With their latest album ‘You Got This’ delivering a first UK number one, there’s plenty for Skindred to celebrate as their headline tour rolls into Birmingham. Of course, anyone who’s seen Benji Webbe and company before will know they hardly need an excuse to turn a gig into a party.
Having missed openers Spineshank, it’s Alien Ant Farm who get my evening underway. It’s great to see a band for the first time, especially one I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss until now. The Californian rockers deliver a really cool set of old favourites and newer material, with ‘Courage’, ‘Movies’ and ‘These Days’ all going down well.
Frontman Dryden Mitchell is a charismatic dude, and there’s a real energy to the band’s performance. They’ve got a decent back catalogue to draw from, although there’s little doubt which song most of the crowd are waiting for. Their take on Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ gets the biggest reaction of the set, and deservedly so. It’s a cracking finish from a band I’m glad I’ve finally caught live. But as good as they are, tonight really belongs to Skindred.
Opening with ‘My People’, the Welsh ragga-metal favourites waste little time turning the sold-out Academy into their own gloriously chaotic playground. Leading the charge is Benji Webbe, whose larger-than-life personality, sharp humour and powerful vocals make him a commanding presence. The Birmingham crowd are with him from the outset, responding to every word and throwing themselves into the music.
‘Set Fazers’ and ‘Rat Race’ bring that unmistakable collision of crushing guitars, reggae rhythms and dancehall grooves. It’s a combination that shouldn’t work quite as brilliantly as it does, but they’ve spent more than two decades making it their own. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Skindred, but it’s that distinctive sound, coupled with the sheer spectacle of their live shows, that keeps me and countless others coming back for more.
Between songs, Benji is in typically mischievous form, repeatedly turning questions about the new album into a call-and-response with the crowd, who enthusiastically shout ‘You Got This!’ back at him. He also takes a moment to acknowledge the record reaching number one, offering a heartfelt thank you to the fans who made it possible. It’s a significant achievement for the entire band, and one they clearly don’t take for granted.
The set strikes a good balance between established faves and fresh material. ‘That’s My Jam’ and ‘Big Em Up’ keep things moving, while ‘Radio 01633’, a nod to their hometown dialling code, brings a covers mash-up and another reminder that Skindred have never been particularly interested in playing by the rules.
The title track ‘You Got This’ sounds perfectly at home alongside the older material, while ‘Kill The Power’ and ‘Nobody’ deliver the heavyweight grooves and infectious hooks that have become their trademarks. Behind Benji, the band remain a formidable live unit, tight, powerful and capable of switching musical direction almost effortlessly.
Of course, no Skindred show would be complete without the infamous Newport Helicopter. As ‘Warning’ brings the evening towards its conclusion, Benji barely needs to tell the crowd what to do. Shirts are off and spinning overhead in no time, creating that familiar spectacle across the Academy. It’s ridiculous, it’s enormous fun, and somehow it never gets old.
More than two decades into their career, Skindred are enjoying a deserved high point. Their number-one album is a milestone, but their reputation as one of the UK’s best live bands was established long before the charts caught up. Tonight in Birmingham, they show exactly why.
Review & Photography: Steve Johnston
