Originally released in 2004, the album told the story of one man’s lost £1,000, but it was always about much more than that: love, miscommunication, paranoia, and working-class frustration, all filtered through Skinner’s deadpan delivery and brutally honest lyricism..

Speaking to Radio X Mike Skinner sounded apprehensively excited for the gigs:

“We’ve been looking for something bold to do with the live show, and we landed here: some tracks have never been played live, others haven’t surfaced in years.”

“It’s a new challenge to bring the whole journey to life on stage, but I have an incredible band and we always give everything every night. So I’m certain we’ll make finding out what happened to that thousand quid a party every night.”

Now, for the first time, the album’s full narrative will unfold on stage. It’s a bold move many of the songs, on man album featuring hits like ‘Dry Your Eyes’, ‘Fit But You Know It’ and ‘Blinded By The Lights.’ have either never been played live, or have long since left The Streets’ set lists.

The album is a moment in British history which can always be looked back on as Skinner defining an era. An album that captures his unique storytelling ability. This of course comes with a huge range of lyrics, which in typical Streets fashion, can vary incredibly line to line, and at times make little sense.

Aa playful instagram post Skinner posted a video of him in the studio rehearsing, captioned:

“you might be excited about me performing ‘a grand don’t come for free’ start to finish but i’ve got to learn the words!!. see you next year!”

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A post shared by Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd)

UK Tour Dates — Summer 2026

June 26  – Dreamland, Margate

June 27 – Bristol Sounds, Bristol

July 11 – Castlefield Bowl, Manchester

July 18  – Alexandra Palace Park, London

 July 23– Ludlow Castle, Ludlow

 July 24 – Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds

August 7 – Audley End Estate, Essex

 August 21 – Rock n Roll Circus, Norwich

Artist presale opens Tuesday October 14 at 10am BST, with general sale beginning Friday October 17 at 10am BST.

All ticket information can be be found here.

The behind-the-scenes video follows Skinner for approximately twelve minutes, taking viewers through the various stages of the song’s creation, from concept to its finished form. Released the same day of the new single’s debut, ‘the making of ‘how to win at rock paper scissors’’ features many locations, seeing the British musician penning lyrics whilst on a boat, at the pub, in his bedroom, at the studio, among other settings. 

The single itself replicates the traditional sound of The Streets, featuring Skinner’s signature spoken-word rap style over a steady tempo and piano jazz. The track also spotlights sonic contributions from Kevin Mark Trail, longtime vocalist for The Streets, singing the catchy refrain: “Winners will repeat themselves, losers want to change.” As the track’s title would suggest, the song is about the strategies behind winning the game, as opposed to any deep philosophical meaning. In Skinner’s own words, as said on the video: “If you win at Rock Paper Scissors, statistically you’re more likely to play the same again. And if you lose, statistically you won’t play that again, because statistically you’ve got to do something else. So, this is basically a way that you can – it’s like a rule.”

Neither a solo artist nor a band, The Streets are a musical project led by Birmingham-native Mike Skinner, making waves in the British music scene since the early 2000s. Blending genres within the alt space, such as UK garage, R&B, and electronic, The Streets rose to prominence following the release of their debut album ‘Original Pirate Material’ (2002), featuring hit singles ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’ and ‘Turn the Page’, earning Skinner both Mercury Prize and Brit Award nominations for the following year. Their most notable track ‘Fit But You Know It’ (2004) is often cited as The Streets’ crossover to the mainstream, solidifying them as one of the UK’s most well-known music acts. The track reached charted at #4 on the Official UK charts, with its accompanying album ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’ (2004) charting at #1, making it their most popular release to date. 

Listen to ‘How to Win at Rock Paper Scissors’ now. 

The Leicester group are set to play a string of dates throughout July which will commence tomorrow as they will play a huge homecoming show at Victoria park with support from bands that include Kaiser chiefs and Everything Everything. This will then be followed up by dates in Bournemouth and at Bristol’s O2 Academy. At the end of the month Kasabian will then be Headlining Latitude festival in Suffolk, which sees acts such as London Grammar, Keane, Duran Duran and Corinne Baily Rae taking the stage.

