Words: George Gray, Images: India Fleming
After a few weeks of intermittent rain and gloomy clouds the sun finally returned in Barcelona last Tuesday. A beautiful day in the city, but brooding in the Poble Nou barrio was a gritty punk rock sound. Skunk Anansie had arrived.
The band that blasted onto the scene in the mid nineties are back with their first music in nine years alongside a wide-spanning European tour.
I remember first hearing their sound on Radio 6. The eclectic mix of darker rock and trip-hop hooks accompanied by lyrical protest catching my ear from the off.
I’d been awaiting the gig with great anticipation, and as I made my way across the city I soon realised I was not alone. With each metro station another gaggle of fans appeared, some still clad in merch from when it all began.
The sun had set as we emerged from the metro, streetlights illuminating the path to the iconic venue for the night, Razzmatazz. Inside we were greeted by musical vitriol from young rockers So Good.
After a couple of minutes it was clear this wasn’t a standard warm up, more a firecracker start, the crowd bouncing to big guitar riffs and punk vocals.
So Good will be ones to watch. They’ve steadily grown a following and it was clear by the end of their set many in the crowd were new fans. With more support dates in the works, they’re sure to go from strength to strength.
We now awaited Skunk Anansie. The crowds still flocking in as Goldie’s Inner City Life set the backdrop for a hubbub of chatter. The balconies watching from above and floor below brimming with anticipation.
Much of the staging lay in the shadows. Instruments darkly cloaked and behind a wall of spikes cutting through the blue lighting. It was a scene reminiscent of an abstract sci-fi flick, not just a concert.
Then out of the chatter The Prodigy’s Fire-starter began to echo wall to wall. A call to action for all rockers. A shot of pink light hits the centre stage stretching the length of the venue, and an almighty synth starts. It’s begun. The band leaping onto stage through this ceremonious entrance and instantly breaking into This Means War.
The energy of the crowd skyrocketed and stayed high as they moved through the first songs. Shifting gears through the experimental sounds of Charlie Big Potato to the foot-tapping Love Someone else. The band’s class was undeniable, transitioning from playful mic innuendos to the religious commentary of God Loves only you.
As the set reached its halfway mark, Skin paused, taking the time to share a powerful anti-fascist message. “If you know someone like that, stand in their face in defiance”. With one final line before diving back into it, “fight fascism from the ground up!”
The eerily beautiful hit Secretly then began to play. Few performers evoke such powerful emotion whilst remaining so tangibly close to the audience, but with such range Skin and the rest of the band toe the line so well.
As the set neared its end the band unleashed a new tune, An artist is an Artist. Always a risk but its playful wordplay paid off. The group clearly confident and revitalised by its new direction.
A riotous conclusion ensued, big guitar riffs amping up, darker techno sounds and mic stands swinging. A final shout out for tour manager Pete as tunes Piggy and the Skank Heads played left the crowd stomping even after the band left the stage.
A couple of minutes later they re-emerged, Skin addressing the crowd with an inspirational message of finding new directions amongst post Covid struggles before rolling into new tune Cheers. It’s Infectiously good guitar riff flowing over the chorus.
With a final flourish the band jokingly asked “any requests?”, before a slight chuckle and a decisive “fuck off”, as the intro to classic Little Baby Swastika boomed through the speakers.
A fitting end for a group that’s never played by the rules. Skunk Anansie have still got it, but their new direction is certainly different, and I’m all here for it.
