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The band encouraged fans to guess what song from their live performances was going to be their next single, which many have suspected as ‘Animal’. Fans are obsessed with the new track already, posting clips of its live debut ahead of the release.

Skunk Anansie are known for their lively, thrashing performances, which fans have thrown themselves into at every live opportunity. Their rock theatrics have known no bounds for upcoming and past tracks including their 2022 single ‘Piggy’, which Skin performed while riding a huge fake pig through the audience.  

@no_fixed_abode @Skunk Anansie rocking Camden on a crowd surfing pig. #skunkanansie #rockmusic #piggy ♬ original sound – No Fixed Abode of London

Skunk Anansie formed in 1994 with a shocking rock/punk sound that stood out in the scene immediately. The band consists of vocalist Skin, Cass Lewis on bass guitar, guitarist Ace and Mark Richardson on drums. They have spoken about their experience in the rock scene in the 90s, revealing that whilst London was diverse, the bands were not. They share their history on their website, discussing bands at the time as “always four blokes with identical haircuts. We were a band of people who were real. That’s why we were radical.”.

The band disbanded in 2001 and reunited in 2009, though ‘The Painful Truth’ is their first album release in nine years since their 2016 album ‘Anarchytecture’, which was in the Top 100 UK Albums upon its release. They are most well known for other heart breaking singles such as ‘Weak’ from their debut album ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’. 

Skunk Anansie released their latest single ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ this January, a zesty punk anthem which introduces their new sound since their last releases ‘Piggy’ and ‘Can’t Take You Anywhere’ in 2022.

The song earned them criticisms from fans and press surrounding their sonic change and playful lyricism which they dismissed, claiming their artistic freedom to create and change as they wished. They stated in response “we are the creators […] and sometimes you guys need to shut the f*ck up and enjoy or not enjoy it”.

Skunk Anansie will be performing a massive series of tours during and after the release of ‘The Painful Truth’ including their involvement at STHLM Fields on 25 June performing with Rival Sons, Thundermother and Jayler. They will also be joining classic rock band Smashing Pumpkins for their ‘The Aghori Tour’ in August and embarking on their own EU tour in June/July this year. 

Forming in 1994, before disbanding in 2001 and reuniting in 2009, Skunk Anansie have a vast catalogue featuring sixth studio albums (two of which making it into the top 10) and are notorious for their sonic soundscapes comprised of groundbreaking instrumentals, bold vocals and relatable lyricism which amalgamate components of rock, punk and metal.

In the interview, Skin paid homage to an eclectic range of the group’s discography before discussing ‘An Artist Is An Artist’, including: ‘Weak’, ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’, ‘Charli Big Potato’, ‘Without You’ and ‘Piggy’.

The artist pinpointed the COVID pandemic as a moment in time which urged the group to analyse their sound and their future. Contextualising the moment ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ was created from a recording and notes app entry in her phone, Skin revealed: “We lost our manager who retired, and there was a point where we had to say, ‘well do we carry on or not?’ I don’t think bands have to carry on […] it’s quite good when they feel that they’ve got nothing more to say as a band then just stop. I think we had that conversation and when we put that song [‘An Artist Is An Artist’] together that showed us we had the ability to still be great”.

According to Skin, ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ signalled a new direction for Skunk Anansie and set a precedent for the style and standard of their future music. When speaking about the track and the band’s mindset during it’s creation the ‘Secretly’ vocalist referenced a particular perspective of what it means to be an artist during a time of social media, constant “toxic negativity” and having “everything you’re about henpecked and stripped down and destroyed” by passive critics.

Knowing the track was bound to be picked apart by critics, ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ is flooded with playful lyricism, which Skin describes as “cheeky lines” to sum up Skunk Anansie’s thoughts on being a band in a modern world. Skin pinpointed the lyrics: “An artist is an artist ‘til death do us depart-est” and carefully conducted tongue twister, “an artist is an artest when they wanna be anarchic ‘cos the narcissist in artist is beautiful” within the track.

