Skunk Anansie

They are often grouped as part of the Britrock movement, as opposed to the contemporary Britpop of their early years due to their overall harder sound.

The group played its first gig at London's Splash club in March 1994, subsequently taking six weeks to record its debut album, Paranoid & Sunburnt,[13] with producer Sylvia Massy at a "haunted house" outside the city.

Ace is also a tutor at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music In 2002 Cass recorded the album Scars with Gary Moore, and played bass and performed backing vocals.

Mark recorded sessions for various artists including Skin before joining Feeder after the death of their original drummer, Jon Lee.

On 2 and 3 April 2009, two shows took place at the Monto Water Rats (the former venue of the Splash Club) in London, under the alias SCAM (Skin, Cass, Ace, Mark) and sold out in 20 minutes.

[18] The band began their "Greatest Hits" tour on Friday, 9 October 2009 at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, with other dates across Europe.

The band also appeared on Friday 12 August at Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary playing a mixed set of hits and newer material.

As the band was performing a small tornado hit the venue and artists and revellers alike were sent running for their lives.

The band's follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed[citation needed] Wonderlustre was recorded in London and produced by Skunk Anansie and Chris Sheldon and mixed by Jeremy Wheatley and Adrian Bushby.

Nick Bassett praised the track on his site The Re-View: "Thrashing percussion and Skin's vocal – she remains one of the UK's greatest and most underrated female vocalists – are all in check as the band return to the heavy rock sound that first shot them into the mainstream in the mid-nineties.

The album was also released as a live DVD and was described by the band as 'a family affair' as it featured Skin's longtime writing partner Len Arran on guitar and Erika Footman, Mark's wife on backing vocals and keyboards.

On 15 January 2016, Skunk Anansie released their sixth studio album Anarchytecture, and embarked upon an extensive European tour in February 2016[26] and throughout Summer 2016.

In September 2018, the band announced they’d be releasing the very special live album, 25LIVE@25 through Republic of Music in celebration of their forthcoming 25th anniversary.

The UK media have embraced the band once more with Skin appearing in interviews for the likes of Channel 4 News, Newsnight, The One Show, ITN, and Radio 2 discussing current political and social issues.

Skunk Anansie singer Skin received her OBE from King Charles on 7th February 2023 at Windsor Castle.

Skin has described Skunk Anansie as a "clit-rock" group, which Allmusic clarifies as "an amalgam of heavy metal and black feminist rage".

[1] Members Skin and Ace have mentioned the Sex Pistols, Blondie, dub, reggae, electronica, hip-hop and world music as significant influences.

[8] The band also covered The Stooges' song "Search and Destroy" specifically for the soundtrack of Zack Snyder's film Sucker Punch, released on 25 March 2011.

Cass
Ace
Mark Richardson at Rock on the Volga River in 2011
Skin (2011)