Newport three-piece Skindred burst onto the scene with 2002’s ‘Babylon’, an album that married nu metal with rap and reggae to create something wholly their own. Due to their unique sonic fusions and their unmatched stage performances, the band have drawn fans from all manners of backgrounds and become one of the most in-demand alternative live acts in the country. Download Festival have booked them 9 times since 2006 as a foolproof way to guarantee a good party, and their raucous live shows have seen them receive awards and nominations from Kerrang, Metal Hammer, the Heavy Awards and the MOBOs.

Since eighth album ‘Smile’ hit Number 2 in the Official UK Album Chart and Number 1 in the Rock and Metal Chart, the band went on a massive nationwide tour in 2023. They then did even more impressive numbers on their three-night arena run in 2024 – sold out dates at Manchester Academy and O2 Academy Birmingham, and a massive gig at the Wembley OVO Arena. 2025 saw them trade huge crowds for smaller, more intimate venues for a UK tour, followed by one of Germany with Alien Ant Farm.

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A post shared by Skindred (@skindredmusic)

The ‘You Got This’ Tour was announced today to tear across the UK and Ireland in October and November, including a massive night at London’s Alexandra Palace on Halloween. Drummer Arya Goggin is clearly already excited, saying “Halloween is always such a special night, for both us and our fans, so this year our annual ‘Night of the Living Dred’ show will be its biggest-ever at London’s Alexandra Palace! Along with Alien Ant Farm we have Spineshank and Orgy joining us. It’s going to be a really special night with loads of surprises.” The three support bands are each popping up on different nights of the tour – here’s the full list of where and when you can catch Skindred this Autumn:

• 24 October – Rock City, Nottingham w/ Spineshank
• 30 October – O2 Academy, Birmingham w/ Alien Ant Farm, Spineshank and Orgy
• 31 October – Alexandra Palace, London w/ Alien Ant Farm, Spineshank and Orgy
• 6 November – 3Olympia, Dublin w/ Alien Ant Farm
• 7 November – Telegraph Building w/ Alien Ant Farm
• 13 November – Barrowlands, Glasgow (no support confirmed for this date)

So far Skindred have released two singles from ninth album ‘You Got This’, including the groovy title track and the super-fun jam ‘Can I Get A’, which came out at the start of March. The album releases on the 17th of April on Earache Records, with pre-order links here. The full track listing looks like this:

1. You Got This
2. Can I Get A
3. Born Fe Dis
4. This Is The Sound
5. Broke
6. Glass
7. Big ‘Em Up
8. Do It Like This
9. My People
10. Give Thanks

The tour will see the metal fusion group travelling to some smaller, more intimate venues in UK areas that don’t often book big names like theirs. As well as stopping by in cities like Bournemouth, Swansea and Wolverhampton, the band will visit venues in towns like Frome, Tenby and Torquay.

Drummer Arya Goggin says, “We as a band are extremely conscientious about venturing outside of just the major UK cities to spread the Skindred sound. This October the “Detour” is our attempt to do just that. As a band we love to play live, but there are so many amazing towns and cities with fantastic venues across the country that get forgotten and need to be supported. That’s where our “Detour” comes in! We can’t wait to head back out across the UK this October on our “Detour.” See you there!”

2024 was an eventful year for Skindred, who were still riding high off the success of their eighth record ‘Smile’ in 2023, which peaked at No. 2 in the UK album charts. ‘Smile’ managed to nab the No. 1 spots in other charts, such as the UK Rock and Metal Albums, UK Independent Albums and UK Vinyl Albums.

They went on to win the award for ‘Best UK Act’ at the Heavy Music Awards in 2023, and ‘Best Alternative Music Act’ at the MOBO’s in 2024. They also played their biggest ever headline show in March last year, at the London OVO Arena Wembley.

Hailing from Newport, Wales, Skindred first stepped on the scene in the late 90’s as innovators of the “ragga-metal” sound, fusing elements of Jamaican music and heavy rock riffs. Their energetic shows have seen them win titles such as ‘Best Live Band’ at the UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2011.

