Experience Electric UK Rock Band SKIN Myke Gray Nev MacDonald Dicki Fliszar Andy Robbins

The inevitable cycle of bands reforming now seems to have reached those from the mid 1990's (Skunk Anansie, Gun, Terrorvision etc), and no comeback has been more surprising nor as welcome as that of Skin.

Having split up in 1998, and taken jobs in areas as far removed from rock n roll as accountancy, youth work and personal training, this year they were persuaded to reform to play Download, and have now followed a series of acclaimed warm up dates and acoustic support slots with Chickenfoot and Mr Big with a nationwide tour.

It was a support slot with Little Angels that first propelled Skin to prominence in late 1993, so the wheel had come full circle as their former singer Toby Jepson provided the support slot with a set of Angels songs - She's a Little Angel, Kicking up Dust, Don't Prey for Me, I Ain't Gonna Cry, Boneyard, a medley of Young Gods and a cover of Won't Get Fooled Again, and Too Much Too Young. Armed just with a guitar, he bravely got some singalongs going at the front. However some people can make the acoustic format work, but these songs desperately needed a full band to replicate their trademark energy. A Little Angels reunion is what we really want to see!

Skin played for under an hour and a half but not a single moment was wasted on solos and other padding. Guitarist Myke Gray, bassist Andy Robbins and drummer Dicki Fliszar created an aggressive but lean sound that was as taut and muscular as one of Myke's personal fitness clients. Singer Nev MacDonald kept chat to a minimum but, quite apart from his powerful, expressive voice, acted as the genial frontman with his big smile.
The opening few songs were all from their second and third albums: at the time I dismissed them as 'Skin go grunge' but, with the passage of time the likes of the opening trio The Only One, Spit on You and How Lucky You Are now impress for their sheer tightness and the controlled anger housed within them. House of Love got the crowd going before a surprise acoustic interlude in which they previewed two new songs, the autobiographical Reunited and Redemption, with some great laid back bluesy guitar.

However it is the songs form their most popular 1994 debut which will always be at the heart of Skin's set and so it proved with Colourblind and Money, with a great closing solo from Myke. Take Me Down to the River raised the bar even higher before the great singalongs Look but Don't Touch and Tower of Strength, which took on a new dimension as it segued into a powerful version of the Who's 'Tommy' classic Listening to You.

Skin gigs are like the proverbial London bus - wait 15 years and they all come at once!
Having seen them three times in June- at the 100 club, Download and supporting Chickenfoot - just three months later they were back at the Shepherds Bush Empire, having been added at the 11th hour as support to Mr Big. (see my review at getreadytorock.com)
Skin only had 30 minutes to play a short acoustic set but enjoyed a large crowd, and although tickets were sold out weeks before the gig, many of those who had already bought Mr Big tickets (myself and Joe included) were Skin fans.
In many ways, Skin are well suited to an acoustic format as it is easy to forget, among their usual high intensity performance, just how strong the songs are. It also shows off to the max Neville MacDonald’s raw but soulful voice while Myke Gray appeared relaxed and enjoying himself. The set featured Colourblind, Take me Down to the River, with Nev in superlative vocal form, then the beautiful Tripping and the more rarely heard Which are the tears, with Colin McCloud’s piano adding a new dimension. Finally, Look but Don’t Touch and Tower of Strength were more widely known and got the crowd singing along.
As well as being a perfect curtain raiser for Mr Big, it was an excellent appetiser to keep us going for the winter tour.

On Saturday 4th August, Myke Gray did his first rock gig since SKIN split up. Well - actually it was just one song but after all this time (and playing with Right Said Fred for so long!) I'm sure it was a moment he - and all of us - had been looking forward too!

OK - so let me set the scene. The Spotted Dog is a pub in Willesden (North London). It doesn't really look like the type of place for a rock gig - and in fact we spent the first hour trying to decide where on earth they could put a band as there was no stage or anything even remotely looking like a band was even playing! The music is - well changeable! In the couple of hours we were there before the band came on, Jules & I heard everything from Robbie Williams to Atomic Kitten to Shania Twain!! Was this really the venue Myke was going to play in?!

Come 11pm all is revealed as the bar-lady asks if "are you going downstairs"? And there, in the corner is a door we haven't noticed before, which leads downstairs into a huge bar and venue! The venue, Sindrome, is actually next to/under the pub!! We're still slightly worried though as we wander into the hall to be confronted by lots of dry ice, flourescent lights and very loud DANCE music!!!!!! Our friend Lizz turns up at about 11.30 so we wander down to the stage as the band, WORM come on.

WORM are a covers band - and a pretty decent one at that! They play a whole mixture of songs - everything from Black Sabbath to Wheatus to Rage Against The Machine. They also did a version of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"! Strangely enough they did this just after Myke had left the stage!! All in all they kept us all entertained nicely.

So what about Myke? Well we had to wait over an hour and a half before he appeared on-stage with WORM. Finally, at 1.15am he got up - looking the same as ever. The song he did was entitled "You're A Dick". Anyone out there heard the new Right Said Fred single (written by Myke)? OK - Substitute the lyrics with "You're A Dick, A Prick, And I Hate You" in the chorus and you have what we heard last night! Definitely superior to the RSF version (and great for singing about people at work or while you're driving etc. if they piss you off!!!) and very catchy!!! The audience seemed to really get into it too which was great to see.

We had a chat to Myke in the bar afterwards exchanging news & gossip, but by quarter to two the three of us were feeling somewhat sleepy (are we getting old? I'm sure late nights never used to be a problem!!!!) and so we said our good-byes and headed home - I got home at 3am!!

All in all a most enjoyable evening/night/morning (!) out and great to see Myke again after so long. Hopefully it won't be too long before we hear some new stuff from Myke - and hopefully he'll release "You're A Dick" so we can all hear it!!

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