Skindred have seen a very well-deserved wave of success in recent times, and it is fair to say that their stardom will continue to hit new heights. Now is a VERY good time to be a Skindred fan; last year, their debut single “Nobody” from 2002 saw an explosion of popularity on social media site TikTok, complete with dance moves. This year, their ninth album, You Got This, became their first UK Number 1 album following its release in April 2026. What better way to celebrate this milestone with a tour of the UK, bringing metal giants Alien Ant Farm and Spineshank along with them?

Benji Webbe of Skindred. Photography: Ryan Jones @ryanbutpictures

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Expectations for this gig, from my personal perspective, were rather high – I had seen Skindred once before, supporting Alter Bridge at the inaugural Blackbird Festival at Cardiff Castle in July 2026… and I preferred their set to the main act! The pioneers of the Newport Helicopter had taken flight and were ready to soar the skies, fuelled by the energy of the bouncing crowds beneath. From my first exposure to the band, I firmly knew that Skindred were a group that I would love to see time and time again; thanks to RAMPAGE, I was gifted the chance to put their performance on record as a truly fantastic demonstration of the band’s prowess in the metal community.

Despite the noticeable absence of ORGY, Skindred’s Birmingham leg of the tour was off to a flying start. Spineshank, of Los Angeles, California, took the stage and instantly brought the energy by opening with “Asthmatic”. As first impressions go for someone unfamiliar with Spineshank, they came to PLAY. The smile on frontman Jonny Santos’ face was infectious as the band treated us to a wealth of their discography. The Grammy nominated “Smothered”, video game classic feature “New Disease”, and the Freddy vs Jason (2003) feature “Beginning of the End” all built up the energy to a defining finale, pitting the audience against each other with “Dead To Me”. As a result, Spineshank did their job masterfully; the crowd were sufficiently warmed up, and they added plenty of new fans to their repertoire. I am very much looking forward to exploring more of their work as a result of their impressionable performance.

Next on the bill were the phenomenal Alien Ant Farm, a hotly anticipated band for the British audience before them. Another Californian import celebrating their thirtieth year of existence in 2026, it’s hard to imagine life without them. Their set list saw many inclusions from their recently remastered 2001 album ANThology, opening with “Courage”, and following with “Wish” and “Movies”. Their nine-song repertoire also featured a celebration of five years of sobriety for frontman Dryden Mitchell, marking the moment with a poignant performance of “Storms Over”. Of course, following a fake-out finale, AAF wrapped up with their iconic, instantly recognisable cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”, a personal highlight for my musical bucket list and another instant crowd-raiser. Between both Spineshank and Alien Ant Farm, there couldn’t have been better accompaniments to the main course of Ragga Metal goodness.

Photography: Ryan Jones @ryanbutpictures

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So, we come to the headliners themselves. One thing that transfixed me from my Blackbird Festival experience of Skindred is their unmistakeable identity and audience interaction. It is, therefore, no exaggeration to say that Benji Webbe, the Rasta of Disaster, knows how to work a crowd more than any musical act I have had the pleasure of seeing in my 27 years on this planet. Webbe is hypnotising as a frontman, blending humour, call-and-response, and relatability into a tour-de-force performance over the 90 minute set. Warming up the crowd with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and a remix of the Imperial March of Star Wars fame drew the crowd straight back into the action. Opening with “My People” and throwing the accelerator full throttle into “Set Fazers” was more than enough to establish the powerful stage presence that Skindred are revered for. Some of the set list will be familiar to veteran Skindred fans, including the aforementioned call-and-response before performing the fantastic “Ratrace”. Throughout the entire evening, the crowd kept bouncing, which is more than a testament to Skindred’s energetic personality, and the harmony between stage and audience make these gigs a thorough joy to be a part of. My personal highlights of this set include “That’s My Jam”, interspersing massive hits with covers of AC/DC such as “Back in Black”, the excellent “Can I Get A”, which has become a popular recent track from the You Got This album, and the explosive performances of “Kill The Power” and “Nobody” that have established Skindred as a genre-blending force of nature.

Of course, Skindred wouldn’t be Skindred without the fabled Newport Helicopter, a tradition which has spanned years of t-shirt twirling madness and multiple whips to the face. Closing out the set with the song that made the Newport Helicopter famous, “Warning”, part of me wasn’t quite sure how it would go. The Academy, whilst a fairly large venue, surely couldn’t keep up with the demands of space that the Helicopter required… did it?

It did. Shirts off, in the air, a tornado of black cotton spinning wildly in unison, and a perfect end to a dominating performance from all three acts.

Photography: Ryan Jones @ryanbutpictures

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Skindred, in the space of an hour and a half, rocked the Academy with blistering energy and seriously powerful booms. You Got This? Skindred sure have! They are quickly becoming a personal favourite of mine to listen to, and they are a truly spectacular live experience. My only wish for the future is that we see a LOT more of Skindred as the years go by. Whilst currently in their 28^th year of touring and rocking venues, I hope that the Welsh wonders have something special cooked up for their 30^th Anniversary in 2028. For now, there is plenty to look forward to – and if you haven’t yet got tickets to their May gig at the Utilita Arena Cardiff, now would be a fantastic time to brush up on your Ragga Metal and get prepared for one of the most fantastic and fun concert experiences.

One last thing for this review – as a frequent solo flyer to gigs and concerts, it is an honour to meet and speak to so many like-minded rock and metal fans, who really give community its definition. On the off chance that they read this, I want to shout out Laura and Mike from Telford for your company and for encouraging me to let loose and come out of my shell, it means more than words can say.

For now, and for Skindred, let’s keep those Newport Helicopters flying to new heights.