Live at Fat Sam’s Dundee
22nd August 2023
While growing up in Glasgow as a kid, I was into all sorts of music from Punk, Ska, New Romantics, it was just a great time for music. I had my memories of going to the Glasgow Apollo to see bands but once my family moved away to the North East of Scotland, I had a long travel to gigs.
Since then, I have been critical of bands not venturing further than Glasgow or Edinburgh when it comes to touring but this year Dundee has put on some amazing gigs and long may it continue.
With the festival season coming to an end Dundee brought the BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend with a 70,000 crowd over two days and a host of big names to the city. August followed with two nights at Slessor Gardens with James and Bastille entertaining up to 10,000 fans per night.
Dundee has other smaller venues like the Caird Hall, Fat Sam’s, the Church and Beat Generator where many bands have played in 2023.
Scotland is a big country and bands need to venture further north away from the big cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh so fair play to Amyl and the Sniffers for venturing all the way from Australia to Dundee tonight to play Fat Sam’s…my rant is now over on that issue.
For anyone not heard of this band, well, you have missed one of the most energetic performances you’ll ever see.
Based in Melbourne, the band are fronted by Amy Taylor, Bryce Wilson on Drums, Declan Martins on guitar and Gus Romer on bass, the band has its own unique style with a combination of bikini tops, hot pants, grunge t-shirts and mullet haircuts.
For anyone also pondering how the band came by such a name…”In Australia, we call Poppers Amyl,” Taylor explained. So, you sniff it, it last for 30 seconds then you get a headache – and that’s what we’re like!”
Heading into the venue with my press-pass secured, as a photographer excited with what’s to come, I just can’t wait to get into the pit for this gig.
Arriving at the venue in Dundee to a large crowd snaked round the corner, I was told on entry that my photo-pass would only cover the first song. This was disappointing but I can easily work with that.
Cable Ties was the support band for the night and with three albums under their belt, the punk trio warmed up the crowd before the main event.
I’ve photographed a few times in Fat Sam’s, but this gig seemed to be extra busy with an older crowd and some younger student followers who have a love of punk rock.
Taylor takes to the stage at Fat Sam’s with a drink in both hands waving in the air to the Dundee crowd and what follows can only be described as an explosion of energy from the lead singer as she went straight into her first track, “Control”.
It wasn’t long into “Control” that Taylor jumped into the pit to greet the fans at the front.
Dressed in boots, shorts and top Taylor’s energy didn’t falter throughout the gig as she shook her bleach blonde mullet from side to side as she ran, jumped and twirled around the stage to fans favourites Control, Security, Maggots, Guided by Angels and Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled).
Taylor addressed the crowd before going into the track “Knifey” a track about violence to women. Stating that she won’t be told what women should wear or be told what to do. This brought a huge roar from the crowd.
My only downside of the night was getting out the venue. With a backpack full of camera gear on my back and a camera in my hand it was a fight getting through the crowd, but it was an exceptional performance from the Aussie band and a night the Dundee fans won’t forget in a hurry.
