Amyl and the Sniffers slam fan behaviour after women groped at Brisbane show

Aussie rock band Amyl and the Sniffers has publicly slammed the behaviour of some fans after multiple women claimed to have been inappropriately touched by men at a Brisbane show.

Amyl and the Sniffers performing. Picture: Mark Wilson

An Aussie rock band has publicly slammed the behaviour of some fans after multiple women claimed to have been inappropriately touched in the crowd of a Brisbane show.

Amyl and the Sniffers recently performed at the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley as part of their Cartoon Darkness World Tour.

Long-time listener Ameya Jaurigue, 20, is one of multiple women claiming they were groped and harassed by male fans during the concert on January 31.

Ms Jaurigue said she was “incredibly excited” to attend her first Amyl and the Sniffers show, but she was left feeling “extremely humiliated and vulnerable”.

“To be there to enjoy an artist who means so much to you and to so many other women because of their values, outspoken beliefs, and their lyrics, only to end up in a situation where men ignore all of that and you feel helpless, is terrifying,” she said.

“Being covered in hands that aren’t yours is very violating, lonely, and incredibly scary.”

Ameya Jaurigue says she was a victim of sexual assault during a concert at The Tivoli last week. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Ms Jaurigue said the incident opened her eyes to “just how misogynistic the world is”.

She said the band’s lead singer Amy Taylor’s speech on the tragic rise of gender-based violence in Australia only seemed to “embolden” the men in the crowd.

“It’s really disappointing,” she said.

After going public with her experience, Ms Jaurigue said she was overwhelmed by messages from women with similar stories.

“I’ve lost count … it’s too many … but I think it’s made all of us feel less alone,” she said.

Having heard Ms Jaurigue’s story, singer Taylor reached out saying it made her “blood boil”.

Taylor then released a statement on Amyl and the Sniffers’ Instagram, calling the behaviour “so f***ed up,” and thanked victims for their bravery.

“Have said this a million times … but don’t touch anyone who doesn’t want to be touched,” she wrote.

“F*** anyone who isn’t got it clear that this is not a space for groping or worse (sic).”

Amy Taylor from Amyl and The Sniffers accepts the ARIA award for Best Group during the 2022 ARIA Awards. Picture: Getty

Taylor urged male fans to look out for women in the crowd and hold others accountable, asking if they were “really gonna let the sh*t ones represent you and give you a bad name?”

The Tivoli’s Creative Director, Dave Sleswick, said it had been “devastating” to hear about these incidents at the venue.

“This type of behaviour goes against every part of our core values as a business and as people, and we’re working closely with the victims to assure the matter is handled sensitively and appropriately,” he said

Originally published as Amyl and the Sniffers slam fan behaviour after women groped at Brisbane show