Skindred’s full touring schedule can be viewed below:

Skindred – ‘THE DETOUR’ 2025 UK Dates
October
16^th – Keele, University Student Union
17^th – Tenby, De Valence Pavilion
18^th – Swansea, Patti Pavilion
23^rd – Buckley, Tivoli
24^th – Frome, Cheese & Grain
25^th – Worthing, Assembly Hall
30^th – Warrington, Parr Hall
31^st – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill

November
1^st – Middlesborough, Town Hall
2^nd – Wakefield, Venue 23
7^th – Torquay, Arena
8^th – Bournemouth, O2 Academy

14^th – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Academy

For more details, please visit Skindred’s official website here.

Heaven In Your Eyes. October 20th. Pre save. https://t.co/rSiBiriZ1v pic.twitter.com/5GOPxtsxaJ

— Jamie Campbell Bower (@Jamiebower) October 10, 2023

Although Bower’s acting credits have been adding up, making him one of the most sought after stars in the business, the performer has not allowed his musical chops to fall by the wayside, with “Heaven In Your Eyes” set to be his latest hit after 2022’s “I Am.” Following the dissolution of his punk project Counterfeit, Bower has shown his intent to carry on with his passion for music by releasing another new single that is sure to please fans.

With Bower’s various acting endeavours grabbing most of the headlines these days, the singer has also taken the time to reflect on his time with Counterfeit and his solo plans saying to Kerrang, “For me, this is a new chapter of my artistic exploration. Being sort of on my own now has allowed me to go and be more free in the creative process. I can now kind of go, ‘Well, we can do whatever we want,’ and then we’ll just make that work in a live setting. It’s taking all the things that I loved in Counterfeit – a lot of the rock elements – and blending it with things that perhaps weren’t suitable for Counterfeit. But mainly this is an opportunity for me to kind of just be more expressive.”

While Counterfeit tapped into the punk/hardcore  sonic edge, with Bower embracing the DIY tough work ethic of the scene, he has also previously expressed his admiration for American country music-a genre he explored with last year’s single, “I Am.” Speaking about the single and inspiration behind it, he divulged, “I’ve always written some country and western music. I love the structure of a country song. It’s always very fun to go into; it’s classic.”

With the snippet of “Heaven In Your Eyes,” that Bower has provided so far, the singer looks set to continue where “I Am” left off, with the country twang of the guitars at the forefront. The single will be available Friday and can be pre-saved here.

Bower had his film debut in 2007’s Tim Burton classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, where audiences were introduced to the power of his vocal abilities. Shortly thereafter, Bower had roles in the Harry Potter franchise, Twilight franchise and, perhaps most notable of all, Stranger Things where he performed the chilling season four villain of Vecna.

We are super excited to announce the addition of some amazing bands who will be joining us on our UK & Ireland tour next Month including @lakemalice , @GRAPHICNATURE__ , @codyfrostmusic @WeareSaintAgnes . Last tickets for Newcastle & Belfast.https://t.co/va5VaPRvXi pic.twitter.com/4TMuiMM11C

— Skindred (@Skindredmusic) September 15, 2023

The ‘Smile’ tour will support the release of the group’s latest studio album, Smile, that was released earlier last month of August 4th via Earache Records. The band’s eighth LP smashed all expectations and slotted straight in at number 2 of the UK Albums Chart, a career high for the ragga metal outfit.

The tour is set to begin at the Roadmender in Northampton on October 6th and will conclude in Dublin at the Academy on November 18th. Skindred will then play their biggest headline show to date next year at the Wembley OVO Arena in London on March 15th, where alternative metal band As Everything Unfolds will open as a support act. Two accompanying shows will also take place in Manchester and Birmingham on either side of the main London show, on the 14th and 16th of March respectively.