Skin went on to rightfully respond to critics: “we are the creators […] and sometimes you guys need to shut the f*ck up and enjoy or not enjoy it. But you don’t need to come and destroy the artist and try and take something away from the artist. You don’t need to put your first ignorant thought and write that down as a comment”.

The rock vocalist’s thoughts follow a distaste for loud critics that comment on a piece of art without having the knowledge, done the research or taken the time to understand the depth of the art before branding it as “terrible” or “awful”.

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Putting critics into their place, Skin responded: “If I was in a room with you, I wouldn’t have to listen to you I would just destroy you”.

The frontman of Skunk Anansie has set the record straight following the release of ‘An Artist Is An Artist’, setting the right atmosphere in the run up to the group’s upcoming tour this spring and summer. Tickets can be purchased here.

The song channels a gory vintage brand of rock and drama. Opening with spooky synthetic chimes, ethereal drones and a razor-sharp chorused guitar that screams 80’s horror. This then ramps into a thumping chorus led by the band’s sensational lead vocalist Skin, providing a catchy hook that will make you adopt a wide-legged power stance and bang you’re your head till you’re dizzy.

The song’s story follows Skin, who is caught in a trail of carnage left by an undesirable companion, with misery and chaos pursuing them wherever they go. Discussing the song in a press release, she explains; “This track is a double-edged sword. We all have that one friend that we love but is a total embarrassment to us, a mate that has no off button and no filter. So if they aren’t losing their phone/keys/coat, they’re saying some stuff that will defo get you cancelled by all your other mates. This song is about how polarised the world is now, and how careful you need to be. It’s about dealing with the new world order of friendship, as never before have I had great long term friends develop completely opposing views to mine. It’s about having to navigate and understand people, keeping the love and respect but also standing firm in your opinions.”

Skunk Anansie are due to hit the road on a massive European tour this early this year, which will feature rescheduled dates from their hallmark 25th-anniversary tour, with new shows being added to meet the enormous demand for such a unique artist. Keep an eye out for them at Meltdown Festival 2022 which this year has been curated by none other than Grace Jones. Skunk Anansie will also make a long awaited return to Glastonbury 2022 having headlined the Pyramid Stage in 1999.

The full list of UK and European dates can be found here.

2022 UK TOUR DATES

25/03/2022–  O2 Academy Brixton- London, UK
07/04– Rock City- Nottingham, UK [SOLD OUT]
08/04– O2 Victoria Warehouse- Manchester, UK
09/04– Brighton Dome- Brighton, UK [SOLD OUT]
11/04– Cardiff University- Cardiff, UK [SOLD OUT]
12/04– O2 Academy- Bristol, UK [SOLD OUT]
14/04– Cambridge Corn Exchange- Cambridge, UK
15/04– Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall- Kent, UK [SOLD OUT]
16/04– Guildford G Live- Surrey, UK
18/04– O2 Academy- Leicester, UK
19/04– The Engine Shed- Lincoln, UK
21/04–The LCR- Norwich, UK [SOLD OUT]
22/04– O2 Academy 1- Birmingham, UK
23/04– O2 Academy- Sheffield, UK
25/04– O2 City Hall- Newcastle, UK
26/04– O2 Academy- Glasgow, UK
27/04– O2 Academy- Leeds, UK
16/06– O2 Academy- Oxford, UK
17/06– Meltdown Festival- London, UK
22/06- Glastonbury Festival- Glastonbury, UK
26/06–Engine Rooms- Southampton, UK [NEW SHOW ADDED]

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The Show was originally announced in February 2020 as a celebration of the band’s 25th anniversary together and the release of the live album of the same title. In September 2019 however, their big European tour was rescheduled to spring 2021 due to coronavirus safety measures. The band reassured that all purchased tickets are still valid. They are also very grateful to their fans for patience and holding on to the tickets for yet another year.

6/6. Big love and thanks to all of you legends that have kept hold of those tickets all this time.

