SKUNK ANANSIE + SO GOOD – BRIGHTON DOME 15.4.25
Tuesday night, we were again at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall to see Skunk Anansie (SA). Support was from newcomer So Good, a ‘Brat-Pop’ artist currently enjoying rising fame on TikTok with the ‘safe for work’ version of her infectious track ‘If I Had A…’. Anticipation in the venue was high. Reports from earlier nights on the tour had returned that the set was unforgettable and a ‘must-see’. Tickets for the Brighton gig were snapped up by locals and those further afield as soon they went on sale.
Officially, Sara-Louise Bowery was on photo duties, but a mini squad of our photographers had turned out to capture one of the most photogenic collectives of musicians from the ’90s. Sara and our other regular photographers, including Mike Burnell and Cris Watkins, leapt to capture action shots of front-woman Skin at her absolute finest and the rest of the band.
It was a night to remember, one of those live music experiences, rare standouts, once-in-a-lifetime musical escapades. It is not often any of us get into the thick of the mosh pit these days, but by God, it was worth it when we did. We also got to do so with a small gathering of some of our all-time favourite people in attendance, photographers, and friends and former colleagues alike.
As Skin herself pointed out towards the end of the night, while thanking the audience for sticking with them throughout the years, it has been almost thirty years since their first two albums smashed into the UK charts in the quietly unexacting year of 1995. Most of the audience were in their late teens and early twenties in 1995/6 when the first two albums reached the top ten album chart. In 2025, that same audience will be in their late to mid-40s/50s, and many have teens.
Three decades of adoration is a lot, but it is rare for an artist to sustain it for that long, but few have managed it. The band earned many fans overnight when they released the first album, ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’, in 1995 and the second, ‘Stoosh’, in 1996. Skin, and the rest of the band, Cass (bass), Ace (guitar) and Mark Richmond (drums). The band were at once embraced by not just the general music-buying public but also rock luminaries, including David Bowie and Lemmy, lead of the legendary Motörhead, both of whom the band toured in their earlier days.
Taking ‘Anansie’ from Akan folklore and ‘Anansie’ the ‘spider-man’ of Ghana, adding “skunk” to “make the name nastier”. Initially formed in 1994, then disbanded in 2001, the band reformed in 2009 and have continued to perform and record together, releasing their newest output, the 2025 album ‘The Painful Truth’.
Skin has that rare kind of charisma that does not come along often. Skin is a formidable, imposing stage presence and surprisingly soft-spoken, likeable, down-to-earth human. I have been a borderline obsessive SA fan since the start. The obsession started with the track ‘Weak As I Am’, a lament for all those heartbroken individuals often found aggressively dancing and singing along to the track on every indie rock dance floor in the land on its release.
For a local like me who had frequented many of the same bars and clubs as everyone else in the audience throughout the ’90s in Sussex, the night turned out to be somewhat of an impromptu reunion; many friends and faces were in attendance that life had made it impossible to arrange to see. This filled the atmosphere with anticipation and bubbled with the feel-good atmosphere of a close friend’s surprise party as familiar faces sought a hug and a quick catch-up before heading into the auditorium.
Now I cannot be entirely sure as to whether I am correct on this, but I have a distinct recollection of ‘New Rose’ by the Damned playing when the lights dimmed, and a rose-pink spotlight shone directly at the stage from the base of the Dome’s balcony. The setlist tells me it was ‘My Greatest Moment’, but I cannot be 100% sure as, along with the rest of the packed crowd, my howl of delight as the band took the stage drowned out anything and everything else around me. I have not been that elated since they took the stage at Reading almost thirty years ago.
Bear in mind that I had knowledge of the setlist in advance and had been strictly advised not to divulge it to my gig partner. I was fizzing with excitement as I knew, along with a select few in the audience, that the band would start precisely as they meant to go on.
‘This Means War’, from 2019’s eponymous EP, is as bombastic as you could think; the only thing that would have bettered this as an opener would have been ‘Army Of Me’ and Cheeky Icelandic musical goddess Björk popping up to duet with Skin like they once did on Top of the Pops. That would not happen, no matter how much I wished for it.
I need not have wasted the energy, as Skin is a confirmed Rock goddess in her inimitable way. Statuesque and resplendent, she took the stage with the rest of the band. Arriving in this way is no mean feat in and of itself. You need a confident swagger, stacks of charisma and a 1,000-watt smile. If you have been paying attention over the last three decades, you will know Skin owns all these attributes and more. The consummate rock goddess straddles any stage, ably supported by her constants for most of those decades.
This is a tight outfit, and they intend to put on the show of our lives tonight, as they do every night. I also knew that friends and family of the band were in attendance on the night in the audience. It was full of music industry professionals, local venue managers, bands, reviewers, and fans alike. The love for the band in the air was not just tangible; it was thick and cloying on occasion but genuine for it.
