From the moment the band strike the first chord and Skin appears donned in black with an oversized overcoat, the audience knows they’re in for a special evening. And they weren’t about to be disappointed.
Skunk Anansie are one of the few bands who consistently hit their mark. After years of performance, the musicians are confident, tight and relaxed and the front woman, Skin can play to an audience like few can. From snarling, penetrative observations in “Yes it’s Fucking Political” and “Little Baby Swastika” to anthemic sweetly delivered classics such as “Weak”, “Secretly” and “Hedonism” Skin is sublime. She holds the audience effortlessly.
The rest of the band are well tuned in to both Skin’s eclectic performance and the audience’s exuberance. The rhythms from both Cassius’ complex bass lines and Mark’s subtle drum work are complimented superbly by guitarist Ace’s ability to slide from heavy guitar riffs to a more mellow groove like in the aforementioned “Hedonism’ – Skunk Anansie are a band that hit the scene 30 years ago on a tide of alt rock, quickly hitting the heights but who have remarkably stayed there….. or perhaps not so remarkably as they have maintained a rock solid following throughout their years of honing their skill and performance, as borne out of the number of 50 plus year olds who found themselves in the mosh pit!
Tonight’s show was a testament to how class transcends trends in music. The set was a wonderful mix of the old and new.
All were gripped by “Animal” and “Lost and Found” and everyone joined in the sing-a-long to “An Artist is an Artist” as if it were already a back catalogue classic and not off the upcoming album “The Painful Truth”, released on 23rd May, as Skin reminded us!
Skunk Anansie mean business. They opened the set with “This Means War”, ripped into “Charlie Big Potato” and then schmoozed their way into “Because of You” before introducing the aforementioned “An Artist is an Artist”. Throughout, the band were on point, interspersing classics with lesser known songs (if that’s possible) and new songs. Skin addressed the audience with a sweet empathy and a rallying cry that in these troubled times we need to take care of each other and the crowd took to it with one accepting voice, fist pumping and cheering with a love that only Skunk Anansie can induce for over thirty years. If you haven’t yet witnessed/enjoyed or played a part of a Skunk Anansie gig, can you even call yourself a music lover?
Words by Andrew Goodlad
Photos by Philip Goddard
