Were you there the night Amyl and the Sniffers shouted the city of Melbourne thousands of free drinks?

Perhaps like Woodstock, the number of people who say they were — who will tell mates they scored a beer from one of Australia's most thrilling guitar bands — might stretch beyond reality.

What is true is that, in the space of a few hours, a bitterly frustrating moment was reconfigured into a lasting memory that summed up the very best of Melbourne's live music community.

To recap — last night should have been a triumphant, crowning communal homecoming.

A free, all-ages gig at Federation Square in Melbourne's CBD for an in-demand band celebrating an implausible ascent to stardom.

Take your pick from their recent honours.

Amyl and the Sniffers just sold-out a 10,000-capacity venue i

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