Having given the audience a taste of what they wanted as an opener, the band stormed through their back catalogue, book-ending new material from the 2025 album ‘The Painful Truth’. The standout track from the new album appeared fourth on the setlist and is my favourite from it so far. Also available as a single, ‘An Artist Is An Artist’, is an absolute bonafide future anthem for everyone to hold on to and promises that the whole album will be as playable as the first, ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’ back in 1995.
Like any practiced and enduring band, SA knew to scatter the best of their greatest hits throughout liberally. We did not need to wait long for more renowned tracks like ‘Charlie Big Potato’, which appeared second on the set. The order of the tracks and the albums from which they came were inspired.
It was at the point either before or after singing ‘God Only Loves You’ that Skin chose to address the white elephant in the room for many in Brighton. (I may have to paraphrase here), but the gist of her interaction was that with Trans rights in question that day, everybody’s rights were in question.
Brighton, as many are aware, is home to a large LGBTQIA+ community, many of whom found a figurehead and frequent supporter in Skin, both as a lead singer, lyricist, and the spokesperson that she unwittingly became in the ’90s and throughout her career to date. Skin is very aware of this. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but she not only takes it in her stride (though at times it must have felt relentless), but she shoulders the responsibility with a clear delicacy, never taking it lightly. She does so with passion and understanding. This is the performer who has the (dubious) honour of being the first black (Queer) woman to headline Glastonbury festival after all. Something which, she has said, was “a double-edged sword”. There was inevitably a considerable backlash from the music and mainstream press alike, something Skin has also eloquently addressed.
Politics aside, let us return to the Dome gig. Those of you who know will already have noticed what I did there. It was, of course, intentional. I thought I was going for a double bluff, though, so bear with me.
What followed was a veritable medley of SA’s greatest hits. It was now that if the audience had any decorum left, they lost it entirely. We jumped around like loons in the back rows.
We then caved as I dragged my (willing) gig partner, leading them by the head into the epicentre of the mosh pit. That’s right, as the strains of ‘Weak’, ‘I Can Dream’, ‘Twisted (Everyday Hurts)’ were belted out at top volume word perfect along with Skin, forty or so forty-fifty somethings regressed wildly and forgot entirely that they were no longer eighteen, it was not the 90s, and by God would their entire body hurt like they had been to a gym or done a marathon the next day.
I am not just speaking for myself here, as I have since talked to many of those gathered around me. Some were friends and colleagues I have known for decades; one had on several occasions repaired torn gig outfits for me, some were photographers, and some musicians all were having the time of their lives.
It was an EXTREMELY FAST trip to the bar. And now my double bluff pays off. Politics, whatever they are, and who they concern are very dear to Skin and the band’s heart, as the next track attests.
‘Yes, It F*cking Political’ started to play and the frenzy that had already taken the audience escalated further. What we did not know then was how a song that was already so incredibly important to much of the audience would gain further relevance and meaning in the aftermath of the gig. What we did not know could not (yet) hurt us, so we danced, pogoed, and flailed as if those outside concerns could not get to us, cocooned as we were. ‘Tear The Place Up’ would have felt like an instruction to any other audience, but the Dome sustained little more damage than discarded plastics on the floor after every gig.
‘Little Baby Swastika’ unironically marks the point where the traditional faux stage exit occurred.
This reminds me that Skin’s attire was, as always, on point. Please tell us if anyone knows where we can get a pair of those transparent black trousers. The rest of the band was, as always, stylishly attired, but it would be impossible for anyone, even them and their incredible musicianship, to pull focus from their charismatic lead. Few people could wear a scarlet spiked latex outfit and still outshine it, but Skin managed with aplomb.
Again, the return was on point; ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ felt correctly aimed at all of us. This could have felt insulting if not for all of us knowing in our knees that we needed to calm the hell down and sing along with your best mate, who stood swaying next to you in giddy rhapsody right now. ‘Cheers’ again from the new album felt like a thank you (I’ve not had a chance to listen to the lyrics yet).
Then, a surprise for many as the opening riff of Led Zeppelin’s Rock classic ‘Whole Lotta Love’ reverberated across the venue. If the rest of the audience knew the band would cover this song, they might have had a little practice during the gig run-up. Sadly, they did not and have not. I can only apologise to Plant and Page for the lacklustre call and response that followed, and to the band and Skin, what can I say I tried?
Unperturbed by the audience’s shocking failure at a bonafide rock classic, the band finished on yet another two firm favourites, ‘The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)’ off of 1999’s ‘Post Orgasmic Chill’ album, closing with ‘Lost And Found’ from the new 2025 ‘The Painful Truth’ album.
