When Skindred roll into town it’s always time to break out the party. When Benji barely knows what day it is you know you’re in for a good night.
The last show of the year for Skindred took place in the the sleeping town of Leamington Spa, nestled in the West Midlands, around half an hour from Birmingham, Leamington used to be a hub of live music. Black Stone Cherry, Amon Amarth, The Darkness and Thin Lizzy have all played at The Assembly in recent years but Skindred are the highest profile band of the year to set foot on stage. With it they brought an hours worth of pure entertainment.
Kicking off the set with the opening track from their most recent album ‘Under Attack’ it was obvious the band were on form. Down to just the four members, with DJ Dan ducking out this year, some of the more experimental, electronic elements of Skindred’s sound feel a little hollow. Luckily, following the intro up with ‘Ratrace’ shows the pure power that Skindred bring to the stage.
With Benji giving a speech about love, acceptance and how rock is one of the most powerful forces in the world some of the front row declined to raise their hands up as instructed. “Put your hands up you bastards” quipped Benji before launching into ‘Doom Riff’, a classic from Union Black.
Towards the end of the set saw a new track be played for just the 7th time live. ‘Machine’, features some huge riffs and strong backing vocals, not entirely sure where they’ve been hiding. If this is a signal of the new album due in 2018 then it could already be a contender for album of the year next year.
Closing out on ‘Warning’ saw the final Newport Copter of the year and with it the curtain fell on 2017 for Skindred. Luckily there is plenty more in the pipeline from the Welshmen and they’re only bringing CKY on the road with them next year. You can keep up to date with all the latest news here.