Mike Skinner’s The Streets will then join Kasabian for a UK arena tour in November with them beginning this run of huge shows in Skinner’s hometown, Birmingham before playing at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro then at the O2 Arena before finishing in Manchester at the Co-op Live. Tickets for the November tour will go on general sale on the 10th of July at 9:30am and you can buy tickets here. Pre-sale for the tour will begin at the same time on the 8th of July and fans can access the pre-sale by purchasing a copy of ‘Happening’ in any format before 3pm on Sunday (July 7) here.

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The full list of Kasabian’s 2024 dates are as follows:

6 July– Leicester, Victoria Park
22 July – Bristol, O2 Academy
23 July – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
26 July– Latitude Festival

8 November– Birmingham, bp pulse LIVE
9 November– Glasgow, OVO Hydro
15 November– London, The O2
16 November– Manchester, Co-op Live

Speaking via Instagram on the release of their new album ‘Happenings’ the band said “We loved making this record it’s a relentless joy ride through dance floors, mosh pits and psychedelic function rooms. It was made with pure joy to be played live for the fans to lose their minds to. Thank you for the support so far we hope you enjoy the trip  ONWARDS x”.

This announcement follows both the Streets and Kasabian playing at Glastonbury festival last weekend. The Leicester indie band played a secret set on the Woodsies stage at Worthy farm early on Saturday evening. The 6pm slot was initially listed as TBA, but the group confirmed via their Instagram that they would be playing to the Glastonbury crowd with the Woddsies stage inevitably packing out to see them take the stage.

The Streets also played at Worthy farm on Saturday (June 29) night playing a smashing set on The Other stage. The Streets’ set saw Mike Skinner play an array of the Projects hits such as ‘Fit But You Know It’, ‘Has It Come To This’, ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’ and ‘Blinded By The Lights’. Skinner was full of energy throughout the performance, walking through the crowd and crowd surfing at points.

In terms of Weekend Tickets, the festival is now down to its final release, with its fifth and sixth release selling out within an eye-watering 24 hours. There has been an incredible demand this year, with over 25,000 festival-goers eager to escape to the fields this summer. Fans can also expect knock-out sets from Sugababes, Katy B, Declan McKenna, SHY FX, Sundara Karma, The Snuts and Pale Waves. Last year, Kendal was headlined by Kasabian, Royal Blood, Blossoms, and Nile Rodgers.

With over 10 stages and 120 performers to choose from, it’s not only the fans that appear to be excited, but the artists themselves. Nutini tweeted: “We are buzzing to be playing this years @KendalCalling in the Lake District.”

Andy Smith, Kendal Calling co-founder, wrote in a statement: “After the week we have had, bring on the summer! It is with much joy and excitement we share with you today the biggest Kendal Calling line-up to date. From the incredible Paolo Nutini closing the Sunday night and Keane, Sugababes, Paul Heaton & Rianne Downey and Katy B gracing our fields for the first time, joined by old friends Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds and The Streets closing the Friday and Saturday night respectively, we have the perfect ingredients for a fantastically celebratory weekend. But as ever the most important ingredient is YOU – and we can’t wait to see you in the fields x”

The weekend showcases a variety of regional, national and international musical talent, but also has an emerging, vibrant arts scene. For festival first-timers, the Kendal Calling team have compiled the ultimate festival survival guide, outlining all of the best food spots, art installations, secret gardens and attractions to hit in-between sets, including ‘Tim Peak’s Cafe’, ‘Lost Eden’, ‘Oktoberfest’ and ‘Parklands': “Whatever you do over KC weekend, whether you’re dashing from act to act, chilling out with a pint in the woods, or simply kicking back with a tin at camp – we know you’re going to have the most amazing time – nothing can beat the reunion of our festival family for the first time in three years! See you in the fields!”

