Skindred - The Duchess, York - 12th December 2012 (Live Review)
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Written by Alec Chillingworth
This venue is next to a Jobcentre. I don’t mean that it’s just near a Jobcentre; it’s actually attached to it. Odd geography aside, this seems like the perfect setting for a rock show. It’s small, it’s cramped, and there’s a kebab shop strategically located less than a minute away. Not bad, chaps.
Opening band Huron are greeted with a scarce audience that doesn’t seem to be getting much bigger (that kebab shop is making an absolute killing). They’re trying their best though; bless ‘em. Their mixture of traditional metal and contemporary heaviness does seem a bit awkward and forced at times, but sounds pretty decent when they get it right. Props have to go out to their lead guitarist, whose hilariously exaggerated stage moves wouldn’t go amiss at a Wembley Stadium gig.
Next up is Idiom, and I’m trying SO much not to like them. Not because I don’t enjoy their music. No. I’m trying not to like them because their members are displaying two of my absolute pet hates: Their bums are hanging out of their trousers and the bassist’s guitar is obscenely high. I mean, come on, it’s nigh on impossible to look even mildly aggressive when you’re tickling your bass and your hand looks broken. But of course, it’s proving quite a challenge to not like them. Because they’re brilliant. If While She Sleeps had a filthy one-night stand with Funeral For A Friend’s cleanly sung choruses, then the resulting abomination might sound a bit like Idiom. Front man Matt Sharlond is a breath of fresh-air, joking about with fellow band mates whilst commanding the crowd to jump, sing along and just go absolutely mental. Too many metal bands nowadays seem to think that the only way to communicate with the crowd is to swear at them in an overly angry tone, so it’s nice to see Matt chatting to punters and even joining in with one of the moshpits. The whole band look genuinely humbled to be receiving such a warm welcome, and get an absurd response as they drop a cheeky cover of Alex Clare’s ‘Too Close’. Top-notch performance, but they really do need to sort their trousers out.
Having never heard of RSJ, I’ve no idea what to expect from their set. But I didn’t expect this. Guitarist Guff Thomas and vocalist Dan Cook are straight off the stage as quick as they’re on it, swinging from the lighting rig and proving to be an absolute menace to the venue’s security. Dan is one of the most terrifying frontmen on the planet right now, prowling across the barrier whenever he’s not hanging from the ceiling like a demented Spiderman. Whilst this proves a blessing for people further back, it does mean that I spend the majority of their set with his sweaty crotch rammed against my skull. He also grabs my head and screams in my face at one point; I’ve not been this scared and confused since my Mum told me Santa isn’t real. Their crushingly brutal style of hardcore isn’t my cup of tea, and I’m not going to pretend that it is. People who like punching others in the face and listening to Feed The Rhino will probably get a lot more out of this than me, as I prefer a bit more melody in my music. However, RSJ are one of the most dangerously exciting bands on the underground circuit right now, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone else catches on.
I’m left to my thoughts for a bit whilst Skindred’s gear is being set up. The band’s latest album ‘Union Black’ has been their most successful yet; it bagged them a storming main stage slot at the prestigious Download Festival in 2011, and a place on the 2nd stage earlier this year. They also topped the bill of the sell-out Jägermeister Music Tour this April, effortlessly obliterating the eardrums of 5,000 eager fans at Brixton Academy. So why on earth are they playing in a venue next to a Jobcentre? The answer is simple - because they are Skindred, and Skindred do whatever they damn please.
So yes, arriving onstage to ‘The Imperial March’ from Star Wars is exactly how Skindred do things. They’re not messing about; if you’re willing to open your set with absolute classics such as ‘Roots Rock Riot’ and ‘Rat Race’, then that says a hell of a lot about the rest of your songs. Every album is covered tonight, with old gems such as ‘World Domination’ being aired amidst more recent tunes such as ‘Cut Dem’ and ‘Doom Riff’.
No proverbial stone is left unturned; the appetite of every single Skindred fan here should be suitably whetted by the sheer amount of heroism oozing from the stage right now. The band’s performance is just so tight; guitarist Mikey Demus churns out riff after riff to the baying crowd whilst bassist Daniel Pugsley is doing his absolute best at looking moody and distant for the duration of the set. He’s smiled a few times, though. Honestly. Arya Goggin is doing a cracking job of obliterating his poor drumkit, providing the up-tempo, primal backbone to the band’s reggae metal sound. They’re all talented musicians in their own right, but many do argue that main man Benji Webbe takes their performance up a notch. Whatever your opinion is on the guy, you can’t deny that he’s one of the best frontmen the UK has ever produced. Everything he says seems to be lapped up and responded to with rapturous applause, every command uttered is dutifully followed. The stage banter spouted out tonight is second-to-none; Benji is like your cool uncle, your best mate and a rock star rolled into an all-singing, all-dancing package.
Electronic elements have always been quite prominent in Skindred’s sound, but even more so on ‘Union Black’. The band celebrates this tonight by playing a filthy, crust-laden Dubstep remix of Slipknot’s undeniable anthem ‘Duality’. If you haven’t heard it then you really should. It’s a bit good. A suitably apt festive segment comes toward the end of the show, with Benji changing the lyrics of ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ to apply to the crowd. It’s moments like this that make me feel sorry for metal fans who listen exclusively to Slayer or Manowar; they’re missing out on all the fun!
Of course, there’s one song left to play. Everyone knows it. Chants of "Warning!” coax Skindred back onstage one last time, accompanied by Matt from Idiom. And then it happens. The inevitable climax. The Newport Helicopter. There aren’t many things at gigs that truly surprise me anymore, but this is just something else. Every single person in the room removes an item of clothing, holds it above their head and swings it around like an absolute lunatic. It’s something that could only happen at a Skindred show, and it really is something special. Skindred are one of the most uniquely brilliant bands to emerge from the UK in the past decade, and tonight’s sold-out show leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. This could be a side effect of that kebab, but I’d like to think that it was the former.
Dec 13th - Coventry Kasbah Dec - 14th Wrexham Central Station Dec 15th - Plymouth White Rabbit Dec 16th - Weymouth Pavilion Dec 17th - Rugby The Vault Dec 18th - Ipswich Railway Dec 19th - Grimsby Yardbirds
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Opening band Huron are greeted with a scarce audience that doesn’t seem to be getting much bigger (that kebab shop is making an absolute killing). They’re trying their best though; bless ‘em. Their mixture of traditional metal and contemporary heaviness does seem a bit awkward and forced at times, but sounds pretty decent when they get it right. Props have to go out to their lead guitarist, whose hilariously exaggerated stage moves wouldn’t go amiss at a Wembley Stadium gig.