In a recent press release, Skindred drummer Arya Goggin spoke about the support acts, saying, “Skindred is always about supporting the next wave of exciting new artists coming through and on this tour we wanted to try and help shine a light on a few amazing new bands that we are excited about and that we think our fans will love too. We want to encourage people to come to our shows early and to get into the party atmosphere and to enjoy the likes of Lake Malice, Cody Frost , Graphic Nature, Saint Agnes, Archives and Idle Discourse. With of course main support Blackgold too.”

Watch the music video for “Gimme That Boom“, a single from their latest LP Smile, below:

See below for Skindred’s headline tour dates:

06/10/2023 – Roadmender – Northampton
07/10 – O2 Academy – Leeds
13/10 – Junction – Cambridge
14/10 – Epic – Norwich
19/10 – Rock City – Nottingham
20/10 – NX – Newcastle
21/10 – The Garage – Glasgow
26/10 – Dreamland – Margate
27/10 – Chalk – Brighton
28/10 – O2 Academy – Bristol
03/11 – Leadmill – Sheffield
04/11 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln
10/11 – The Great Hall – Cardiff
11/11 – O2 Guildhall – Southhampton
17/11 – Limelight 1 – Belfast
18/11 – Academy, Dublin
14/03/2024 – Academy, Manchester
15/03 – OVO Wembley Arena
16/03 – O2 Academy – Birmingham

You can purchase tickets for the London headline show along with other tour dates here.

You can purchase Smile here.

The announcement comes with the release of the group’s most recent studio album, Smile, on August 4th via Earache records. The LP will be the band’s eighth to date and its release will be supported by an extensive UK tour that starts on October 6th in Nottingham and finishes, ultimately, in Birmingham on March 16th 2024.

Lead singer Benji Webbe, in a recent press release, has said of the London headline show, “Standing on that stage is a mark of sheer hard work. We have stood upon that stage supporting many truly great acts. Now it’s Skindred’s time to take the headline slot. You may think you’ve seen us, however this is our opportunity to rise, and to step up like never before!
My Sound we come to take over and truly come to rock Wembley with a heart full of gratitude and a set full of the most rockin’ tunes that we have ever played live. Unity, love and togetherness. Let’s ‘ave it. Quadruple XL.”

Watch the music video for “Nobody”, the lead single from Skindred’s first album, Babylon, below:

Skindred were formed in 1998 in Newport and released their debut album, Babylon, in 2002 to critical acclaim, quickly topping the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart. The band soon amassed a devoted cult following after perfecting the craft of mixing metal rock and alternative metal with reggae, this mixing of genres subsequently becoming known as ragga metal, and the group subsequently becoming one of Britain’s leading pioneers of the genre. The group consists of ever-present members Benji Webbe, lead singer, and bassist Daniel Pugsley, along with guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggin.

Watch the music video for “Gimme That Boom“, a single from their latest LP Smile, below:

See below for Skindred’s UK headline tour dates:

06/10/2023 – Roadmender – Norhampton
07/10 – O2 Academy – Leeds
13/10 – Junction – Cambridge
14/10 – Epic – Norwich
19/10 – Rock City – Nottingham
20/10 – NX – Newcastle
21/10 – The Garage – Glasgow
26/10 – Dreamland – Margate
27/10 – Chalk – Brighton
28/10 – O2 Academy – Bristol
03/11 – Leadmill – Sheffield
04/11 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln
10/11 – The Great Hall – Cardiff
11/11 – O2 Guildhall – Southhampton
17/11 – Limelight 1 – Belfast
18/11 – Academy, Dublin
14/03/2024 – Academy, Manchester
15/03 – OVO Wembley Arena
16/03 – O2 Academy – Birmingham

You can purchase tickets for the London headline show along with other tour dates here.

You can purchase Smile here.

Following a huge summer of shows, which included performances at Glastonbury, Download, 2000 trees, and some highly acclaimed support slots at KISS’s final UK concerts, the band showcases the enduring power of their classic reggae-metal hybrid on a song that spreads a message of motivation and positivity. Lead vocalist Benji Webbe’s unique blend of spoken word and effortless belting coupled with some full-throttle metal riffage makes for a truly captivating listening experience that is sure to keep old fans invested, as well as appeal to a newer audience.  

