SKIN (and Toby) RETURN!
Manchester Club Academy - Friday 11th December 2009
Who'd a thunk it? The return of Skin! After a decade of quiet (with the occasion spotting of Myke Gray on telly and Colin at Moolah), the chaps return to Manchester... and me and The Dickman were there to see it.
After watching the storming performance of the band at Donington on the live webcast, I was straight in there for tickets when they announced a string of live shows including one at the Manchester Academy (in the Club room). I got me and Rich a ticket and we just had to wait for a while for the show to come around. Even though the albums did tail off in quality, the live shows were always worth catching and I was looking forward to this one. Rich was blathering on about reliving his youth going to see them and that's fair enough :) Personally, I wasn't bothered about that. but it was going to be a good one.
The day finally came around and we had a bit of a plan for the day. I took a half day and Rich arrived at dinner time so he could relax. The plan was to get out early and going for a curry before getting to the gig. I was driving that night, so I wasn't boozing, but that was OK since I wanted to see the show and take it all in. It was also easier to get there if I took us in the car! We set off to town at half five-ish. I'd dug out my trusty old red Skin logo T-Shirt for the evening, so that was cool. I think that I'd not worn the thing for a decade or maybe even the last time I saw the band! Anyhoo, we parked up and froze our arses off walking down into Rusholme to the Shere Khan for some tea. Rich said he'd shout me tea since I'd had to fork out for a new pissing car tyre in the week and it sapped all my money away. So I had a top Karahi Lamb which was gorgeous. We wandered back and got a drink at Jabba's. Rich got a call from S&J to meet them in the gig for a "hello" so we set off as I didn't want to miss the support.
It was busy at Th'Academy since Dragonforce, Hawkwind and someone else were all playing in other rooms, so there was bustle everywhere. We found the Club, which was downstairs. I'd never been in there before, so it was good to finally see the place. It's a nice venue and pretty well laid out with a good view of the stage from most angles (albeit with a bew columns in the way) and plenty of places to hang out. It wasn't busy when we got in and put our jackets in the cloakroom, but the atmosphere was pretty good and there was a buzz in the air. We saw S&J and said hello. Having not seen them for years, it was good to see them both in one piece and that.
The support for the night was Toby Jepson running through a selection of Little Angels numbers played solo with just voice and a guitar/ He'd asked for the setlist choices from fans over the website, which was a nice idea, as the numbers we're all obvious favourites. He ambled on to a big welcome. He was looking healthy and still the same as he did when the Angles split in the late 90s. It was also going to be good to see him do his old numbers instead of old Gun numbers as he did last year at the Rock Radio gig in Manchester that fateful day.
The set featured a good selection of songs including "Too Much Too Young", "Boneyard", "Don't Prey For Me", "I Ain't Gonna Cry" and the great "Young Gods" (with "Won't Get Fooled Again"). To be fair, I think that the songs sometimes did miss the backing of a proper band, but what was lacking in backing (ahem) was made up for with the delivery and the crowd reaction and interaction. There was plenty of singing along, especially when Jepson had a few Bon Jovi moments on some high notes. But then again, it's plain to see that he can still belt those songs out and it's good to know he still does in his new career as frontman-for-other-bands (He's recently fronted Fastway too!) Anyway, it's all rock and roll and it was a thoroughly enjoyable show.
The crowd started to build as Jepson did his bit and the place was getting fuller by the minute. By the time Brad and Danni turned up, just after the set, it was getting rather full and sweaty. We had to wait a half hour for the crew to take Toby's mic and guitar off the stage and we were busting to get on with it by the time the half hour went past and the lights went down. It was about 9pm when they wandered on to the stage to a huge reception and went into "The Only One". From then on, it was all go! There was a good balance of material with selections from all three albums and two new tunes written this year in the form of the excellent "Reunited", which was a slow, but really great number and "Redemption" (which reminded me of "Long Way From Home" by Da Leps). From Lucky, there was "Spit On You", "How Lucky You Are" and "Perfect Day". From Experience Electric, there was "The Only One", "Experience Electric", Blow My Mind" and another one that I can't remember the title of, since I never really shined to that album. That said, live, these songs all sounded excellent on the live stage. From the debut, we got "Money", "Shiiiine Your Light", "House of Lurve", "Tower of Strength", B-side fave "Unbelievable", "Colourblind" and (of course) "Look But Don't Touch". There was also a fucking storming "Take Me Down To The River", which blew the very low roof off the place.
The band were very tight and the sound was great. Not too loud, but very clear and punchy showing off the whole band to their full. They were playing it really hard together and the enthusiasm really did show through with some great playing. Myke Gray was playing like his life depended on it and Nev's voice sounded great and very powerful. Nev did seem genuinely amazed and excited by the crowd reaction. The on-stage patter was kept brief between songs, but it was typically friendly. Dicki and Andy held it all down and Colin's keys (when you could hear them) did the job. I must remember to mention it next time I see him at Moolah (ligger!)
Of course, Rich and I (along with a little help from S&J) were shouting for "Monkey" for the duration of the gig to try and get them to play the B-Side from the "Skin-Up EP". Some other wag shouted for "M-na M-na", but got ignored as they obviously didn't request a cool enough B-Side as we did (Ligger, again!) Brad reminded me that he wanted "Shine..." too, so I was forced to add a "play Shine Your Light First though!" whilst shouting. I like to think I help... Anyway, It worked in 1994 and only half worked tonight when we a few bars of the guitar riff and some laughs from the band. Shame, but there you go.
The atmosphere was excellent and it didn't take long for even the coolest audience member to be up and rocking along. Rich was so wrapped up in it all that he nearly wiped out some bloke who wandered behind his just before a big solo. Rich erupted and nearly sent the blokes pint flying all over me. Luckily, disaster was averted and rocking continued. We were all singing ourselves hoarse to keep up with Nev, and we actually out-sung him on "Tower of Strength", which was top. Brad was loving it too, of course, and we couldn't believe some of the notes that Nev was knocking out, especially during "Shine Your Light", which Brad had waited all night for. We had to start an "EASY" chant at one point during his solo vocal bit on this song, as you do...
At half ten, after a spirited "Look but Don't Touch" (including the obligatory sing-a-long with the "baby, baby, baby" bit), the show came to a close after some storming encores including a great "Shine Your Light" with the inclusion of a section of The Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at the end (At least I think that's where it was, I'm sure someone can put me right if I'm remembering wrong!). Jepson also took the stage to share the lead mic for a blast-through of "Unbelievable", which was pretty good too. It all went in a flash, probably because they put the REALLY good stuff at the end of a set which was really well balanced and structured. This is why I'm hazy on details to how the set ran, I was enjoying myself too much to be taking too many mental notes.
I felt obliged to buy the CD and DVD that were on sale and I'm glad I did as the DVD alone is two and a quarter hours long itself and the CD had the news songs on it, which were both really good. We got our coats and wandered out into the very cold night. We said our goodbyes to each other and headed off into the night. We drove Dan to her car and made life easier for her by taking Brad home... well, to the pub!
I hope that we get some more shows soon as it's a damn shame Kez couldn't come along and see the show. Hopefully, as far as the new songs sounded, any new songs will be up to the standard of the stuff on the first album... But anyway, it was great to see the band and it reminded me why I spent so much time watching them back in the day. I do hope that they come back again at some point as I'll be there again, I should imagine!
We may have to paint up a "Monkey" banner for the next show though!
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