Featured image and gallery: Ameena Ceesay
Skindred have established themselves as icons in the UK metal scene, with appearances at Slam Dunk and Bloodstock festivals under their belt. Their notoriety has recently extended toward younger generations around the world through TikTok and tonight, they make their return to Manchester to awaken something feral in the horde.
As Everything Unfolds kick off the run of supporting acts. “Let’s get fucking moving!” – the crowd obeys. Straight out of the gate the band brings beautiful vocals and a dynamic presence. Dubious looking projectors placed among the instruments reveal themselves to be strobe lights, used to great effect.
Nu metal legends P.O.D. follow suit. Since forming in the early 90s, they’ve risen to prominence, particularly with their acclaimed 2001 album Satellite. While it may prove a challenge to match the energy of the previous act, all doubt immediately dissolves. It’s clear that the crowd are more familiar with this act, and are catered to with classics such as ‘Youth of the Nation’ and ‘Alive.’
As if the atmosphere couldn’t get any hotter (both figuratively and literally), the curtain drops and a remix of the Imperial March acts as a call to arms for Skindred’s arrival, launching into opener, ‘Set Fazers.’
The blend of their discography and unconventional snippets reflects the structure of the rest of the set. ‘Pressure’ features a mid-track snippet of AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’, while an interlude of Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre’ beautifully segues into ‘That’s My Jam.’ At one point, vocalist Benji Webbe breaks out a mini keyboard, performing Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ before freestyling over House Of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’.
“Flash your lights and watch the world burn,” the opening lyric to ‘World’s On Fire’ echoes out, serving as an invitation for phones to light up and for fans to prepare for the incoming mosh. It is surprisingly less flamboyant compared to the other performances, it merely exists to let the crowd have the floor to dance and sing along.
‘L.O.V.E (Smile Please)’, taken from new album Smile, sees the venue littered with inflatable balls during the chorus. The evening also includes costume changes, call-and-response harmonising and Webbe remarking on their previous Manchester conquests during their 23 years as a band, just one of many story-time moments.
The crowd are given a welcome chance to cool down, as they’re encouraged to just listen, for an acoustic rendition of ‘Life That’s Free’ from the latest album.
A drum solo later and the insanity re-commences with an EDM remix of the now viral hit ‘Nobody’. Skindred close with an encore of ‘Warning’ where attendees strip off their shirts and helicopter along to end the night.
A Skindred live show strikes the perfect balance; spontaneous, but stable enough to keep the crowd hanging on every word, strum and bang. With a positively received headline show in Wembley just behind them, they’re clearly operating at their best right now.
Featured image: Netflix Action, drama, comedy, and a strong 80s aesthetic: Stranger Things is something of a modern classic and, for Gen Z, a familiar piece of contemporary media that seems to transcend age. My first taste of legendary bands such as New Order and Echo & The Bunnymen came from those first couple of…
Featured image: Anna Torrance Blending music and literature in a whirlwind of a weekend of talks, performances and discussion, Louder Than Words Festival returns to Manchester for 2025, bringing together musicians, writers and photographers from around the UK. Set within the intimate chambers of the INNSiDE Hotel, the festival offers a packed programme of acoustic…
aAh! Magazine invites all Manchester Met students with a passion for journalism, writing, design, illustration, and photography to pitch ideas for our upcoming print issue: The REAL Issue. This issue will explore what realness means today, especially for young people and students navigating a world dominated by digital life, social media and AI. What does authenticity…
By Adam Taylor It’s time to post your top artists to show how cool and different you are. Spotify Wrapped for 2025 has finally dropped. This stat-loaded list of listening habits gets everyone excited, revealing top artists, songs, podcasts, music genres, and hours listened – which can be a bit concerning… Spotify adds new features…
Leave a reply