Guitarist Mikey Demus weighs in on the significance of “Unstoppable” and how it reflects the band’s ethos in the song’s press release:

“People have tried and failed to put us in a box we refuse to live in. Skindred has a determination and a tenacity to stay true to ourselves, and true to our fans. Skindred will not be ignored. We are Unstoppable!”

Frontman Benji Webbe adds: “We keep going and we keep pushing forward. In life, it’s about hearing that our music has encouraged people and got them through dark times. But even when we’re done and gone, people will still be listening to this music. That thought makes me smile.”

The accompanying music video, directed by Steve Clarke, features miniature versions of the band members, demonstrating their fun-loving attitude and proving they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Watch the video below:

Recorded in the midst of the pandemic, Skindred’s latest studio effort Smile is an album that deals with big themes and an even bigger melting pot of genres. Alongside Nothing But Thieves producer Julian Emery, the four-piece put their stylistic range to the test, exhibiting great adaptability and inventiveness with a track-list that boasts everything from rock and pop to dub and electro.

With five singles already released – including the hard-hitting “Gimme That Boom” and pop-reggae triumph of “L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)” – all the signs seem to suggest that Smile will be Skindred’s masterpiece.

In support of the new album, Skindred will be embarking on a UK and Ireland headline tour in autumn.

See below for dates:

06/10/2023 – Roadmender – Northampton
07/10 – O2 Academy – Leeds
13/10 – Junction – Cambridge
14/10 – Epic – Norwich
19/10 – Rock City – Nottingham 
20/10 – NX – Newcastle 
21/10 – The Garage – Glasgow
27/10 – Chalk – Brighton
28/10 – O2 Academy – Bristol
03/11 – Leadmill – Sheffield
04/11 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln
10/11 – Great Hall – Cardiff
11/11 – O2 Guildhall – Southampton
17/11 – Limelight 1 – Belfast
18/11 – Academy – Dublin

Get tickets here.

Pre-order Smile here.

This announcement also follows the release of their new album, Smile, which marks their eighth long player and their first for Earache Records. In addition, this also marks 25 years since their debut album, which Skindred will acknowledge and celebrate. Pre-orders of the new album will be released on August 4.

UK + Ireland! We're bringing you a headline tour this Autumn!

Arya Goggin, the tour drummer for the band said, “There is a lot to Smile about when it comes to this TOUR! We are taking out an amazing new band called BlackGold too. They are bringing Nu Metal back and I think ‘Dred fans will love them. Go check ‘em out!”

Skindred’s recognition as one of the UK’s most exciting live bands is widely recognised and have also been nominated for ‘Best UK Live Act’ at the Heavy Music Awards 2023. Prior to their upcoming autumn show, the band are no strangers to igniting moshpits in upcoming months to come, as they will headline for both Takedown and Dominion Festivals in the UK, just before they will appear as special guests for American rock legends, KISS on their anticipated farewell tour.

The unparalleled live set will be brought alive by the band, as they are set to perform on the main stages of 2000 Trees and Maid Of Stone Festivals in the UK, with the addition of special appearances at various other key European festivals that also include a few acts, with the likes of Wacken Open Air, With Full Force Festival, NovaRock and Grasspop.

Resourceful information regarding exclusive ticket pre-sales via pre-orders will be available on the Earache Webstore site with no purchase necessary.

