Wider Than Pictures: Amyl & The Sniffers, Mannequin Pussy & Spider – Live Review
By A night of snarling guitars, soaring vocals and enough energy to shake Collins Barracks.
Wider Than Pictures has long had a knack for putting together line-ups that feel less like ordinary gigs and more like events. This year was no exception. Following the huge demand for Tuesday night’s bill, Wednesday brought a repeat performance of the same punk-charged triple-header: Spider, Mannequin Pussy and Amyl And The Sniffers. One night clearly wasn’t enough – and judging by the atmosphere, neither was two.
Spider
Local Dubliner Spider was first to take the stage, bringing a sharp dose of edgy pop-rock to the historic Collins Barracks, now bathed in glorious evening sunshine. There was plenty to like, not least Spider’s striking vocals, cutting through the guitars with effortless confidence. She was impossible to ignore onstage, constantly on the move and throwing herself into every moment rather than simply standing behind the mic. It was an assured, energetic start to the evening – and a performance that marked Spider out as one to watch.
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Mannequin Pussy
Next up were Mannequin Pussy, the punk rock four-piece already earning a reputation for their explosive live shows. They began relatively casually, but it didn’t take long for the mood to shift. Suddenly, the intensity ratcheted up and the band were tearing into the stage with the kind of ferocious energy that has become their calling card. What started understated quickly became anything but.
With songs including ‘Drunk II’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘I Got Heaven’ and ‘Loud Bark’, Mannequin Pussy had the crowd firmly in their grasp. Their set also took a more poignant turn with a moving rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, performed as a heartfelt homage to the late singer. It was a fitting moment of reflection amid the noise and fury, before the band once again unleashed their full force on a crowd now completely won over.
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Amyl & The Sniffers
Amyl & The Sniffers are the human equivalent of fork lightning – unpredictable, explosive and impossible to look away from. At the centre of the storm is frontwoman Amy Taylor, a blur of movement as she tears across the stage at a ferocious pace. One minute she’s at the mic, the next she’s halfway across the stage, leaving you wondering where she’ll strike next.
Kicking off in blistering fashion with ‘Control’, ‘Do It Do It’, ‘Cup of Destiny’ and ‘Capital’, before tearing into one of my personal favourites, ‘Security’, Amyl & The Sniffers wasted no time getting the crowd moving. One thing was certain: this was not a set for the faint-hearted. Song after song came hurtling in with barely a moment to catch your breath, Amy’s raw vocals cutting through the chaos as she raced around the stage like a woman possessed. At times, it felt as though she wanted to abandon the stage altogether and join the madness in the crowd, where bodies were surging, moshing and crowd-surfing beneath her.
If punk is your thing, they don’t come much better than Amyl & The Sniffers. They continued to drop bombs with ‘Shake Ya’, ‘Jerkin’’ and ‘Hertz’, before bringing the night crashing to a close with ‘Got You’ and ‘GFY’. What a night, what a band. Ferocious, unpredictable and utterly electrifying, Amyl & The Sniffers once again proved why they’re among the best live punk bands around.