This show was billed as being Skin's last ever show and it brings to an end the reunion that began last year at the Download festival, so as we were at that show we decided we couldn't miss being at this one either.
We got in while the first act was on, Mike someone or other who had a really good powerful singing voice, but was in need of a full band and someone else writing his material for him as the songs were not very good at all even if a fair section of the crowd knew enough of the words to sing along. It became clear why when he did three songs from his old band Jagged Edge and was joined by two other former members of that group who included Myke Gray of Skin on guitar and Skin's live Keyboard player. Well with a real guitarist this guy sounded almost decent and it was a pity when Myke left him to his own devices once more.
He was soon followed by TOBY JEPSON the singer with Little Angels also playing a solo acoustic set. He opened with the one song of his set that I could sing along to, "She's A Little Angel" although I don't know whose version it is. I'm familiar enough with it to know he did a good job and his set was of a very good standard in general. Most of the crowd sang along to stuff like Kicking up dust and The Chosen one, he had a fluid guitar style and a was very natural as a front man.
The loud idiots who were talking through his set got shut up with threats of violence after Toby introduced I Ain't Gonna Cry as the song they played when they walked into the crematorium before the funeral of one of the Little Angels. It was a heartbreaking story before a good song and the idiots needed shutting up. I was glad someone else beat me to it. The crowd really liked Toby and although he isn't so young anymore they still treated him like one of the Young Gods that I think he closed the set with. He intrigued me enough to make me want to hear a little more of his old band but not buy his latest EP he was flogging that came out 3 years ago!!
Then it was time for SKIN'S last show or the last show of this reunion. We will have to see which it is, as for the right offer they may yet comeback once more they opened with a very crunchy Born To Rock & Roll that went straight into Good To Be Back and from the smiles on all their faces they were loving every minute of it as they took us to the House Of Love and proved that they were still Colour Blind.
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By this point singer Neville MacDonald was getting some banter about being Welsh from a couple of diehard fans up front. He took it all in good spirit that proved he was stronger than the idiot fans, with songs like How Lucky You Are and The Book Of Your Life. They explained to me why I wasn't more into them in the 90's as the relentlessly upbeat nature of the lyrics would have put me off as at times.
They are in fact so upbeat they seem to be one step away from Christian rock. A fact that Redemption does nothing to dispel but with such great guitar solos as Myke Gray was playing that often had a Mick Ronson style edge to them it didn't matter and we may have to Look But Don't Touch before they get to the Tower Of Strength that gives away the fact at least one of them is a life coach for a day job.
Reunited was a good song to introduce everyone and to thank everyone who showed up at this gig with fans coming from Japan and Spain and the Spanish fans had huge Spanish flags with Skin's logo emblazoned on it. Hell, standing next to us were the nutty Canadian fans who were going hell for leather throughout the show. Bearing in mind the weather, what had they bee forced to endure to get here for this show?
The encore gave us the inevitable trawl through their favourite bit of Mad Funk from Epsom (yep their version of Unbelievable) a song that was pretty much launched by EMF from the same stage but without the "What the Fuck" they always include. They finished the first encore with Monkey and got brought back out by mad applause for one final song: a great version of Shine Your Light On Me.
So that was that. The Skin reunion was over and back to the day jobs they went. It was a great show and they were a very tight rock band indeed.
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