An Amigo the Devil live show is less like going to a gig and more like stumbling into a campfire séance, hosted by a banjo-playing maniac philosopher.
Last Friday (8 August), Brisbane punters had their turn when Danny Kiranos brought his twisted gospel to The Triffid, the iconic WWII-era aircraft hangar turned sweatbox stage.
The place is famous for its cavernous metal roof and tiled walls; the way sound ricochets around the mezzanine, it's perfect for a night of murder ballads, wry humour, and Southern Gothic soul-baring.
Special guest David Talley – and member of the headline band – opens the night armed with an acoustic guitar and a wicked grin, easing the crowd into a blend of dark humour and bruised tenderness.
He starts with 'Racoon', chuckling about how cute Australian possums are compared to their slightly terrifying American cousins, before warning the crowd there'll be no apologies for sad songs.
David Talley - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'My Lover My Loneliness' follows, its melancholy tempered by a merch-table tale about a fan asking for whistling tips – Talley's dry punchline being: "Just pucker up and blow," with the offhand addition that said man is now in jail but those skills will serve him well. The crowd is howling.
He introduces 'Older Orphans' as a conscious decision not to have kids, looking stunned when most of the crowd cheers, before laughing and saying he loves the energy even if the song goes in the opposite direction.
Next up, 'Two Left Feet' shuffles through emotional missteps, before Talley trys out the short, unfinished OnlyFans-inspired number 'Hasta Laredo' telling everyone to just chill if he messes it up.
Then comes the curveball – a slow-burn acoustic cover of Limp Bizkit's 'Break Stuff'. At first, only a few recognise it, shouting back lines like "your best bet is to stay away, motherf...er," before the penny drops for the rest.
Talley's follow-up story about FaceTiming his parents, his mum worrying about "the motherf...er song," is pure gold, ending in her asking "what's a limp biscuit?" and him bailing on the call.
The set softens with the heartfelt 'Cemetery Skyline', where Talley urges anyone struggling to remember they are never a burden to their mates. 'Ocean', written just a month ago, aches with the weight of long-distance love, while 'Rain Cloud' – a song he admits he had forgotten – lands like a message to himself and anyone needing to hear it.
David Talley - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Not wanting to leave the crowd in a slump, he takes a shoey from an audience member, laughing that it's only his third ever and wondering aloud when it stops being a thing. From there, he's careening into the unpredictable 'John Belushi' before closing with the swagger of 'Dressing Up A Hard Time', a song about feeling like a mess but looking damn good while doing it.
By the time Amigo the Devil steps onstage, The Triffid is primed – warmed up on gallows humour, raw confession, and that strange camaraderie that comes from laughing in the dark.
We wait. Then the 'Jurassic Park' theme starts playing. Danny Kiranos strolls on like a haunted saloon crooner, grinning, banjo in hand, preacher's fire in his eyes. Brisbane isn't his first Australian stop, but tonight feels like some kind of ritual – a communion of the damned and the damned-cheerful.
Amigo the Devil - image © Clea-marie Thorne
For this tour, he's got a full band: Katerina Kiranos (keyboards, backing vocals), Jason Deitz (bass), Carson Kehrer (drums), and David Talley (guitar). Opening with 'It's All Gone' from 2024 album 'Yours Until The War Is Over', Danny twists the lyrics to weave in his personal tragedy – losing his home to fire. It's a stark, sobering start, but the crowd is sending waves of warmth back at him.
Perspective clicks into place: a late start doesn't matter when the man's here, laying himself bare. 'Dahmer Does Hollywood' and 'Cannibal Within' turn The Triffid into a churning mass of stomps and shouts, before he launches into 'Once Upon A Time At Texaco Pt. 1'. The room shakes with every stomp and every dark laugh in the story.
Switching to guitar for 'Virtue And Vitriol' then straight into 'Murder At The Bingo Hall', the crowd hollers the line "someone should call the cops, I'm killin' it," so loud the rafters seem to rattle.
Amigo the Devil - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Halfway through, it already feels like everyone's known him forever. Dark ballads melt into tender moments, and the banjo-guitar swaps keep the energy shifting.
He spins a story mid-song during 'I Hope Your Husband Dies' about missing a chance with a friend, who later married – and then, according to Kiranos, the husband "actually did die". Whether it's truth or just devilish myth-making, the room is eating it up, laughing loudly and singing along "oh I, Oooh I, Oh I, Oooh I, I hope your husband dies," with huge grins. We're all crazy!
In the end he reminds us that life is uncertain; it can do what it wants. A fiery-haired siren (who's his partner) joins Danny for 'In Spite Of Ourselves' (a John Prine cover), the chemistry between them lighting up the stage with side glances and mid-song kisses.
Amigo the Devil - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The crowd turns into the Amigo Choir for 'Hungover In Jonestown', voices clashing between perfect harmony and drunken enthusiasm. 'Cocaine And Abel' takes on new power with the full band, swelling into a jam that holds the room in reverent awe.
Kiranos refuses to play the encore game, calling it "adult hide-and-seek bullsh.t," and instead rolling straight into a triple hit: 'Hell And You' (with the whole room swaying and shouting "I'd rot in hell with you," like it's the sweetest vow), 'Perfect Wife' with his beau back on vocals, and finally 'Another Man's Grave'.
I can't omit the fact that shoeys have been a running theme tonight – Danny doing his share solo with a sneaker with paper or was it dead skin? Either way it nearly turned the room into a sympathetic spew fest.
Then alongside his lover sharing a skoll from a cowboy boot – adding to the chaos, the laughter, and the sweaty communion. By the end, The Triffid feels like it's been exorcised and blessed all at once.
Amigo the Devil - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Amigo the Devil isn't just playing songs – he's tightening a noose of connection around the room; and Brisbane is swinging right there with him.
More photos from the concert.