Skin, Cass, Ace, and Mark xx pic.twitter.com/nZSFtOndRx

— Skunk Anansie (@SkunkAnansie) March 3, 2021

Comments from fans prove how understanding, loyal and excited they are. One of them replied on Twitter: “Gutted but understandable. As long as I get to see you once in my lifetime, I’m happy. Stay safe guys and thank you for doing your best by us. X”. Other added under band’s Instagram post: “We will be happy when your concert will take place!! No matter which year!!!”

Refunds are being accepted for those who cant make it next year. Also one of the shows in Santiago de Compostela, originally scheduled for May 2021, has been cancelled. Skunk Anansie’s extensive UK and European tour kick off in Poland on 4th March and will end on 27th April in Leeds.

Skunk Anansie updated upcoming Tour Dates are:

04/03/22 – A2 – Wroclaw – Poland
05/03 – Progresja – Warsaw – Poland
06/03 – Stary Manez – Gdansk – Poland
08/03  – Wytwornia – Lodz – Poland
09/03  – Klub Studio – Krakow – Poland
11/03 – Dom Sportova – Zagreb – Croatia
13/03 – Tonhalle – Munich – Germany
14/03 – Les Docks Lausanne  – Switzerland
15/03 – Fabrique – Milan – Italy
17/03 – Santana 27 – Bilbao – Spain
18/03 – Coliseum – Porto – Portugal
19/03 – Coliseum – Lisbon  – Portugal
21/03- La Riviera – Madrid  – Spain
22/03 – Razzmatazz – Barcelona  – Spain
25/03 – O2 Academy Brixton, London
26/03- AFAS Live – Amsterdam – Netherlands
27/03 – Sporthalle – Hamburg – Germany
29/03 – Casino de Paris – Paris – France
30/03 – Palladium – Cologne – Germany
31/03 – Columbiahalle – Berlin – Germany
02/04 – Lotto Arena – Antwerp – Belgium
03/04 – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden – Germany
07/04 – Rock City – Nottingham
08/04- O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
09/04 –  Brighton Dome Concert Hall – Brighton
11/04 – Great Hall – Cardiff Uni – Cardiff
12/04 –  O2 Academy Bristol – Bristol
14/04-  Corn Exchange – Cambridge
15/04 –  Leas Cliff Hall – Folkestone
16/04 –  G Live – Guildford
18/04 –  O2 Academy Leicester – Leicester
19/04 –  Engine Shed – Lincoln
21/04 –  Nick Rayns LCR – Norwich
22/04 –  O2 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham
23/04- O2 Academy Sheffield – Sheffield
25/04-  O2 City Hall – Newcastle Upon Tyne
26/04 – O2 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow
27/04 – O2 Academy Leeds – Leeds

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Alongside gigs, the Southbank centre will also offer a range of art, poetry and dance exhibitions, as well as creative workshops for all ages. When speaking of the upcoming events, the Southbank Centre’s head of contemporary music Bengi Ünsal spoke passionately about the importance of celebrating the arts in such troubling times.

“While 2020 was undoubtedly a horrific year for our industry, we did see unprecedented demand for music streaming and on-demand gigs, showing – more than ever – just how much the UK’s cultural scene means to its people,” he explained.

Ünsal also spoke with excitedly about the artists announced to play; “One particular success story was Black Country, New Road who, on the back of just two tracks, found critical acclaim. We are delighted to be platforming the band as they release their debut album; we can’t wait to watch them take their alt-rock sound to international audiences.

“We also host the much-anticipated global stream from The Cinematic Orchestra; undoubtedly one of the most influential British bands of the last 20 years.”

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This might not come as a surprise to many of you, but with everything going on in the world we’ve of course been forced to reschedule our UK and European shows. We’re gutted, but it’s the right decision to make sure everyone involved stays as safe as possible. BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!! So we are delighted to announce these rescheduled dates, plus extra shows in Poland and a MASSIVE HOMECOMING DATE IN BRIXTON!! Tickets for the new Polish dates and the Brixton show are on sale from 9am October 2nd. Tickets for the rest of the shows are on sale now at skunkanansie.com. If you’ve already purchased tickets, these remain valid for the rescheduled dates. There will also be an exclusive fan presale for the Brixton show from 9am September 30th.

