Skunk Anansie

Visionary British rock outfit Skunk Anansie wrap up their sold-out UK headline tour at G Live in Guildford.

Skin, Cass, Ace, and Mark have been on the road promoting the upcoming release of their seventh studio album, 'The Painful Truth'. The title holds particularly heartfelt significance, coming in the wake of devastating news that drummer Mark Richardson has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Just months earlier, bassist Cass Lewis revealed his own stage four cancer diagnosis. Fans may have feared this was a farewell tour but, thankfully, it didn’t feel like one.

The night started with the wildly outrageous, pop-anarchist support act, So Good. Channelling serious Kneecap energy, they brought bursts of pop-infused choreography and hurling curses towards the likes of Donald Trump Jr! Their punk attitude was emphatically shared by Skin who joined them, at the end of their set, laughing and dancing in a blonde wig!

As I look around the venue, I notice a slightly more diverse crowd than usual for Guildford. There were plenty of women and non-white attendees, all caught up in the throes of ’90s Britrock nostalgia. It’s hard to believe, it’s been 30 years since the seminal Skunk Anansie released their critically acclaimed debut, 'Paranoid & Sunburnt'.

As the band step onto their grungy, spike-adorned stage, they launch into their 20-song set with 'This Means War'. All eyes were on Skin, as she delivered a high tide of raw emotion and reverence. Standing under a lingering spotlight, it was impossible not to appreciate you were witnessing one of the most commanding, otherworldly, and vocally untouchable frontwomen alive.

Skin proclaimed, “We have nothing left to give but fucking madness,” before tearing into their Elastica-tinged new single, 'An Artist Is an Artist'. Subversive and politically charged as ever, she railed against organised religion. As she declared, “it’s not a political issue, it’s a moral one” before dedicating God Loves Only You from their 2010 album 'Wonderlustre' to us.

They hit us with 'Weak', and after a quick champagne break, Skin demanded a mosh pit, sending chaos agents from So Good into the crowd as we truly 'Tear the Place Up'. It wasn’t the last time So Good took the stage or got a shout-out. They gifted Skin a personalised glass etched with an ‘S’ as a keepsake to mark the end of the tour, naturally filled with wine, before intoxicating us with 'Hedonism', one of Skunk Anansie’s most infamous and loved singles.

The band stretched out the intro riff from Led Zeppelin’s 'Whole Lotta Love' to introduce and thank everyone who helped make the tour a success. Special kudos to the tour manager and the staging and lighting crew for creating a truly unforgettable experience.

A personal highlight was Skin’s request for an all-female mosh pit! I’d have dived right in, if I wasn’t reviewing! I'll also remember hearing Blondie's 'Atomic' blasting through the speakers, as they ended the night (and their tour) with the band and So Good all dancing, hugging and getting emotional together. It was a truly touching end to a tremendous tour.

They will be supporting The Smashing Pumpkins in London's Gunnerbury Park this August. 'The Painful Truth' will be released on 23 May 2025 via Frontiers Label Group (FLG).

Tracklist
1. This Means War
2. Charlie Big Potato
3. Because of You
4. An Artist Is an Artist
5. I Believed in You
6. Love Someone Else
7. God Loves Only You
8. Secretly
9. Weak
10. I Can Dream
11. Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
12. My Ugly Boy
13. Animal
14. Yes It's Fucking Political
15. Tear the Place Up
16. Little Baby Swastikkka

Encore
17. Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)
18. Cheers
19. The Skank Heads
20. Lost and Found


Photo Credit: Michael Phillips