Skindred
28th March 2024
Parāoa Brewing Co, Whangaparāoa, New Zealand
Review by Sarah Kidd with photography by Leonie Moreland.
A long weekend always elicits an extra feeling of joy, the chance to head out into the night without the dread of an early morning start. Throw in the opportunity to witness an international legend of a band for the first time ever in Aotearoa and life couldn’t get much sweeter.
Formed in Newport, Wales in 1998, Skindred have perfected the art of melding nu-metal with reggae, their sets often including dance hall, drum n bass and everything in between the realms of hip-hop and electronic; yet never have they relegated themselves to just one specific sound, and therein lies the reason why this band have not only stood the test of time, but recently headlined OVO Arena Wembley just earlier this month.
So, it was no surprise that when Skindred took the stage to the sound of AC/DC, the crowd were already hyped, arms raised in the air, the sounds of their collective cheers enough to rattle the bottles of spirits lined up on the wall across the bar.
Wasting no time, ‘Set Fazers’ from their latest album Smile, set the tone for the evening, the track a new take on ragga-metal was a natural mosh pit creator with epic stomping beats that instantly grabbed you by the chest.
Skindred are riding a high at the moment, their latest (and eighth) studio album Smile has been capturing hearts across the world, reaching a coveted second place position on the official albums chart (their first ever Top 5 entry). The record offering a diverse range of tracks that cover the mood spectrum – but most importantly is the overlying theme of positivity. Frankly, something that the world needs a whole lot more of and something that Webbe reminds his fans of throughout the night. Embrace love, destroy negativity, you’re alive, enjoy it!
But it is their live shows where Skindred really prove their worth; not only are the band as a whole an act to be reckoned with, their front man brings an energy to the stage like no other. From the moment Benji Webbe walked out, it was all eyes front and centre.
Dressed in black, a sequin waistcoat peeking out from underneath a floor length snakeskin trench coat and spectacular silver spiked glasses, Webbe engaged the crowd immediately, never missing a beat as they moved straight into ‘Pressure’ (a little AC/DC sneaking in there) and then ‘Rat Race’ – a favourite for many old school fans, the track now seventeen years old but still sounding as fresh and uplifting as the day it was released thanks to Webbe’s outstanding delivery.
But Skindred wouldn’t be who they are without some top notch band members, Mikey Demus (King Sugar) holding down guitar with casual cool that cannot be learned while to his left, Daniel Pugsley (a founding member of the band) delivered bass lines with ease that made the spine tingle, Arya Goggins bringing everything together perfectly from behind the skins.
Peppering the set throughout with only banter that Webbe can wield, he soon had the crowd singing Oasis before telling them to fuck off, all done with a cheeky smile, his love for the fans indisputable as he happily took phones held out to him, singing into them before handing them back.
Nelly’s ‘Hot in Here’ got the crowd jamming, Webbe leading sing offs amongst the audience, light heartedly chastising them till he got them to what he deemed to be an acceptable level of enthusiasm, a great lead up to ‘That’s My Jam’ which also included some serious crowd participation, the grins emanating from the front rows hard to ignore. Adding to the vibe a mini keyboard was brought out and presented to Webbe by a roadie on one knee, Van Halen’s iconic intro dropped with gusto by Webbe before Skindred slid straight into ‘Jump Around’.
Changing tempo, ‘L.O.V.E (Smile Please)’ filled the room with those delicious dancehall vibes, reminiscent of acts like The Specials – a band that holds a special place in the heart of Webbe – the mosh pit soon grooving together as Benji moved about the stage donned in a pink furry hat (check out the official music video for a closer look!).
Taking the evening into a more emotional realm, ‘If I Could’ prompted a heartfelt singalong, arms raised high in the air, before ‘Kill the Power’ turned those outstretched arms to clenched fists punching the air.
Sure, those in attendance didn’t get the lasers, confetti or big screen graphics of their aforementioned OVO Arena set; they got something ten times better! An up close and personal experience, with a set list that would make any fan happy all delivered with exactly the same passion as a stadium sized show.
Closing with ‘Gimme That Boom’ and the boys had barely left the stage before cries for an encore rang out, the band members returning to fanfare first before Webbe emerged in yet another amazing jacket (he truly is the king of outfits and accessories; sunglasses and hats ever changing throughout the night).
‘Our Religion’ began the two-song encore, with always ‘Warning’ taking out the night, Webbe leading the fans through instructions on how to do the affectionately known ‘Newport Helicopter’ [hold your t-shirt high in the air, then swing it like a helicopter blade as fast as you can above your head!] before he was joined on stage by James (and old friend of Goggins who is now a local) to double down on vocals ensuring Skindred finished on a spectacular crescendo of sound and left the stage with the fans heartfelt cheers of appreciation still ringing in their ears.
Masters of mixing, kings of the blending of genres, Skindred are at the peak of their game.
Were you there at Parāoa Brewing Co. for this nu-metal reggae gig? Or have you seen Skindred perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Set Fazers
- Pressure
- Rat Race
- World’s On Fire
- That’s My Jam
- Jump Around
- L.O.V.E (Smile Please)
- If I Could
- Kill The Power
- Nobody
- Gimme That Boom
- Our Religion [encore]
- Warning [encore]
Note: The reviewer purchased their own ticket to this concert at full market rate. Photography was kindly supplied by our friends at Red Raven News at no cost to Ambient Light.
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