Amyl and The Sniffers pop into The Majestic.
Amyl & The Sniffers at The Majestic 07/25/2024 - All photos and video courtesy of Paul Holstein
It was my third concert of the week. The other two would be hard to top, but I was at it again on a Thursday night. With a car packed full of my friends (and several other carloads meeting us), we headed downtown (Detroit) for Amyl and the Sniffers at the Majestic Theatre. It was a sold-out show, at a relatively big venue, so I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to get to the rail. As usual, it ended up working out.
Amyl (Amy Taylor) is known for her stage presence, which includes pseudo head banging, jumping up on the amplifiers and drum kit, flailing her arms, lifting her dress, and her own unique style of choreographed dancing. One thing you can always expect, she brings the energy. The band is from Australia, and their name is a play on the recreational drug "poppers,” which is made from amyl nitrate (C5H11NO3).
The Majestic Complex includes one of the best underground punk bars in Detroit (The Magic Stick), The Garden Bowl bowling alley, and The Majestic Theatre. Really small bands sometimes play in the lobby or bowling alley, bigger bands play at The Magic Stick, and bands with the most draw sell out at The Majestic Theatre. Amyl & The Sniffers had done just that.
We showed up a bit late to the show by design and missed The Lambrini Girls. There are several great places to eat within walking distance from The Majestic Theatre, and part of our group headed over to Sargent Pepperoni’s Pizza Center while we hung out at HopCat (a local restaurant and brewery). The food was great, and most of the crowd could be seen wearing punk T-shirts (obviously headed across the street to the show after a few beers and some pub food).
Amyl & The Sniffers at The Majestic 07/25/2024 - All photos and video courtesy of Paul Holstein
The show started with Devo’s “Whip It” playing over a darkened stage before the band came out to a frenzied crowd. They ran through a 20-song set that unfortunately didn’t include my personal favorite, “Gacked on Anger." They did, however, play "Capital," “Shake Ya," "Knifey," and “Guided by Angels,” and ended with favorites “Hertz” and “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled)." After the crowd chanted for more, they came back and did a 2-song encore. All of that, and there is still the weekend to look forward to.
Amyl & The Sniffers at The Majestic 07/25/2024 - All photos and video courtesy of Paul Holstein
