Skindred

Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum and bass, dubstep and various other influences into their music. They are well known for their energetic and involving live performances and have won several awards including "Best Live Band" at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the "Devotion Award" at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.

History

Dub War was formed in Newport, Wales, in 1993 and eventually signed with Earache Records. According to lead vocalist Benji Webbe, "They would not let us record and just wouldn't give us money to live on, this made us fight internally till we had no option other than to go our separate ways or kill someone or each other." Originally, he started his career in song with a group of friends that filmed a music video to go along with a song named "Point of No Return" that was sung on location in Newport in 1990, with Benji Webbe, Que, John Friendly and Steven Draycott. Benji tried to form a band out of the people featured in the video (that was going to be called Bancall) however the name was changed to Dub War which disbanded in 1999.

Webbe later formed Skindred with bassist Daniel Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggin after Webbe was unable to put together a new project featuring other members of Dub War. In 2002, Skindred released its debut album, ''Babylon''. After being reissued in 2003 by RCA Records, the album was re-released by Lava Records on 14 August 2004. AllMusic writer Johnny Loftus wrote that "Skindred doesn't seem to consciously want the reinvention tag; it has simply tapped into the same lack of pretension that fueled ''Korn'' and Living Colour's '' Vivid'' – records that were made visionary by an unadulterated honesty in both delivery and craft. ..highly recommended for fans of literate genre jumpers like Soulfly and System of a Down, or any heshers looking for some heavy-hitting firepower that hasn't fallen victim to the anvil of corporate assimilation."

In the United States, ''Babylon'' charted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Reggae Albums chart, No. 5 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at No. 189 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and the single "Nobody" peaked at No. 14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at No. 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2004. In 2005, the single "Pressure" peaked at No. 30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2006, ''Babylon'' once again charted at No. 1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. On 23 October 2007, Skindred released its second album, ''Roots Rock Riot'' on Bieler Bros. Records. In the United States, the album peaked at No. 6 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at No. 22 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The album ''Shark Bites and Dog Fights'' was released in September 2009.

In 2011, Dan Sturgess was added to Skindred's live lineup. The band's fourth studio album, Union Black, was released 25 April 2011 exclusively to the UK and Europe. On 1 July, it was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band promoted this with a UK tour, supported by American post-hardcore group Chiodos and Blackpool band Me Vs Hero. The London show was filmed for Scuzz TV in the UK. Skindred also played at several major European festivals including Download Festival on the Acoustic Stage (Friday) and Main Stage (Saturday), Boardmasters Festival, Wacken Open Air, Przystanek Woodstock and Sonisphere Festival in Spain and Switzerland, the Swiss leg of Sonisphere being notable for the first live performance of Warning with Jacoby Shaddix, whose band Papa Roach was also performing at Sonisphere in Switzerland.

In March 2013, the band posted a studio walkthrough of The Chairworks Studio in Cas Vegas, announcing their work on their fifth album. In April, they officially announced the title for their new album to be '' Kill the Power''. The album was then released on 24 January 2014. It debuted on the iTunes chart at No. 37 and then climbed to No. 32 where it peaked.

Between their fifth and sixth albums, Skindred left their label BMG and signed with Napalm Records. On 30 October 2015, the band released the album ''Volume'', marking the shortest amount of time between albums. Alongside the standard release, a deluxe edition of the album that contained a documentary called "Rude Boys for Life" was available for pre-order through PledgeMusic. The documentary looks at life on the road, its ups and downs, celebrations, festival appearances and headline shows, studio access, and the band's Polish Woodstock headline show where they played to over 1 million people. The album debuted on the iTunes chart at No. 55 where it peaked.

Their seventh album, ''Big Tings'', followed in 2018 and was released on 27 April.

Musical style

Skindred fuse heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, electronica and reggae influences to create a unique style and sound. The band has previously referred to this style as " Ragga metal". Benji Webbe has also jokingly referred to the band's musical style as "nu-reggae", in reference to the term nu metal. Although Skindred has sometimes been compared to Bad Brains, Webbe states that "To someone who doesn't know anything about reggae music, of course we're going to sound like Bad Brains. It's like someone who doesn't know anything about opera might say that Pavarotti sounds just like Mario Lanza. But when your ears are trained and you know what you're looking for, you're going to say, 'Shit no, Mario Lanza don't sound nothing like Pavarotti.'"

Band members

;Current members
* Benji Webbe – lead vocals (1998–present) synthesiser (2011–present)
* Daniel Pugsley – bass, programming, backing vocals (1998–present)
* Mikey Demus – guitars, backing vocals (2002–present)
* Arya Goggin – drums (2002–present)

;Former members
* Jeff "Death" Rose – guitars (2001–2002)
* Martyn "Ginge" Ford – drums (2001–2002)
* Dan "Brixton" "Sanchez" Sturgess – DJ, programming, backing vocals (2011–2017)

Timeline

Discography

*''Babylon'' (2002)
*''Roots Rock Riot'' (2007)
*''Shark Bites and Dog Fights'' (2009)
*''Union Black'' (2011)
*'' Kill the Power'' (2014)
*'' Volume'' (2015)
*''Big Tings'' (2018)
*''Smile'' (2023)

Appearances

Television

* '' Fuse TV'' 'Daily Download' (4 November 2004)
* '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (14 December 2004)

Skindred's bassist Daniel Pugsley played for the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello for their appearance on '' Later... with Jools Holland'' on 16 June 2006.

Video game

The song Nobody was used in the game Need For Speed Underground 2.