SKINDRED 2023 UK TOUR DATES

04/08/2023 – Takedown Festival – Portsmouth, UK

05/07 – Dominion Festival – Durham, UK

06/03 – Home Park Stadium – Plymouth, UK

06/05 – Resorts Worlds Arena – Birmingham, UK

06/06 – Utilita Arena 0 Newcastle, UK

07/05 – The O2 Arena – London

07/07 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK

07/08 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK

07/09 – 2000 Trees Festival – Cheltenham, UK

07/23 – Maid Of Stone Festival – Maidstone, UK

10/06 – Roadmender – Northampton, UK

10/07 – O2 Academy – Leeds, UK

10/13 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge UK

10/14 – Epic – Norwich, UK

10/19 – Rock City – Nottingham, UK

10/27 – Chalk – Brighton, UK

11/03 – Leadmill – Sheffield, UK

11/04 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln, UK

11/10 – Great Hall – Cardiff, Wales

11/17 – Limelight 2 – Belfast, Ireland

11/18 – Dublin Academy – Dublin, Ireland.

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/skindred-announces-their-autumn-and-ireland-headline-tour/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/takedown-festival-complete-line-up-and-set-times-announced/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/takedown-festival-complete-line-up-and-set-times-announced/#comments Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:57:18 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=60092 Takedown Festival will return in a couple of weeks, on Saturday April 8. The 2023 comeback event will take place at Portsmouth Guildhall. The legendary one-day festival, dedicated to all things alternative-rock and metal, will return this April after a 8-year hiatus. The comeback comes with a few changes, a new venue, mind-blowing fresh line-up and an outdoor stage being added for the first time at the festival. Over 30 bands will perform across five different stages. One of the festivals headliners, Sleep Token, will be making their first festival appearance of 2023 at Takedown. Skindred are also set to headline at this years festival.

Among the headliners taking the stage at the 2023 Takedown Festival will be a selection of immense acts, such as; Jamie Lenman, Loathe, Palm Reader, Fearless Vampire Killers, The Bottom Line, Punk Rock Factory, InMe, Our Hollow Our Home, Dendera, As December Falls, CLTDRP and Seeking Akira.

Alongside the names which were revealed in the initial announcement, Takedown added a range of bonus acts to the line-up, including; Red Method, Autumn Fires, Slackrr, Saint Agnes, False Hope For The Savage, Shell Beach, Chaosbay, Balance Breach, Consvmer, Elwood Stray, Sunfall, Ithaca, Confessions of a Traitor, Heart of a Coward, Asleep At The Helm, Royals, Lightwave, Crushed By Waves, Meg Emelie, Defences, Two Year Break, Chuggaboom, Black Water County and THECITYISOURS.

As Takedown Festival makes a highly anticipated comeback, it was revealed that the festival is part of a new partnership between Divergent Festivals and The Guildhall Trust. Kai and Sarah Harris, Co-directors of Divergent Festivals, discussed the festivals comeback, ‘’Even in these strange times it feels like the perfect time to be bringing back one of the best-loved one-day events on the South Coast, taking it back to our roots with one of the biggest line-ups Takedown has ever seen. We can’t wait!”

Andy Gray, Chief Executive Officer of the Guildhall Trust added, ”We are delighted to bring an alternative rock and metal festival to Portsmouth with a great calibre of artists already announced. Portsmouth has a fantastic music scene, but we felt like there was a gap for fans of this genre.”

Takedown Festival also announced a new initiative for the 2023 event, as they will be teaming up with Tonic Rider, a mental health charity. The newly introduced initiative will see Takedown become the first festival to offer mental health resources for staff, crew and artists. The Tonic Rider team consists of mental health professionals with an understanding and background in the music industry. The team will be located in the green room and will be offering support, information and free resources.

Following the complete line-up announcement, Takedown Festival also revealed the full set list for the day.

MAIN STAGE
14:00 – DENDERA
14:45 – RED METHOD
15:35 – SEETHING AKIRA
16:25 – FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
17:15 – OUR HOLLOW OUR HOME
18:15 – PALM READER
19:25 – JAMIE LENMAN
20:35 – LOATHE
21:45 – SLEEP TOKEN (UK EXCLUSIVE)

TOTAL ROCK STAGE (OUTDOOR)
13:45 – AUTUMN FIRES
14:30 – SLACKRR
15:20 – CLT DRP
16:10 – BOTTOM LINE
17:00 – SAINT AGNES
18:00 – AS DECEMBER FALLS
19:10 – INME (ANNIVERSARY SET)
20:20 – PUNK ROCK FACTORY
21:30 – SKINDRED

