Kicking off the North American stretch of their world tour, Amyl and The Sniffers arrived at RBC Amphitheatre on June 4th during what seems like a sweet spot in their career where their live shows already have the reputation of feeling more like a party mixed with a controlled explosion. Fans lined up to the venue expecting a crowd as rowdy as they are friendly, and with the band’s no tolerance policy of keeping things inclusive and safe, it simply bred an environment where people can let loose without a care. It’s a type of vibe you want to start the Toronto summer with and undoubtedly would want to carry into the Canadian autumn after the kick-ass show the band had lined up for the city. Amyl and The Sniffers’ 2026 tour run came during a major growth period for the band, following the success of their 2024 album Cartoon Darkness and their continued rise from underground Melbourne pub-punk favourites into one of the most exciting modern punk acts on international stages. 2025 was a big one for the 4 piece beast having won multiple ARIA awards and ripping in Coachella, and with their Grammy nom earlier this year, 2026 already has a lot for them to build on.
The night began with Party Dozen, who immediately set an unpredictable and abrasive tone for the evening. Known for their intense combination of saxophone-driven noise, percussion, and electronic textures, the Sydney duo of saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and drummer Jonathan Boulet delivered a massive opening performance that felt like a full-body experience for the audience. The pair were sync’ed with the crowd too though looking locked in and immersed in the sonic soundstage they formed in the short amount of time they had. It must be a fact that this was the first time a lot of people had seen a person sing through a saxophone as well. Its unique sound just reinforces the trend that a lot of these artists from Australia are always trying to create distinct music and be pioneers of different types of approaches and methods when it comes to the craft. Their chaotic, experimental approach created a sharp contrast to the punk explosion that would follow, but their willingness to push sound boundaries made them a compelling first chapter to the night.
Following them were L7, bringing decades of alternative rock history to the stage. Originally formed in 1985 in LA and then reunited in 2014, L7’s influence on grunge, punk, and feminist rock culture gave the evening a strong connection to the underground scenes that helped shape modern alternative music. A few days before the show however, fans were notified that Jennifer Finch was unable to perform for the concerts lined up in Ontario, Quebec, and Colorado where Tsuzumi Okai (of Kim Dracula, Limp Bizkit 2018) will take over bass guitar duties. It might’ve been a bit of a let down for some but without a doubt, the rest of the band (consisting of Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, and Dee Plakas) still managed to put on a hell of a show. The following week too, the band did more than make up for it by adding a Toronto date to their headlining tour that starts in October so fans can hopefully catch the full lineup at Danforth Music Hall at the end of that month. Simply put though, their set that span across seven years of their catalogue just carried that confidence of a band that has spent decades onstage while also delivering the kind of gritty, no-frills rock energy that helped establish their legacy long before the headliners arrived. A perfect appetizer for a band with a powerful woman at the helm.
At this point of the show, the lineup’s progression became more clear: Party Dozen brought experimentation and noise, L7 brought years of punk and alternative credibility, and Amyl and the Sniffers arrived with their own brand of explosive modern punk mayhem. It’s always fun to try and find a story behind the bill and this lineup combination made the entire evening feel like a diegesis of different generations of raw and uncompromising rock music.
The headlining set opened with the debut classic Control followed with It’s Mine immediately pulling from the newer Cartoon Darkness catalogue before moving into U Should Not Be Doing That and Motorbike Song. That opening stretch felt almost like a microcosm of the entire set to come – while they hit a healthy handful of their notable tracks, it focused on showcasing a lot of their newest work showing how much they are still rooted in the scrappy, reckless energy of punk, but with a bigger and sharper sound than their early days. 12 out of 13 tracks from Cartoon Darkness took up the set so for fans whose favourite from this 2024 release is the song Going Somewhere, the universe had other plans unfortunately. U Should Not Be Doing That in particular stood out as one of the newer fan favourites though, with its instantly recognizable guitar hook and chaotic live energy making it a natural early highlight. Like the awesome music video, vocalist Amy Taylor, clad in a studded black leather outfit for the show, made sure to show off her guns to the crowd with her flexing being met with all the cheers Toronto could muster. It was all love for the larger-than-life Australian rock legend.
The middle of the set was where the band really highlighted how far their catalogue has expanded. An oldie deep cut Balaclava Lover Boogie and then into Guided by Angels brought the crowd back to the Comfort to Me era, with Guided by Angels being one of the biggest songs in their catalogue and arguably their defining anthem. It is the kind of track that transformed Amyl and The Sniffers from a cult punk act into a global touring band, and hearing the crowd explode during that song was one of the night’s biggest moments as that bass intro kicked things into gear with Bryce Wilson’s toms. The Toronto crowd was treated to the bass stylings of Lakota Vella of Melbourne’s Public Figures with Gus Romer announcing a few weeks before this show that he’ll be taking a break from touring for the rest of the year. Fans were assured that “all is fine” and hope to see him back in action in 2027.
Though with some more Comfort to Me tracks peppered in, the set leaned back into the Cartoon Darkness era again. It continued to dominate the night with tracks like Chewing Gum, Do It Do It, Bailing on Me, Tiny Bikini, Big Dreams, Facts , Me and The Girls, and Jerkin’. Rather than treating their latest album as a side note, the band presented it as the active chapter of their identity and with longtime fans that looked forward to its release a couple of years ago, these tracks also hit with the force of a greatest hits album in 2026. It’s easy to see even judging from the GA pit alone. The sequencing also showed the evolution of their sound: the older material blended and reminded of their raw punk urgency, while the newer songs add more variety without sacrificing the band’s speed and attitude.
The late-set run was essentially a satisfying crowd pleaser stretch. Gacked on Anger, Shake Ya, Starfire 500, and Knifey pulled from the self-titled 2019 era and Comfort to Me, giving longtime fans the songs that helped establish the band’s reputation. Knifey especially remains one of their most emotionally charged songs, balancing the aggression of their sound with a more vulnerable edge though it isn’t to say Amy held back on the mic at all. If anything, this song highlighted her vocal control and range even more – she’s more than just that loveable ball of energy people might often brand her to be. Then came Don’t Need a Cunt (Like You to Love Me), Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled), and Hertz, a run that perfectly captured the band’s personality: funny, in-your-face, loud, and completely unapologetic when it comes to their signature sound. This run also put a spotlight on guitarist Declan Mehrtens’ songwriting and riff craft and how he’s able to focus more on what a song is trying to do to give it what it needs instead of trying to be flashy. Knifey and Don’t Need a Cunt is a good contrast of his (and the band’s) range and it makes you think that it might not be a coincidence that these two songs are back to back on their self-titled.
The encore was a final reminder of why their live reputation has grown so quickly. Got You brought the energy back to the 2019 debut era before GFY closed the night with the kind of blunt, explosive punk attitude that has become their trademark. It was a fitting ending because the song represents everything that makes Amyl and The Sniffers work and at the same time, shows how they’ve figured this out from the very beginning. It’s the lightheartedness, blended with the aggression, and the feeling that the band is having as much fun causing chaos as the audience is watching it that makes people want come out to see a tried and true formula do it’s thing over and over again.
All in all, not much else to say about a solid setlist that delivers exactly what fans are looking for. It balanced well between celebrating the past and proving the present is just as strong. The band did not simply rely on the breakout songs that made them popular. Instead, they gave Cartoon Darkness a central role and showed that their evolution has not changed them and their approach to creating music. In reality, their growth just allowed their songs to be louder, more limitless, and even more dangerous onstage where it really counts.
Catch them continuing their tour stretching out to Europe till the end of August. Keep up with the latest on their Instagram and Website.