Kendal Calling Festival will be held between August 1-4 2024. Tickets are on sale now and available here. All information regarding the event can be found at www.kendalcalling.co.uk. If you fancy a taste of some of the acts appearing this year, you can listen to Kendal Calling’s official 2024 Spotify playlist below:

The anticipation is particularly high for Jamie T, who organisers claim is “one of the most requested headliners in Truck Festival history.” Alongside this, Wet Leg, the Brit Award-winning “Best New Artist” of 2023, will be making their UK festival headline debut. Meanwhile, the Thursday night slot is reserved for the energetic and politically charged IDLES, who are expected to showcase tracks from their upcoming album ‘TANGK,’ set to be released on February 16, read more about ‘TANGK’ here. The festival’s grand finale will be brought by The Streets, alias Mike Skinner, who released the critically acclaimed album ‘The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light’ last year.

The diverse lineup also includes renowned acts such as The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Yard Act, Holly Humberstone, The Magic Gang, and English Teacher, along with emerging talents like Willie J Healey. Sea Girls, Black Honey, Peace, The Snuts, Sundara Karma, with many more set to grace the stages at Hill Farm. The Magic Gang’s presence in the Truck 2024 lineup has sparked speculation, given their recent breakup announcement and plans for a farewell tour. Despite confirming their final show, it remains unclear if the band will perform at the festival.

Truck Festival’s Head Of Marketing, Sam Harris, expressed his enthusiasm for the lineup, stating, “Truck 2024 is a landmark year for us, and we can’t wait to see everyone there!” Harris added, “Whether it’s discovering new favourites, diving into mosh-pits, or enjoying the amazing comedy and family entertainment on offer – Truck 2024 promises to be a special weekend.”

A ticket pre-sale is scheduled for 18:00 GMT on Thursday (January 25) with general sales opening at 10:00 on Friday (January 26). Tickets start at £140 for the weekend, with an early-bird option priced at £175, allowing entry on Thursday to catch the electrifying performance by IDLES. Both pay-in-full and payment plan options are available. Tickets can be purchased on the official festival website via this link.

Truck Festival, conceived by brothers Robin and Joe Bennett in 1998, has come a long way from its humble beginnings with an actual truck as the stage. More acts are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, building on the success of last year’s headliners Royal Blood, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, and The Wombats. For more information and to secure your spot at what promises to be “the ultimate summer party,” visit Truck Festival’s official website.

THE DARKER THE SHADOW THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT
The new album from The Streets, coming October 20th 2023. Pre-order on the official store now at https://t.co/nBsf7EFFA4 for first access to pre-sale tickets for October & November 2023 tour dates. pic.twitter.com/w3CAOuLlLj

— Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd) July 12, 2023

Skinner also announced a UK tour that will support the release of both the film and the album. It is set to begin on October 26th in Nottingham and will conclude in London on November 16th and provides an ample opportunity for fans to see The Streets perform live.

Oct and Nov 2023 Tour
Pre-order the new album The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light on the official store before 5pm BST on Tues 18th July for first access to presale. https://t.co/nBsf7EFFA4
Presale begins Wed 19th July @ 9am BST. Tickets on general sale Fri 21 @ 9am BST pic.twitter.com/ituRj0VnKm

— Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd) July 12, 2023

Talking about the upcoming album and film projects, Skinner has said, “It has been seven long years working on this film and album. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and after dipping my toe in with some shorts and music videos, I felt I was ready. I tried to go the traditional route for a bit, but it’s always served me better to follow my instincts and just get on with it myself, so I’ve directed it, acted in it, edited, sound mixed, funded, produced it all as well as written it.

He continued, “The album doesn’t exist without it. Ultimately it’s all the fruits of a decade on the DJ circuit, watching people in clubs and back rooms, testing out beats and basslines to see what connected – and putting it all together into The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light.”

Watch the music video for “Troubled Waters“, a single from the new album, below:

Formed as a musical project by Mike Skinner in 1994, The Streets have become a household name in the UK grime, garage and hiphop scene. The project’s seminal debut album, Original Pirate Material, was released in 2002 to widespread critical acclaim, reaching number 10 in the UK Albums Chart, and its successor, A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004), enjoyed an even higher level of popularity, topping the UK Albums Chart in doing so.

