Skunk Anansie
- Rock Metal Machine
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Artists: So Good / Skunk Anansie
Venue: London, Roundhouse
Date: 28 March 2025
"Skunk Anansie, a band in a class of their own, did not disappoint. A brand not just with a past, but with a future, their politics have never been more relevant to the present and to the young as well as the old. Simply amazing to watch!"
Opener So Good had apparently stepped up last minute to fill the support slot on the tour and were quite surprising, consisting of a vocalist who was clearly influenced by Rap and Hip Hop in her gestures and poses (wearing a hot pink beret and matching knee length socks and black PVC shorts), a couple of gutsy cheerleading dancers with short black skater skirts and long swinging ponytails, and three guys playing guitar, bass and drums wearing hot pink balaclavas. Musically as the bastard children of Toni Basil and Shampoo, they had a Top Of The Pops vibe, entertainment being a priority. They are very political raising a middle finger “against the fascists” and addressing more than one song to the American President in a manner that left no doubt that he was not their favourite person. There were also songs about high living, and a general “You can suck our vaginas” attitude made them young, angry and intentionally obnoxious. With songs like ‘I Re-Wrote The F’n Bible’ and ranging from Pop to Ska to Rap against a traditional Rock band structure, even sounding a bit like the Ramones for their last song, they went down pretty well with this crossover Skunk Anansie crowd.
Skin bounced on stage in an oversized overcoat and enormous Balenciaga bovver boots as big as her head. There is a post apocalyptic feel to the set, with large Giger-esque pointed rubber spikes lit with neon lights to make them glow pale blue, purple, pink and orange sprouting organically in front of the drum kit and hanging in clumps from the ceiling like crazy oversized plants. Cass the bassist was wearing a sort of black leather draped top with a hood, part monk, part Berber warrior. This certainly worked to make the band seem futuristic and not a heritage band. With the choice of the aggressive song ‘This Is War’ as an opener it is an assault on the senses both musically and visually.
For ‘Charlie Big Potato’ from the late nineties Skin slipped off her overcoat to reveal a metallic jumpsuit with large seventies pointed collars and 18th Century style flounced sleeves. The metallic finish is again very futuristic and as a melange of styles is a visual metaphor of the band’s multi-genre approach. Neither female not male, neither in the past nor the future, they remain indefinable. Between this song and the next more tender ‘Because Of You’ the very large boots, which are probably exhausting and very stiff, are exchanged for a practical pair of trainers. The quick change gave Cass and guitarist Ace a chance to come to the front of the stage and say hello to the crowd. Skin’s personality is such that when she is on stage she gets all the attention as good front-persons will.
There were more songs from the new album (not yet released) than any other album in the set, and the first of four is ‘An Artist Is An Artist’. The whole album is deliberately pared back to emphasize the vocals: anarchic, with less riffs and more positioned at the modern music scene. This track has been a single, so the crowd are familiar with it and accepted it without question. Jumping like a teenager in ‘I Believed In You’ Skin has not aged, seemingly untouched by time. Big riffs and giant drums have not disappeared and were manifest in tracks like ‘Love Someone Else’.
Before ‘God Loves Only You’ Skin took the time to make a speech supporting religious, racial and economic equality as basic human rights, reiterating that Skunk Anansie has always respected all people and want society to come together, and dedicating the song to people who fight for others. Her powerful voice cuts through with its operatic passion and she held a note for “Youuuuuuu” to end the song for an impossibly long period of time to rapturous applause. Her falsetto in ‘Secretly’ performed vocal gymnastics while conveying truly genuine emotions. The vocals retain their spikiness and distinctiveness and the crowd sang along with Skin passionately to the huge classic ‘Weak’.
For ‘I Can Dream’ Skin went into the crowd, getting people to sit down around her so that the whole auditorium could still see her. Happy to pose for selfies, she got the crowd to jump before being borne on someone’s shoulders and then leaning backwards to crowdsurf back to the stage.
The balcony stood instinctively for ‘Twisted (Everyday Hurts)’ and the drums were so loud they sound like cannons. Dancing running and bouncing around the stage, Skin’s big scream reflected the primal energy displayed by the unity of the crowd.
Announcing the first new album for nine years, the crowd cheered as the second new track ‘Animal’ was played. Aware the material is unreleased, Skin amped up the crowd with her arms making sure they stayed engaged.
Next up was one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen, so much so I got an I phone shot so you could all see what it looked like even though the quality was not the best of the image. For ‘Piggy’ Skin came back into the audience riding a giant inflatable pig nearly twenty foot high with a nose piercing. And there was an immediately OMG moment when it overturned, casting Skin into the audience. She disappeared on the floor below the crowd. That had to hurt! But in a flash she was up and got the audience to move so that the ten foot square platform of the inflatable could be lowered to the floor and she could re-mount. There were no more catastrophes and after a circle of the entire auditorium she hopped off it onto the stage as casually as if she was jumping off a bus.
Things turned even more Punky during ‘The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)’ and ‘Tear The Place Up’ when Skin got up on the drum riser to play drums. I think it’s fair to say the crowd are now of mature age, but Skin succeeded in getting them to mosh nevertheless.
The encore for which Skin changed into an oversized t shirt contained two classics, ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ and ‘Little Baby Swastikkka’, during which Skin created an all female mosh pit and the crowd literally shook the foundations of the balcony. ‘Cheers’, the latest single, showcased a massive bassline and ‘Lost And Found’ (from the new album but unreleased) with its beautiful vibes and lovely melody showed off Skin’s powerful beautiful voice. Affirming that the band has one foot in traditional Rock, there’s a cover of Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Skin said there’s something special about coming home and exhorted the crowd to buy merch because “Spotify doesn’t support bands”. She thanked the crowd before blowing them a kiss and Cass made the set lists into paper planes and sent them into the crowd. Skunk Anansie, a band in a class of their own, did not disappoint. A brand not just with a past, but with a future, their politics have never been more relevant to the present and to the young as well as the old. Simply amazing to watch!
Gallery: All photos © Dawn Osborne (used with kind permission)
Review: Dawn Osborne
Photos: Dawn Osborne
Location:
Disclaimer:
All photographs in this review are given for free for us to use (either in the magazine or website). We will not give them to a third party without the express permission of the rights owners. If payment is required between the rights owner and the third party, that will be decided between them, not Fireworks Rock & Metal Music Magazine.
Comments