OUT OF LINE STAGE
14:00 – FALSE HOPE FOR THE SAVAGE
14:45 – SHELL BEACH
15:30 – CHAOSBAY
16:15 – BALANCE BREACH
17:05 – CONSVMER
17:55 – ELWOOD STRAY
18:45 – SUNFALL
19:45 – ITHACA
20:45 – CONFESSIONS OF A TRAITOR
21:55 – HEART OF A COWARD

DOWN FOR LIFE STAGE
14:00 – ASLEEP AT THE HELM
14:50 – ROYALS
15:40 – LIGHTWAVE
16:30 – CRUSHED BY WAVES
17:20 – MEG EMELIE
18:10 – DEFENCES
19:00 – TWO YEAR BREAK
19:50 – CHUGGABOOM
20:50 – BLACK WATER COUNTY
22:00 – THECITYISOURS

VIP LOUNGE
13:30 – SEETHING AKIRA
14:15 – AS DECEMBER FALLS
15:00 – JAMIE LENMAN
15:45 – DAVE MCPHERSON
16:30 – BLACK WATER COUNTY
17:15 – PUNK ROCK FACTORY (M&G)
18:00 – KIER KEMP
18:45 – SKINDRED
19:30 – THECITYISOURS
20:15 – THE BOTTOM LINE
21:00 – PALM READER
21:45 – OUT OF LINE KARAOKE

The remaining tickets for the event are on sale now. To access these tickets, click here.

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/takedown-festival-complete-line-up-and-set-times-announced/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/download-festival-2022-adds-more-bands-to-lineup-including-skindred-and-yonaka/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/download-festival-2022-adds-more-bands-to-lineup-including-skindred-and-yonaka/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2022 13:05:53 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=53383 Further acts have been confirmed to join Download Festival’s 2022 lineup, with Skindred and Yonaka amongst those recruited to perform at the Summer event. The legendary festival is set to return with a bang this year from 10th-12th June 2022 at Leicestershire’s Donnington Park. The new acts added to the impressive line-up will be performing alongside the festival’s headliners Kiss, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro.

Along with the inclusion of Skindred and Yonaka, the rock focused festival also confirmed eleven further bands. The annual summer event’s line up now includes Alestorm, Banks Arcade, Bimini, Dana Detata, Dirty Honey, Heriot, Kid Brunswick, Orbit Culture, Red Fang, The Velveteers and Will Haven. The festival took to Instagram to share the new line up poster complete with the new additions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Download Festival (@downloadfest)

Yonaka will be making their return to Download this year after taking part in last year’s Download pilot festival, the band played on Saturday 19th June 2021 alongside headliners Enter Shikari. The band’s frontwoman Theresa Jarvis has spoken concerning their upcoming appearance, the singer also describes her personal connection to the festival, “Aghhhh Download! Some of us have been going since we were 14 so it’s an absolute pleasure to be performing there again. The energy is always amazing and such an exciting lineup of music.”

Welsh reggae and metal group Skindred also performed at last year’s demo event and are seasoned Download performers with multiple years under their belt. Frontman Benji Webbe has also provided the following statement concerning the group’s inclusion in this year’s lineup, “Playing the Download pilot after being locked down for a year and a half was an amazing experience so being invited back to our favourite festival and spiritual home to play alongside the likes of KISS and Maiden is a dream come true. Plus we have some amazing rockin’ new tunes which we cannot wait for you all to hear.”

Last September the festival announced that the 2022 lineup would include A Day To Remember, Mastodon, Shinedown, Code Orange, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills and Creeper. The Southampton formed group also performed at last year’s pilot festival, which served as a test event to gauge the effect of COVID-19 within large crowds.  Managing director of Festival Republic, UK promoter for Download Melvin Benn gave the following statement concerning the three-day event. “The pilot went extraordinarily well. Not a single person arrived on site with a positive Covid test. Everyone was incredibly compliant and were reassured that the people they were moshing with were Covid-clear.”