Watch the music video for “Has It Come To This?“, a hit single from Original Pirate Material, below:

A further three albums, The Hardest Way To Make A Living (2006), Everything Is Borrowed (2008) and Computers And Blues (2011), have been released, meaning The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light will be The Street’s sixth studio album.

See below for tour dates:

26/10/2023 – Rock City – Nottingham
27/10 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
28/10 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
2/11 -O2 Academy – Glasgow
3/11 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle
4/11 – O2 Academy – Leeds
9/11 – The Mountford Hall – Liverpool
10/11 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
13/11 – The Nick Rayns LCR – Norwich
14/11 – O2 Academy – Bournemouth
16/11 – Alexandra Palace – London

Pre-order The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light here for exclusive first access to pre-sale tour tickets.

Sign up: https://t.co/GUS2yimCTM. Tickets go on pre-sale Thursday at 10am. pic.twitter.com/tynH8T7llX

— Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd) January 24, 2022

Writing on Instagram last summer, concerning the cancellations for the shows, Skinner said, “It is with a very heavy heart that I have to say that we have decided to cancel all live performances for 2022, It is not fair to keep taking your money for tickets knowing that with 1 case of COVID, the whole thing has to stop.” He added, “I’m really sorry to disappoint you. This has been the worst week of the worst year of my life.” But in exchange for this disappointing news, we were able to hear a new collaboration between The Streets and UK rapper Master Peace “Wrong Answers Only”. The track is the 2^nd of a series of tracks released recently after “Who’s Got the Bag (21^st June)” hit the outside world last March. You can hear the new track below.

Skinner also released a new album last year with one of his side projects, The Darker the Brighter the Light, titled The Streets. Some assume that the album is set to become the soundtrack for a movie that Skinner might be directing in the future. Regarding the movie, Skinner commented to the BBC, “The film has definitely got things in common with ‘Quadrophenia’. Also, in a weird way, kind of Tommy as well, because in my film it’s a musical but the songs are the voiceover. Tommy has got a bit of that, although it’s not surreal like Tommy.”

 See below the remaining dates for The Streets ongoing tour, the Birmingham dates have already passed. But you may be able to bag the last few tickets to the remaining shows if you’re lucky. Check here for more details.

24/01/22 O2 Academy- Bristol
25/01 Rock City- Nottingham
27/01 O2 Academy- Brixton
28/01 O2 Academy- Brixton
31/01 O2 Academy- Leeds
01/02 O2 Academy- Glasgow
03/02 O2 City Hall- Newcastle
04/02 O2 Victoria Warehouse- Manchester
05/02 University Mountford Hall- Liverpool
28/07-31/07 Lowther Deer Park- Hackthorpe

Absolutely gutted to say that we have to postpone our upcoming dates in Digbeth to January next year. One of The Streets camp has to isolate so that we can be ready to see you at the festivals. First festivals up are Tramlines and Made. pic.twitter.com/xU3zPEoucn

— Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd) July 16, 2021

The Streets are an English rap music project, with Mike Skinner (Lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist), Kevin Mark Trail (Vocals, production and composer), Wayne Bennett (Bass and composing guitarist), Rob Harvey (Vocals and guitar) and Cassell the Beatmaker (Drums) making up the lineup

Skinner and his group members released their debut single “Has It Come To This“ in 2001 and their debut album Original Pirate Material in 2002. They achieved chart success with their second album A Grand Don’t Come For Free which reached number one in the UK Official Album Charts. The second single from the album “Dry Your Eyes” also reached the number one spot in the UK Official Singles Charts.

The last musical release was the single “Who’s Got The Bag” released on June 21st. Skinner described the single as a protest song in reference to the Covid 19 Lockdown.

The Streets will be playing at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on September 25th continuing on from their summer performances and tickets for their extended 2022 UK Tour go on sale from September 24th.