The applause was deafening and constant for what seemed like an age as the band collectively took their bows and slowly, one by one, exited stage left.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Skunk Anansie has left the building. Please make your way towards the doors. Thank you, and Good Night.
Skunk Anansie:
Skin – lead vocals + guitar
Cass – bass + backing vocals
Ace – guitar + backing vocals
Mark Richmond – drums + percussion
Skunk Anansie setlist:
(Intro) ‘New Rose’ by The Damned
‘This Means War’ (from 2019 ‘This Means War’/ ‘What You Do For Love’ EP)
‘Charlie Big Potato’ (from 1999 ‘Post Orgasmic Chill’ album)
‘Because Of You’ (from 2009 ‘Sashes And Tashes’ album)
‘An Artist Is An Artist’ (a 2025 single)
‘I Believed In You’ (from 2012 ‘Black Traffic’ album)
‘Love Someone Else’ (from 2016 ‘Anarchytecture’ album)
‘God Only Loves You’ (from 2011 ‘Wonderlustre’ album)
‘Secretly’ (from 1999 ‘Post Orgasmic Chill’ album)
‘Weak’ (from 1995 ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’ album)
‘I Can Dream’ (from 1995 ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’ album)
‘Twisted (Everyday Hurts)’ (from 1996 ‘Stoosh’ album)
‘My Ugly Boy’ (from 2011 ‘Wonderlustre’ album)
‘Animal’ (from 2025 ‘The Painful Truth’ album)
‘Yes It’s F*cking Political’ (from1996 ‘Stoosh’ album)
‘Tear The Place Up’ (from 2009 ‘Sashes And Tashes’ album)
‘Little Baby Swastika’ (from 1995 ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’ album)
(encore)
‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ (from 1996 ‘Stoosh’ album)
‘Cheers’ (from 2025 ‘The Painful Truth’ album)
‘Whole Lotta Love’ (Lead Zeppelin cover)
‘The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)’ (from 1999 ‘Post Orgasmic Chill’ album)
‘Lost And Found’ (from 2025 ‘The Painful Truth’ album)
Warming up an audience for any band is not an enviable task for any act, but it is how you ‘earn your stripes’ and learn your craft. Even if they could shield other acts from it, every band knows it is necessary to hone your skills, think your skin, and learn your craft.
The night’s support act, ‘So Good,’ had stepped up to the plate. At first, the act’s name may seem presumptive, do not underestimate this artist, they know how to deliver, and they more than rose to the challenge at hand.
The lights went down, and three musicians took the stage in boiler suits and neon pink balaclavas. Was this a Kneecap tribute band? It was controversial, but I get it. It is a nice touch, but we would never know the names of these musicians, and they were great. They had plenty of swagger, even when disguised.
Next out are two backing dancers wearing what can only be described as Britney’s going down the Christina route outfits. This was followed in quick succession by, yes, Britney’s gone all Dirrrrty on us, and she defaced her Kangol beret while she was at it. What are those SILVER LAME hot pants? By all that is Minogue, what’s happening?!
So Good, (aka Sophie Bogor-Ingram), made quite the impression when she appeared wearing silver hot pants. The set was inspired; her audience chat was upbeat and enthusiastic; she woke the audience up, shook them a bit and lured them en masse away from the serpentine queues at both bars. Though, I am told her set was divisive in the extreme, splitting the reaction 50/50.
‘Inheritance’ was a nice little nod to the absent or in attendance offspring many of the audience have had since the 90s, many of whom are the same age as they were when SA first slapped them around the face and told them to focus!
‘HATE’, ‘I Hate It Hear’, and ‘Hot’, titles which made me chuckle as, now that I write them here in quick succession, it reads like every teenage complaint I have uttered or heard from another.
So Good is currently enjoying a flurry of attention down to both the radio-friendly version of 2023s ‘If I Had A…‘ which features a very Craig David ‘Doink’ where the kids’ favourite uncensored version ‘If I Had A Dick’, the version they (sensibly) chose to go with tonight has the same catchy shout ability as No Doubts concert friendly audience interactive track ‘Just A Girl’.
Daring the audience, church, and state if the current state of the world is anything to go by, the band finished on ‘I Re-wrote the F*cking Bible’.
So Good are indeed just that, catch them before you cannot.
So Good:
Sophie Bogor-Ingram – Lead vocal
So Good setlist:
‘Inheritance’ (unreleased)
‘Hate’ (a 2024 single)
‘I Hate It Here’ (a 2023 single)
‘Hot’ (unreleased)
‘If I Had A’ (a 2023 single)
‘Industry Plant’ (unreleased)
‘1994’ (unreleased)
‘I Re-wrote The F*cking Bible’ (a 2025 single)
The drummer’s name is Mark Richardson, not Richmond.