A post shared by Skunk Anansie (@officialskunkanansie) on Sep 28, 2020 at 1:02am PDT

The band, fronted by queer black icon Skin, rose to fame in the mid 90’s when they were voted Kerrang’s Best Live Act and Best Group at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Their unapologetic attitude and music often caused controversy, with song titles like Selling Jesus and Little Baby Swastikkka generating a lot of criticism.

After disbanding from 2000-2009, the band got back together again. Their first release under their new incarnation was Wonderlustre, which contained the same rock-and-roll guitar licks and forceful vocals as before but with a more thoughtful approach.

Songs like You Saved Me and I Will Stay But You Should Leave, were emotional ballads telling tales of heat-break and self-reflection. Since then, releases like Black Traffic saw the band reviving their hard rock edge. Their most recent album, 25LIVE@25, celebrated 25 years of the bands existence with a collection of live recordings from over the years.

This included legendary songs like Charlie Big Potato, Hedonism and Don’t Intellectualise my Blackness. It served as a reminder of how good Skunk Anansie are live. So for those who have forgotten, have a listen and get tickets to their rescheduled shows here.

New Tour Dates:

05/05/2021 – Porto Coliseum – Porto
06/05 – Lisbon Coliseum – Lisbon
08/05 – Sala Razzmatazz – Barcelona
10/05 – Sala Capitol – Santiago de Compostela
11/05 – Santana 27 – Bilbao
12/05 – La Riviera – Madrid
14/05 – Les Docks – Lausanne
15/05 – Fabrique Milano – Milan
16/05 – Dom Sportova – Zagreb
18/05 – Łódź -Wytwórniasak
19/05 – Stary Manez – Gdansk
20/05 – Progresja Music Zone – Warsaw
22/05 – Klub Studio – Krakow
23/05 – A2 – Wroclaw
24/05 – Collumbiahalle – Berlin
26/05 – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden
27/05 – TonHalle – Munich
29/05 – Lotto Arena – Antwerp
30/05 – AFAS Live – Amsterdam
01/06 – Casino de Paris – Paris
02/06 – Palladium – Cologne
03/06 – Sporthalle – Hamburg
05/06 – Laugardalshöllin -Reykjavik
07/06 – Cardiff University – Cardiff
08/06 – Rock City – Nottingham
09/06 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln
11/06 – 02 Academy Newcastle – Newcastle
13/06 – 02 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow
14/06 – 02 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
15/06 – The LCR – Norwich
17/06 – Meltdown Festival – London
18/06 – 02 Academy Sheffield – Sheffield
19/06 – 02 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham
21/06 – Brighton Dome – Brighton
22/06 – G Live – Guildford
23/06 – Leas Cliff Hall – Folkestone
25/06 – 02 Academy Leeds – Leeds
26/06 – 02 Academy Bristol – Bristol
29/06 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge
30/06 – 02 Academy – Leicester
2/06 – 02 Academy – Brixton 

The video for ‘This Means War’ features live footage of the group on stage at Pol’and’Rock festival, last year, where the band headlined. The powerful track has been described as “a super-charged, rallying anthem with vocal powerhouse Skin’s fiery and provocative lyrics commanding you to sit up and listen.”

Speaking to Kerrang, where the video premiered, Skin said: “We wrote this track just before we went on tour last summer, it totally stood out as a fan favourite and never left the setlist. So we’re really happy to release a finished version produced by the magnificent Tom Dalgety. Enjoy!”

The release of new material comes ahead of the iconic rock band’s UK headline tour, which will see them hit venues across the UK throughout 2020. The quartet will kick start their tour, in Norwich before visiting venues across the UK including Sheffield, Birmingham, Guildford, Leicester, Folkestone, Lincoln, Nottingham, Glasgow Newcastle, Leeds, Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, and Brighton, before concluding, in Cambridge.