See UK Tour dates for The Streets below and Tickets are available here

10/01/22 The Mill- Birmingham
11/01 The Mill- Birmingham
12/01 The Mill- Birmingham
13/01 The Mill- Birmingham
14/01 The Mill- Birmingham
21/01 O2 Academy- Birmingham
22/01 O2 Academy- Sheffield
24/01 O2 Academy- Bristol
25/01 Rock City- Nottingham
27/01 O2 Academy- Brixton
28/01 O2 Academy- Brixton
31/01 O2 Academy- Leeds
01/02 O2 Academy- Glasgow
03/02 O2 City Hall- Newcastle
04/02 O2 Victoria Warehouse- Manchester
05/02 University Mountford Hall- Liverpool
28/07-31/07 Lowther Deer Park- Hackthorpe

Absolutely gutted to say that we have to postpone our upcoming dates in Digbeth to January next year. One of The Streets camp has to isolate so that we can be ready to see you at the festivals. First festivals up are Tramlines and Made. pic.twitter.com/xU3zPEoucn

— Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd) July 16, 2021

The good news is that The Streets will still play at few festivals: next weekend at Tramlines and Made festival at the end of July.
Last year The Streets released “None of Us Getting Out Of This Alive” album that’s been called by NME not “just a testament to Mike Skinner’s intriguing evolution but also proof of his keen eye for curation“. The album, a first full The Streets release in 9 years received praises all over with Pitchfork calls it a return “to the simple snark of his early music, only the cheeky misadventures of his youth have been replaced by jaded pronouncements from middle-aged life, where dating is an ordeal and the hangovers are longer“. The Guardian in their 4 stars review calls it “a banging return of an album of rap duets”.

Last month Mike Skinner has released “The Streets“, a side project “The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light“. In the interview with BBC last year he talked about his forthcoming film made  and its thought that the new release can act as a soundtrack.

“The album is like two years old now. I spent a few months with a script editor which was great and then at the end of the year I decided to kind of do it myself really, and we’ve since got different funding through the music industry, rather than the film industry” he commented at the time.

See below for updated Digbeth dates. Tickets have been sold out.

10/01/22 – The Mill – Birmingham
11/01 – The Mill, Birmingham
12/01 – The Mill, Birmingham
13/01 – The Mill, Birmingham
14/01 – The Mill, Birmingham – 9 pm-3 am Friday club night special

Their first musical mash-up includes UK garage classic ‘Has It Come To This?’, taken from their 2002 debut  ‘Original Pirate Material’, and ‘I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Loved Him’, taken from their 2020 mixtape ‘None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive’. The second medley then features their iconic track ‘Fit But You Know It’, which originally appeared on the Streets’ 2004 sophomore album ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’, alongside ‘Take Me As I Am’, another cut from their recent mixtape.

Supported by his band, Skinner’s spoken word rap still carries the same charm that it did when it first appeared nearly 20 years ago. This off-kilter brand of rap, one that ignores conventional flows, pockets, and rhyme schemes, is sustained throughout any project that Skinner has ever released. In fact, it is something that is particularly emphasised by this recent ‘Lockdown Sessions’ set. Performing new and old material alongside one another, Skinner highlights the paradox of his music: it is music that is effortlessly contemporary but holds on to components that have remained unchanged for 20 years.

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A post shared by Mike Skinner (@mikeskinnerltd)

The 41-year-old’s willingness to embrace the ever-changing landscape of music was epitomised in an interview that he did with Hot Press last year. When prompted to discuss how music has changed over the last twenty years, he said, “The difficult thing now is to get noticed and to stay noticed as there is so much choice. But everything else has become so much easier. It’s a pleasure to have done it in the old way and also to do it in the new way as well.”

He added, “It’s a bit like DJs who used to DJ on vinyl, they’ve got no interest in going back to vinyl because vinyl means massive heavy boxes and you have to choose the records you are going to play before you get to the club. Now, you can play anything you want anytime. I am the same with making and promoting an album, I would never go back to the old ways.”

The effect that The Streets’ cinematic debut ‘Original Pirate Material’ has had on the UK scene is immeasurable. Beyond the undeniable impact that it had on garage and 2-step production, it changed both UK hip-hop and electronic music forever. Having not released an album since 2011, fans will be desperate to see what a full-length LP from The Streets’ might look and sound like in 2021.

Check out The Streets’ two performances for Amazon Music’s ‘Lockdown Sessions’ below: