Skunk Anansie Reignite Rebel Spirit at Rock City
- Aleksandra Hogg
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Rock City Nottingham April 3rd 2025
WORDS CHRIS GOULD / IMAGES ALEKSANDRA HELENA HOGG
We're back at Rock City again, this time for legendary Britrockers Skunk Anansie. Nottingham, the Rebel City, is an ideal stop for a band steeped in punk activism and the leather-clad lines snaking down Talbot Street prove that they can still draw a crowd.
Skunk Anansie are touring to promote their seventh album, The Painful Truth, coming out on 23 May 2025. Skunk were supposed to be supported around Europe by Grove but unfortunately an injury led to them withdrawing at the last moment. Sharing a stage with Skunk Anansie with minimal time to prepare sounds like a fairly intimidating prospect but 'ignorant brat poppers' (their term, not mine!), So Good, are up to the challenge.
Frontwoman Sophie Bokor-Ingram marches on to a darkened Rock City stage flanked by two dancers and an array of anonymous instrumentalists clad in bright-pink balaclavas. The guitarists are giving metal energy, the dancers radiate pop and Sophie effortlessly shifts between grime and punk - it's a sublime fusion of dissonant styles, a chaotic yet effective blend of genres with the unifying theme being anger and rage. Sophie has previously dubbed herself the 'female Johnny Rotten' and we're assuming she means being an icon of youthful rebellion rather than an advocate for butter! She spits verses with an assured, ferocious energy and although most of the middle-aged crowd appear unfamiliar with a band who are largely known via TikTok it's not long before they're following her every word. So Good demand a middle finger to the fascists and Rock City responds in kind, a forest of fingers waving in the air as they explode into visceral anthem "Hate". It's a phenomenal performance from a band who weren't even on the posters a month ago and we'll be keeping an eye out for their first album release
It's a sold out show at Rock City tonight and it's a struggle to even get to the bar while the stage is prepped for Skunk Anansie. Rock City is a fairly compact stage and its club nights generally prevent bands from going too heavy with staging. We'd heard about spikes and other assorted accompaniments at other venues but at Rock City we're treated to a spider projected against the back wall - a reference to Anansi, folktale provider of the band's name.
New Rose by The Damned starts playing and it's only a matter of time until Skunk grace Rock City with their presence. The light's dim and amidst an explosion of strobes and lasers, Skin careens onto the stage and launches straight into This Means War. Skunk Anansie have been plying their trade since 1994 but even though she's approaching 60 Skin still pinballs around the stage like a whirlwind, rarely staying in the same spot for more than a few seconds. Skin's soprano vocals remain as impressive as always with Charlie Big Potato bringing a sustained 10-second belt that draws an appreciative cheer from the Rock City crowd.
The setlist for this tour is an expansive 21 songs that spans the band's discography and yet despite this Skin still takes time to speak directly to her assembled fans. It's a similar speech to that heard in other venues but it doesn't feel rehearsed - Skunk Anansie have always been open about their commitment to inclusive politics and the introduction to God Loves Only You brings a mournful reflection on the continuing rise of exclusion, hate and fascism. Skunk Anansie's music has always served as an encouragement to fight back and as they launch into "I Can Dream", Skin takes the opportunity to climb over the barriers and to stand amidst the whirling moshpit almost feeding off the raucous energy. It's a trick she repeats for the righteously furious "Yes It's Fucking Political", Skunk's clapback anthem against earlier criticism that their music wasn't anodyne enough to be popular. Ironically, Weak, the band's most successful commercial release draws a thunderous reaction from the Rock City crowd who take the opportunity to engage in the evening's loudest sing-along.
Unfortunately Rock City isn't big enough for the pig from the Roundhouse to make an appearance but an encore that includes Hedonism, Whole Lotta Love and Little Baby Swastikkka is more than enough to put a capstone on an incredible performance. Bad times make for good music and Skunk Anansie definitely look like they have a lot of good music left in them.
SET LIST
1. This Means War
2. Charlie Big Potato
3. Because of You
4. I Believed in You
5. Love Someone Else
6. God Loves Only You
7. Secretly
8. Weak
9. I Can Dream
10. Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
11. My Ugly Boy
12. Animal
13. Yes It's Fucking Political
14. The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)
15. Tear the Place Up
Encore:
16. Cheers
17. Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)
18. Lost and Found
19. Whole Lotta Love(Led Zeppelin cover)
20. Little Baby Swastikkka
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