We’re so excited to announce we’ll be playing at @meltdownfest this year, curated by living legend Grace Jones! Make sure you grab your tickets at https://t.co/vpzyLb9rhw from Friday 14th February! Don’t miss it, this is gonna be something really special #meltdownfest pic.twitter.com/PArFh8v8ow

— Skunk Anansie (@SkunkAnansie) February 10, 2020

The news of the UK headline tour comes after the announcement that the band will be performing at this year’s Meltdown Festival, at South Bank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, in London, on June 18 2020. Members of Southbank Centre can get access to tickets from Wednesday 12 February 2020 and general sale tickets are available from Friday 14 February 2020, and tickets can be purchased here.

Skunk Anansie’s latest track, ‘This Means War’, follows the release of, ‘What You Do For Love’, which was released last year and was the band’s first release of new music in three years. Both tracks will be part of a limited run of ‘collector’s edition’ double A-side vinyl, which will be released in April 2020.

The recent announcements come after Skunk Anansie frontwomen, Skin blew audiences away with her voice, while on ITV’s hit show ‘The Masked Singer’. Skin belted out renditions of ‘Ave Maria’, Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’, Stormzy’s ‘Blinded By Your Grace’, and ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion, all the while she was dressed in a hilarious duck costume.

The full dates the Skunk Anansie’s UK headline tour 2020 can be found below. Tickets for the UK headline tour are available now and can be purchased here.

Skunk Anansie UK Headline Tour Dates 2020:

17/06/2020 – The LCR UEA – Norwich
18/06 – Meltdown Festival, Southbank Centre – London
19/06 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
20/06 – O2 Academy 1 – Birmingham
26/09 – G Live – Guildford
27/09 – O2 Academy – Leicester
28/09 – Leas Cliff Hall – Folkestone
28/10 – The Engine Shed – Lincoln
29/10 – Rock City – Nottingham
01/12 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
02/12 – O2 Academy – Newcastle
03/12- O2 Academy – Leeds
05/12 – Cardiff University – Cardiff
06/12 – O2 Academy – Bristol
07/12 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
09/12 – Brighton Dome – Brighton
10/12 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge

The legends will be heading back to their birthplace to play a date at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, before heading to Manchester’s Academy 1 and the O2 Academy 1, in Bristol. The shows follow their recently announced headline performance at Beautiful Days Festival, on the 16th of August 2019. Pre-sale tickets are available to purchase, on Wednesday the 6th of February 2019, at 9am, and general sale tickets will go on, on Friday the 8th of February 2019, at 9am. Tickets can be purchased here.

Ahead of the announcement, that they will be hitting the road this August, the quartet revealed that they will be returning the to UK festival circuit. The band recently revealed that they will be headlining this year’s Beautiful Days Festival, in Devon on Friday the 16th of August 2019.

This will be the band’s first UK live show since 2017 and festival organisers DMF Music have said: “We are really excited to announce the electrifying Skunk Anansie to headline Beautiful Days 2019, especially during their 25th anniversary year”. Meanwhile, the band themselves added, “We can’t wait to play the mega Beautiful Days festival. Currently we are in the process of putting a brand new show together and we’re excited to smash it for you all!”

It’s been twenty-five years since Skunk Anansie, whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (guitar, bass, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion), burst onto the scene. Spanning a career that has seen them score numerous Top 40 singles and Top 10 albums, sell millions of albums around the world, play sold-out arenas and stadiums across the globe and headline Glastonbury Festival, Skunk Anansie remain internationally relevant and potent as ever.

They electrified the stage as Glastonbury headliners in 1999, sold-out arenas worldwide and have supported the likes of David Bowie, U2 and Lenny Kravitz. The new album ’25LIVE@25′ is an audio document, which highlights some of these incredible live moments and presence, over the past three decades, proving why they have been hailed across the globe as one of the greatest live acts of all time.

The band have already shared videos for the versions of ‘Weak’, ‘Charlie Big Potato’ and ‘Hedonism’ taken from the album, which feature some of their incendiary live performances and unseen tour footage spanning throughout their career.

Skunk Anansie UK Tour Dates 2019:

16/08/2019 – Headlining Beautiful Days Festival – Devon
17/08 – O2 Academy Brixton – London
18/08 –  Academy – Manchester
19/08 – O2 Academy – Bristol