Amigo the Devil

Amigo The Devil, David Talley live at Amplifier Bar, Perth | 14th August 2025

Punters who enjoy their banjo licks, dark lyrical themes and witty comedy got heady doses of all three at Amigo the Devil’s Perth stop on his national tour at Amplifier bar. Supported by fellow bandmate David Talley, the night was a swan song to loss, and a celebration of the camaraderie felt between band members.

David Talley’s set travelled between equal measures of comedy, and sorrow. Being self-aware of this fact, Talley managed to lighten the heaviness of his music with a self-awareness of bumming out the crowd. Apologizing to punters in advance if they found his songs to be too depressing.

Lyrically, Talley showed a talent for imbuing story into his songs, and recreating that atmosphere in a live setting was an achievement. Only being armed with an acoustic guitar, and his vocals. Between his own charismatic interactions with the crowd, his music carried a lot of raw, soulful energy.

Balancing the heavy emotional moments, with brief jolts of comedy in between. Talley imbued stories behind his songs. With Ocean being about the degradation of a long-distance relationship. A humorous moment came when a punter from the front row admitted they were in one. To which gave way to a hilarious back and forth. Where Talley awkwardly sang about such a type of relationship inevitably not lasting.

The serious, and poignant moments came with Cemetery Skyline, where Talley sang of the mental impacts of isolation, and depression. However, there were also moments of comedy, with Two Left Feet, John Belushi and Dressing Up a Hard Time providing a celebration to being a little bit disadvantaged in life. But having a go anyway. Giving punters a chance to laugh and cheer to all the colours that life brings.

The stage roared into life with Amigo the Devil (AKA Danny Kiranos) and his band going into full swing. Introducing the members of his support band Carson Kehrer, Daniel Mason, David Talley and Katerina Kiranos. Celebrating the final night, they would all be playing together as a band, it was decided the band would take shots of tequila throughout their set to send out the final night.

It was an intrepid variability which allowed Kiranos to provide a heady set met up of moody folk, and sombre lyrics. Balanced out with light-hearted interactions with the crowd. Kiranos and his bandmates' camaraderie and charisma made the punters feel like they were at home on tour with the band, rather than watching them.

A special mention had to be given to an impressive banjo set from Mason, who proceeded to provide (using Talley’s words) ‘more licks than a cocker spaniel, an ALABAMA-spaniel’. Finishing off a banjo set with a riff from ACDC’s Thunderstruck. It was a surefire way to please any crowd of Australian punters.

Amigo’s performance was a set where the boundaries between tour life, and the personal were blurred. Which made the performance feel inevitably more human. With Kiranos mentioning to the crowd only losing his home and possessions tragically to a fire only a few weeks before his tour. Defiantly telling punters about an aversion to make his show about the incident, but at the same time humorously noting half his musical lyrics included the word ‘fire’.

It only added to the live musical performance, as it explored the intersection between songwriting, grief and the need to continue performing, against what has already been lost. This culminated in a celebratory swan song of Stray Dog, which was dedicated to Kiranos’ partner Gabriela Bright’s dog Kobe, who was lost in the fire.

With the bandmembers banter, Kiranos’ own wit, and the close-knit bond felt between bandmembers. Amigo the Devil offered the punters a celebratory night of grief, revery and crisp offering of good folk. With everyone on stage going off with a bang, the night finished in a loud wall of banjo, guitar and punter applause.

Photography by Adrian Thomson

Amigo the Devil

David Tally