After the event had concluded, reports and investigations were held to examine if the pilot had been successful. The festival was part of the second phase of tests conducted by the Government’s Event Research Programme, the initiative aims to investigate and report the risks associated with event attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s upcoming event will mark the festival’s return to its traditional format. The Summer festival’s star-studded roster will perform across four stages; Main Stage, Second Stage, The Dogtooth Stage and The Avalanche Stage hosted by Download’s long-term partner Kerrang! Radio. Tickets are available to purchase for both Camping and No Camping, music fans are also able to purchase RIP options which include hotel and special camping choices.

Click here to purchase tickets.

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/download-festival-2022-adds-more-bands-to-lineup-including-skindred-and-yonaka/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/skindred-releases-lyric-video-for-the-previously-unreleased-its-a-crime/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/skindred-releases-lyric-video-for-the-previously-unreleased-its-a-crime/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2021 17:37:44 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=30455 Skindred has released a new lyric video for their song It’s A Crime, thirteen years after it’s original release. The song is originally from a rare cut from the Japenese version of Roots Rock Riot but is now being released outside of Japan for the first time. The album will be available on April 23^rd and can be pre-ordered here.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the track in a press release, vocalist Benji Webbe explains, “I live in a neighbourhood (Newport, Wales) where back in the day, a lot of people were working hard and getting ripped off in life and then there are others who are just hustling and selling this and selling that. It’s just a crime that hardworking people don’t get what the thieves/criminals get.”

The track was only ever previously released on the Japanese version of the album, we are so happy it’s being included in the re-release. It was always a band and producer favourite.

If you haven’t yet ordered the upcoming reissue, you can do so here – https://t.co/3NFCZIqevY pic.twitter.com/nLVpFAHKrZ

— Hassle Records (@hasslerecords) February 3, 2021

Speaking about the track in a press release, Skindred drummer, Arya Goggin said; “It’s a Crime was written in 2006 in our basement studio below St Joseph’s Boxing club in Newport. It’s where all the writing for Roots Rock Riot took place. The only reason it didn’t make the album was because of how the album track listing flowed.”

It’s A Crime is from the album Roots Rock Riot, which is known as an important piece of Skindred’s history. The album was crafted in a boxing club and recorded in America. It was the record of their discography to feature what would become the permanent line-up of Benji, Arya, bassist Daniel Pugsley and guitarist Mikey Demus, it started its life as that difficult second album. What it became completely transcends that, bookending a difficult period of the band’s existence and boldly kicking down the door to the future of their illustrious career.

Available on vinyl for the first time as well as CD, the re-release of Roots Rock Riot  features previously unheard music. As well as the complete tracklist of the original, the vinyl version of the record comes with an additional 7” containing two exclusive tracks: It’s A Crime and Struggle, which was never released at all. The CD release also contains both those tracks and an acoustic version of Destroy The Dance Floor.

We can’t wait to rock with you all in September/October. In the meantime, stay safe https://t.co/YwScnJ8PVP

— Skindred (@Skindredmusic) January 13, 2021

The re-release of Roots Rock Riot will arrive ahead of Skindred’s full UK Showtime Tour in September 2021, where they will be joined by very special guests Royal Republic. The full tour dates are below.

23/09/2021 – Junction – Cambridge
24/09 –  Academy – Oxford
25/09 – Roadmenders – Northampton
30/09 – Academy – Leeds
01/10 – Institute – Birmingham
02/10 – Roundhouse – London
07/10 – Tramshed – Cardiff
08/10 – Academy – Bristol
09/10 – Rock City – Nottingham
10/10 – SWG3 – Glasgow
15/10 – Guildhall – Southampton
22/10 – Corporation – Sheffield
23/10 – Uni Students’ Union – Newcastle
29/10 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill
30/10 – Academy – Manchester
31/10 – UEA – Norwich

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