Music festivals

Skindred has appeared at a multitude of international music festivals. Notable appearances include the band's 2011 appearance at Download Festival, where the 'Newport Helicopter' was born. Skindred also made headlines at the same festival in 2006 when Benji Webbe took part performing Korn's track A.D.I.D.A.S. onstage at Download Festival with the band, after vocalist Jonathan Davis was unexpectedly rushed to hospital.

Skindred's festival appearances have included:

* Download Festival – Donington Park, England (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022)
* Getaway Festival, Sweden (2012, 2014)
* Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, Belgium (2008, 2016, 2018)
* Hammerfest – Prestatyn, Wales (2009, 2010, 2012)
* Hegyalja Festival, Hungary (2012, 2013)
* Hellfest, Clisson, France (2013, 2019)
* Highfield Festival, Leipzig, Germany (2005, 2011, 2013)
* Hurricane Festival, Bremen, Germany (2010, 2014)
* Merthyr Rock Festival, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (2011, 2012)
* Nova Rock Festival, Nickelsdorf, Austria (2010, 2016)
* Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium (2010, 2012)
* Reading and Leeds Festival, England (2013, 2016, 2018)
* Reload Festival, Sulingen, Germany (2011, 2013)
* Resurrection Fest, Spain (2015, 2016)
* Sonisphere Festival – Knebworth House, England (2009, 2010)
* Wacken Open Air Festival, Wacken, Germany (2011, 2018)
* With Full Force Festival, Germany (2010, 2011)
* Summer Sonic Festival – Osaka & Tokyo, Japan (2008)
* Freeze Festival, London, England (2010)
* Gurten Festival, Bern, Switzerland (2010)
* Lowlands Festival, Netherlands, (2010)
* Ozzfest UK – The O2 Arena, London, England (2010)
* Rock for People Festival, Czech Republic (2010)
* Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary (2010)
* Bingley Music Live, England (2011)
* Woodstock Festival Poland, Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland (2011)
* Exit Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia (2012)
* Hard Rock Calling Festival, Hyde Park, London, England (2012)
* No Blur Circuit Festival Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan (2012)
* Rock al Parque Festival – Bogotá, Colombia (2012)
* Sonisphere Festival Madrid, Spain (2012)
* South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival, Austin, Texas, United States (2012)
* Kubana Festival, Krasnodar, Russia (2013)
* Mighty Sounds Festival, Czech Republic (2013)
* NH7 Weekender, Pune, India (2013)
* Rock'n Coke Festival, Istanbul, Turkey (2013)
* Serengeti Festival, Germany (2013)
* Frequency Festival, Austria (2014)
* Woodstock Festival Poland, Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland (2014)
* Redfest Festival Redhill, Surrey, England (2014)
* Rock on the Range, Columbus, Ohio, United States (2014)
* Soundwave, Australia (2014)
* Bråvalla Festival, Sweden (2015, 2017)
* Festival Au fil du son, France (2016)
* Boomtown, Winchester, Hampshire, England (2017)
* Bloodstock Open Air, Burton upon trent, England (2017, 2021)
* Download Festival – Madrid, Spain (2017)
* Faine Misto festival Festival, Ukraine (2017)
* Steelhouse Festival, Wales, (2017)
* Hammerfest Hafan Y Mor, Wales, (2018)
* Copenhell, Copenhagen, Denmark (2019)

Tours

* European tour with Adema and SOiL (2002)
* European tour supporting P.O.D., with Ill Niño (2002)
* European tour with Voodoo Glow Skulls (2003)
* US tour with Nonpoint (2004)
* US tours with Sevendust (2004, 2005)
* US tour with Breaking Benjamin (2004)
* US arena tour with Korn, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin and Instruction (2004)
* US headlining tour with Fivespeed supporting (2005)
* Warped Tour, USA & Canada (2005)
* UK tour with Reel Big Fish & The Matches 2005
* US tour with HIM and Finch (2005)
* US Tour with Papa Roach (2005)
* UK headlining tour with Dub Trio (2006)
* US tour 'The Great American Rampage Tour' with Nonpoint, Ankla & Karnivool (2007)
* US, UK & Euro tours with Gogol Bordello (2008)
* Eastpak Antidote Tour with Flogging Molly (2008)
* US, UK & Euro 'Shark Bites and Dog Fights' headline tour (2009)
* US & Canadian tours with Disturbed (2009)
* UK tour with Rob Zombie (2011)
* UK 'Union Black' headline tour with Chiodos & Me Vs Hero (2011)
* Soundwave 'Counter Revolution' tour with Hollywood Undead, Australia (2011)
* Jägermeister Music Tour (UK) with Therapy? & Black Spiders (2012)
* Redline Tour in Japan, with SiM (2013)
* UK & European Kill The Power headline tour with SOiL 2014
* UK & European Tour with Steel Panther (2015)
* US headlining tour 'Pump Up The Volume' with (hed)p.e. and Media Solution (2016)
*Australian Tour with Max & Iggor Cavalera (Roots 20th Anniversary Tour 2017)
* UK headlining tour 'Start the Machine' with Danko Jones and CKY (2018)
* UK & European Tour with Disturbed (2019)
* Live at "The Roundhouse" Camden London (This will be recorded Live and released as their very 1st Live Album) (21 November 2020)

Awards and nominations

Kerrang! Awards

Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards

References

External links

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Bieler Bros. Records artists
British alternative metal musical groups
British nu metal musical groups
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 1998
Musical groups from Newport, Wales
Reggae metal musical groups
Welsh heavy metal musical groups