Gigraphy Galleries - Skindred, Manchester Academy, 14/03/24

Rounding off the celebrations for their latest album "Smile" with a trio of huge shows, the legends that are Skindred brought their blend of metal and reggae to the heart of Manchester on Thursday. Accompanied by P.O.D. and As Everything Unfolds, we had not one but two contributors at the gig, with Nic on photo duty while Josh reviewed:

As Everything Unfolds

Despite Skindred not taking to the stage until much later in the evening, the venue was already nearly half full when As Everything Unfolds took the the stage to open the event. The reason for this was clear as they stepped on, with the crowd erupting with cheers as soon as the lights went dark. I was immediately blown away by their energy, leading with Slow Down to grab the attention of those who may not have heard them before. I was stunned by the effortlessness at which vocalist Charlie Rolfe was able to switch on the fly between clean, harsh, and guttural vocals, with a range that could easily trick you into thinking they had multiple singers on stage.

By the end of this first track bodies were already moving with hands in the air - AEU were smashing their job as a support act only one song in. The lulls in their second track, Hiding From Myself, weren't quiet for long as the spaces were filled with cheers, and by the end of Flip Side the crowd was completely theirs. Even though the stage was filled with equipment for the upcoming acts, every member of the band took full advantage of the limited space available spreading their infections energy throughout the venue. As they bowed out at the end of their stellar set, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that this wasn't their own show thanks to the level of their performance and the roars from the crowd. If you happen to be attending Slam Dunk this year, making sure you go and catch these guys is easily the best decision you could make.

P.O.D.

Joining Skindred for these three shows to promote their upcoming album, nu-metal mainstays P.O.D. stormed onto stage and erupted into action, letting their music do the talking and announce their presence. Straight away hands were in the air indicated a fair few fans in the crowd, people who have been waiting since 2019 to see the group hit UK stages again. The second track of their set was Boom, one of the more popular of the set thanks to its use in WWE, and clearly a crowd favourite if the huge reaction was anything to go by. By their third song, Rock the Party (Off the Hook), the audience was very much theirs, with the first crowdsurfer of the night being passed along the rows of outstretched hands.

Instructions of "jump" and "hands in the air" were always followed by nearly everyone in attendance, along with the crowd putting all their effort in to the gang vocals featured in Youth of the Nation. The sounds of guitars and the kicks of the bass drum literally shook the venue, however the absence of Traa Daniels' backing vocals throughout the set thanks to a seemingly dodgy microphone was noticeable in some moments that felt like they were missing something.

Before ending their set with Alive, P.O.D. asked the crowd who had actually seen them before, with a surprisingly quiet response from the crowd that had been thriving during their set. After then being asked if they would come see them again at a tour to celebrate the new album the audience went wild, so I would expect to see that happen soon! P.O.D. demonstrated through the whole performance why they're still going after over 30 years, and there's no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Skindred

Onto the main event, Skindred came out in suitably Skindred style, marching onto stage to the Imperial March as is their tradition as frontman Benji Webbe graced the stage with his presence waving a Skindred flag to let you know, unmistakably, that the show was about to begin. Before the screams from the crowd could begin to die down, the group burst into action with an offering from their latest album in the form of Set Fazers as the audience burst into action alongside them. It only took until their second song of the night, Pressure, before the crowdsurfers started, and they didn't stop for the rest of the night.

This track also marked the start of a trend that also persisted throughout the set, that being Skindred expertly blending other tracks into their own. For Pressure it was ACDC's Back in Black, setting their own Skindred twist on the classic anthem. When it came time for World's on Fire, Benji flexed his showmanship muscles, getting the whole crowd involved in vocal warmups before the song began.

I'm now on my 4th viewing of Skindred live, and I am constantly impressed by just how incredible Benji Webbe is at crowdwork and getting the audience involved in the show. There isn't anyone else in the game who has refined the craft quite so much, and it's one of the many reasons why Skindred shows are always such a joy to attend. The end of this track even saw an extended pause as Benji kept the crowd cheering, only getting louder and louder as this master of the stage riled them up.

Blending their ability to crowdwork and remix songs, both sides of the room were then pitted against each other to sing the chorus of That's My Jam before the track started, getting the audience worked up while teasing the next song of the set. Blending Nelly's Hot in Herre into the start of the track, when it did finally kick in the crowd were more than ready for it. As if the audience wasn't excited enough, L.O.V.E (Smile Please) saw Skindred branded beach balls being thrown into the pits, bouncing around the venue and bringing a 'Smile' to everyone there.

Things slowed down a bit with an acoustic rendition of Life That's Free, followed by ramping things back up with a hard hitting remix of their iconic track Nobody that had every fist pumping. Before the final track of the night, Warning, could properly get going, shirts were already being held in the air ready for what was about to come. Of course, what would a Skindred show be without the Newport helicopter?

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