SKUNK ANANSIE | LIVE REVIEW
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Wed 4 Sept
On the back of some very favourable reviews of late, a rampant crowd has gathered at Cardiff University to watch the force of nature that is Skunk Anansie, and their enigmatic singer Skin, do what they do best. It was in this very hall that I witnessed the emergence of Skunk Anansie back in 1995, supporting Senser – after which they became one of the most coveted stars of the Britrock explosion, even bagging a headline slot at Glastonbury in 1999. They broke up in 2001, reunited in 2009 and it’s been business as usual ever since.
As the lights go down, guitarist Ace attacks the staccato style riff that brings in Charlie Big Potato and Skin bounds onstage to a rapturous ovation. It’s clear from the outset that her voice is still as beautifully potent as it ever was. A strong start continues with Because Of You and it’s not long before Charity is rolled out, as hard as it is alluring. There’s not many singers who interact with their audience as much as Skin, who takes every single opportunity to start a singalong, make sure we’re dancing or tell us when to go “fucking crazy”.
We aren’t even mid-set by the time the band bust out two of their major anthems. Twisted (Everyday Hurts) and Weak give the Cardiff crowd an opportunity to sing their lungs out, while Skin grabs a guitar of her own to beef up an already meaty sound. Cass epitomises bass-playing coolness as he finger-plucks away to Cheap Honesty from 1999’s Post Orgasmic Chill while gently rocking back and forth.
The biggest of many singalongs tonight comes with Hedonism, after which Skunk Anansie stick with the first two albums – Intellectualize My Blackness and Yes, It’s Fucking Political seeing Skin outdo everybody in the room in the energy stakes. Before they depart, there’s still room for a cover of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell and Little Baby Swastika – a song, sadly, more relevant in 2019 than on its first release 25 years ago. It’s fair to say that the crowd have been whipped into frenzy as they beg for more, but after playing 22 songs, it’s only fair we let the band go. A band that seems to get better with age, Skunk Anansie were on fire this evening.
words CHRIS ANDREWS photos EMMA LEWIS