Skunk Anansie – o2 Academy Glasgow 26th April 2022
After 2 years waiting for Skunk Anansie to play Glasgow the day has arrived, large queue’s forming outside the venue to gain access and aiming be as close to the front as possible. The atmosphere outside and inside the venue was building, the waiting crowd anticipating a night to remember on this their 25th Anniversary tour from the band. Tonight, there are two support bands to really get the Glasgow audience in the mood for Skin and the boys.
Opening the show were London two-piece Holocene, female fronted and with an amazing voice, they played a short set, delivering a powerful performance to the Glasgow audience. Opening with the excellent Give Me Life / Give Me Love, really capturing the audience that was steadily filling the venue. Creating a great sound that had a late 90’s grunge sound in places, delighting the Glasgow audience with a perfect set with Make Believe, Fossils, and Garden of Eyes before the standout song Delicate Way to Die. It was evident they were really enjoying their performance as they slotted in a cover with a real difference to their sound, playing it at a slower tempo it worked a treat, 80’s classic from Duran Duran Rio that had the older members of the audience singing along. Closing their set with their latest single Kiss Me in the Dark, this was a great opening performance for the London based two-piece. Looking forward to seeing them again when they are in and around Glasgow.
Next up was Liverpool band Gen and The Degenerates, Glasgow were in for a real treat as the bands intro music to the song began and Underwear Gen exploded on to the stage dressed in a full length black and white squared coat and running to both sides of the stage meeting the Glasgow audience in her own way. This was a set filled with emotion, taking their music to the Glasgow audience, capturing the audience as they worked their way through a strong set of songs including Adore Me, Famous, Girl God Gun and Wild thing. Gen knows how to work a crowd, tonight, she did just that. She was in the faces of the front few rows with her energetic stage presence. The five piece band knew how to put on a show, and I am sure when the band return to the city they will have gained a lot of new fans after this show, ending their set with Crying War and a storming closing track with Burn Your Pedestals had the Glasgow crowd was gripped by the performance and wanting a lot more, going by the reaction from the band they enjoyed the show also. As the band said their goodbyes it was time for the stage crew to get the stage ready for the long-awaited Skunk Anansie.
It was time, the lights dimmed, the bands intro music started, the atmosphere within the venue intensified it was far too long since the band were in the city and the fans were ecstatic to see their idols, the band took their places and received a rapturous welcome as each member took to the stage. As the band played the start of Yes It’s F&$King Political it was time to welcome Skin to the stage and she got one big Glasgow welcome. You could see by her face she was overjoyed to be back in the city as she took in the view of the waiting Glasgow crowd from the stage. Skin demanding that she wants to see a decent circle pit at the front, she wasn’t happy until she got what she wanted after stopping the show for a few minutes to tell the way it should be. The powerful opening song was just the start of it as the band performed And Here I Stand, Because of You and I can Dream, what an opening to the set this has took the breath away from the Glasgow audience, this indeed was going to be a night to remember.
Just when the crowd thought they could catch a breathe, a little early than normal in the set the band performed Weak that had the crowd in full voice singing word for word back to her. This was followed by Twisted (Everybody Hurts) before dedicating the next song to her ex-partner My Ugly Boy.
After Can’t Take You Anymore and Love Someone Else she went onto reminisce about first time playing the city in King Tuts Wah Wah Hut around 28 years ago. She said it was one of the best small venues in the country and the Glasgow crowd give a tremendous roar in gratitude. The set was beginning to get to the point where all the big songs were about to be unleashed on to the Glasgow audience. Skin showing her passion as she dedicated God Loves Only You to every person on the planet. Next up was Hedonism that had the roof of the venue shaking as the fans in full voice singing word for word with the band, a sea of lights from the audience with their mobile phones could be seen all around.
As the set closed with the excellent Without You, This Means War and Intellectualise My Blackness she was on top form giving the Glasgow audience a small lecture about politics, before going on to perform Tear the Place Up, ending with Charlie Big Potato. Leaving the stage, everyone knew they would be back soon, as they never said their goodbyes, it was time to draw breath for a brief few minutes before the band returns for the finale.
The band returned to the stage, in true explosive fashion to perform a 5-song encore that delighted the Glasgow audience with Piggy, Brazen (Weep), The Skank Heads (Get Off Me) this was followed by an excellent cover of ACDC’s Highway to Hell that had the audience in full voice, finally closing the set to a hero’s applause with the epic Little Baby Swastikka.
Tonight, was two years in the making celebrating 25 years tour, the band and Skin full of passion gave their all, bursting with energy they brought an excellent show in to Glasgow and left their mark and an abundance of memories for the fans that attended the event. The fans left the venue with their heads in a whirlwind with the epic music event they had just experienced in the venue. The band came, they performed and the conquered, they left the building and city knowing they had left their stamp of approval on the Glasgow and the audience.
Photographs and Review by James Edmond
