Viagra Boys and Amyl & The Sniffers. CREDIT: Simone Joyner / Per Ole Hagen / Getty Images
Amy Taylor of Amyl & The Sniffers made a surprise appearance during Viagra Boys’ set at FORWARDS Bristol 2026, marking the live debut of their collaborative cover of the John Prine classic, ‘In Spite Of Ourselves’. The performance, which took place at Clifton Downs on August 30, brought the studio chemistry of the two acts to the stage for the first time.
Reflecting on the moment via Instagram, Taylor shared a lyric from the song, writing: “Against all odds honey you’re the big door prize.” She added, “Amyl joined Viagra Boys yesterday on stage in Bristol UK to do our cover of ‘In Spite Of Ourselves’ live for the first time. Sebastian it was a pleasure to sing with you!”
The track, originally released by Prine in 1999 as a duet with Iris DeMent, was reimagined by the Swedish punks in 2020. Their lo-fi, high-energy version eventually found a home on their second studio album, Welfare Jazz. At the time of the recording, frontman Sebastian Murphy noted that Taylor’s “unique voice” made her the perfect choice to interpret DeMent’s part, calling her a “goddess of punk rock.”
Taylor, who admitted that Murphy introduced her to Prine’s catalog through this collaboration, expressed her appreciation for the experience. “Seb is a country music fan, and so am I, so it was really sweet to do a little nice duet,” she said. “Now I’m a fan.”
Beyond this live collaboration, both bands remain highly active. Viagra Boys, who released their fourth album Viagr Aboys in 2025, recently confirmed they are already working on new material described as “eclectic rock’n’roll.” Meanwhile, Taylor and her bandmates are preparing for the release of their country-inspired concert film and live album, Truth Or Consequence, which arrives on September 4, following their 2024 studio effort, Cartoon Darkness.
