Gig Review - Skunk Anansie

Monday 22nd November 2010 @ Academy, Bristol During the 90s, Skunk Anansie were one of the most controversial and provocative rock bands this country had ever seen.

After a nine year hiatus, they were back last year with a greatest hits album and a sell out tour that heralded a roaring return.

This year their new album, Wonderlustre, has bought them back to the audiences that sorely missed them and also cemented the band in the hearts of new fans of all ages.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Skin, Mark and Ace from the band before they were about to go on stage for their sold out gig at Bristol’s Academy.

I asked what their return has meant to them: “It’s been amazing,” an excitable Ace speaks up, “every venue has been the same for us in terms of Skunk fans, they have all been real welcoming”.

“When Skin asks who has seen us before, its great that nearly a third of the people put their hands up at our gigs…so many of them are converts,” Mark the drummer chuckles, his huge frame taking up a great deal of the sofa they all are reclining on.

When asked which of the old songs were the first they practiced when they reformed, Skin softly replies: “None of them.

We wanted to go straight into writing new stuff. I think if we reformed and went back into just doing our old stuff that would bore me to tears. I think we all would be bored to tears. We want to move forward knowing that we could still write songs like we used to. That way we can honour the old songs but keep growing as a band, the new songs sound a lot more futuristic.

” Having been a massive fan of Skunk Anansie for years, I asked the band if there was any chance of a b-sides album: “You must be joking, aren’t you?” Skin laughs, “they were bloody awful!” she quips jokingly.

Ace mentions the fact that they were going to give a b-sides album away as a freebie with Smashes & Trashes (the greatest hits album) but is quickly corrected by Mark: “No, no.

YOU wanted to put a b-sides album together, Ace, but when you bought the list to us, we crossed nearly each one off,” and with that they both gave Ace a bop on the head with empty water bottles.

It was so nice to see the band joking and arguing with one another in front of me like that, you could see they really enjoyed each others’ company.

Cut to over an hour later and the band are on stage in theatrical feathers and huge black coats opening with Yes It’s Fucking Political to thunderous screams from the crowd.

As a live band, they are one of the tightest, most visually powerful four people I have ever seen on stage.

Skin’s voice is absolutely perfect on every song with rawness and softness in equal measure.

They spoil the crowd with a two hour set including all their hits like Twisted and I Can Dream.

Songs from Wonderlustre shone through and were sang back to the band just as much as any of the old tunes.

The best song of the night being God Loves Only You which now has its own t-shirt! The highlight of the gig was not only Skin’s infamous ‘crowd walk’ during Weak where she was literally standing on peoples hands, but for the final song she came into the middle of the audience and after getting the crowd to crouch, she made everyone throw her up into the air into a crowd surf as the song kicked back.

It was one of those ‘I was there’ moments that no one at that gig will ever forget.

It’s safe to say it’s good to have Skunk Anansie back. It’s about time a band in the UK shook things up a bit. www.skunkanansie.net Stu Freeman