07 May 2011 (gig)
16 May 2011
Visiting the capital for the final gig of a riotous tour, Skindred bring the raga and the metal to a packed Kentish Town Forum.
Opening tonight are Me Vs Hero, a hardcore, pop/punk band from Blackpool. The energetic 5 piece bring to mind New Found Glory and This Time Next Year and are worthy of their support slot. As are Chiodos, an American Post-Hardcore band from Michigan. Bounding about the stage with enthusiasm the band delve between AC/DC classic rock and At the Drive-In post rock.
in support of their 5th album Union Black, this tour has been quite the celebration for Newport’s Skindred, a band who have steadily built on a reputation for diversity and intensity. Opening with Bruises and Roots Rock Riot, the 4-piece led by a tonight pimped up Benji Webbe take little time to find their stride, setting an already lively crowd to frenzy mode. The heavy riffage of aptly titled Doom Riff complimented by the reggae beats of State of Emergency, showcases a deft of touch. Playing at high energy throughout, Benji often banters with the crowd between tracks, witty and funny he can be quite endearing.
The unmistakable riffs of Metallica's Sad but True are an unexpected surprise as are the beats of Tinie Temper's Pass Out, emphasising their range of influences and ability to alter the direction of the set, as does Rhianna's Only Girl in the World which later opens the encore.
For a long admiring fan perhaps the highlight of the evening is Nobody from debut album Babylon. Bringing up the lights before a 3 song encore that includes the insane Pressure, Nobody represents the concoction of sound that is this band and tonight it's super brutal, prompting wild circle pits from a sweat soaked crowd.
Though not to everyone's liking, their honest, no nonsense approach is admirable and they clearly love what they do. Perhaps not the only one tonight, this here writer is won over by a passion and braveness that filters through their music. Closing the 19-strong set with the Disturbed tinged recent single Warning, Skindred have been quite the entertainers.
