down and imprinted from previous artists, she left a unique mark on that stage that will never be forgotten, even if all of those imprints blend together.