In an industry where the terms “icon” and “legend” are casually tossed around, few acts genuinely embody the weight of those words. Skunk Anansie are one of them. Formed in 1994, disbanded in 2001, and reformed in 2009, the British rock powerhouse—comprising Cass (bass), Ace (guitar), Mark Richardson (drums), and fronted by the incomparable Skin (Deborah Anne Dyer, OBE)—have carved out a space in music history with raw political conviction, blistering performances, and genre-defying sound.
The name “Skunk Anansie” fuses folklore with bite—drawing on the West African legend of Anansi the spider and sharpening it with a punk snarl. Over the years, the band have released six studio albums and a string of genre-defining singles—“Hedonism,” “Weak,” “Charity,” “Selling Jesus”—with their seventh album, The Painful Truth, slated for release this May. Far from a legacy act, Skunk Anansie are evolving, not retreating.
It’s no surprise, then, that their appearance at a sold-out Bristol Beacon had been locked in fans’ calendars for months. From the moment the doors opened, the floor filled wall to wall—a sea of lifelong followers, many sporting the grey hairs that come from decades of loyal fandom. Yet the energy in the room was anything but aged. Like the band, the audience might be older, but they still know how to throw down—albeit with ibuprofen now earmarked for backs, not hangovers.
As the house lights dimmed, a wall of strobes signalled the arrival of Skin, backlit in blinding white as her voice cut through the roar with a commanding, “Come on, Bristol!” The opening salvo—“This Means War”—hit like a shockwave. Skunk Anansie don’t ease you in. They explode.
Skin remains a singular presence—an electrifying mix of rock star magnetism and unflinching feminist fire. The band were once dubbed “clit-rock,” a term later clarified by AllMusic as an amalgam of heavy metal and Black feminist rage. Tonight, that fury and finesse were on full display.
Six albums were represented across a 16-track main set, from the guttural stomp of “Charlie Big Potato” to the emotional pull of “Secretly.” Skin—twirling, leaping, commanding—provoked mosh pits with one hand and led singalongs with the other. By the time “Weak” and “Twisted (Everyday Hurts)” dropped, the atmosphere was incandescent. The recently refurbished Beacon may never recover.
At one point, Skin vaulted into the crowd, directing the chaos from the centre of the room before being hoisted overhead and surfed back to the stage—a queen returning to her throne. It was a moment that epitomised the band’s enduring connection with their audience: raw, fearless, and deeply human.
Between songs, Skin delivered her signature call-to-arms—anti-establishment, political, and proud. “Yes, it’s fucking political,” she reminded us. It always has been. Skunk Anansie have never been content to merely entertain—they confront, challenge, and roar.
The main set closed with a double-barrelled blast of “The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)” and “Tear the Place Up,” before the lights dimmed and the encore chants began. The band returned for a five-song curtain call that spanned eras and emotions. “Cheers” brought the new material to the forefront, while “Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)” saw the venue lit by a constellation of mobile phone torches. The night closed with “Little Baby Swastikkka,” a fittingly feral finale.
Three decades in, Skunk Anansie are still tearing up stages with more power, intent, and relevance than most bands half their age. And if this show proved anything, it’s that they’ll keep kicking ass for as long as there’s breath in their lungs—and fire in their souls.
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
