Skindred/Jayce Lewis

The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth

After a tour of the UK earlier this year to promote their latest album “Big Tings”, Skindred return for a lengthy 31 date jaunt around the UK, taking in towns and cities missed on the last tour. Tonight Bournemouth’s intimate Old Fire Station is sold out, as the reputation of this top class live act virally spreads. The opening act is South Wales alternative rocker Jayce Lewis, who with his band takes to the stage with a huge amount boundless energy. The band feature Tom Hall on drums with two bassists Martin Thompson on 4 string and Syan on 5 string, with an occasional guitarist. The band have a unique take combining industrial snyths and programming with some eighties electronica influences. Like Trent Reznor before him Jayce owns the stage leaping around delivering some powerful multi-style vocals, dressed in clothes seemingly borrowed from Gary Numan’s wardrobe.

Jayce Lewis 1

The Bournemouth audience is treated to tunes from the band’s albums “Million” (Part 1 & 2) including the incredible “Daw Martyr”, which is an intensive tune where old influences collide with new ideas and include again the searing vocals sounding not unlike Ultravox’s Midge Ure at times. The pulsating “Wrath”, a song originally recorded with Queens’s Roger Taylor shakes the very foundations of this building with its crushing drumbeats and cleverly integrated synths. The band finishes after around 35 minutes on stage with most of the crowd no quite sure what has hit them. It is though so fantastic to see a band who through no compromise push to deliver new great original music that they so passionately believe in.

As the stage time for the headliners nears the Old Fire Station fills up fully to its capacity and the DJ plays a few banging tunes to warm up the audience. The last of these tunes is AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ and those who have seen ‘Skindred’ before know this is the signal for the band to come on stage. The band enters the stage as the Star Wars Imperial March play through the PA, but this could be barely heard above the cheers from the excited audience. Kicking off with “Bing Tings” frontman Benji Webb has the audience under his hypnotic command from the moment he grabs the microphone. He has such a big brash personality you cannot help but fall for his charm, sharp wit and he can also sing a bit too. The band’s unique Reggae/Metal fusion is just so infectious and even if you have never heard a song by them before, you will soon be bouncing along with the rest of the band’s adoring fans.

Skindred 1–2–3–4–5

The band deliver a great mix of tunes from throughout their 20 year career including epic tunes like “Machine” where Benji gets the crowd singing the chorus at the tops of their voices; “Rock N’ Roll saved my Soul” and the acoustic “Saying It Now”, a reflective tune about regrets. The atmosphere in here tonight is just amazing with everyone in such a celebratory mood. Is it just because it’s Friday or it’s that one of Wale’s best live bands are in town and it is a great excuse to have a Punky Reggae party.?! The time soon fly’s by and it is soon time for the final song of the evening where the vast majority of the audience knows what’s coming next. Mikey Demus’s huge guitar riff signals it’s time for the epic “Warning” and the world famous “Newport Helicopter”. You can now buy Skindred “Newport Helicopter” bandanas from the merch stall if you are too shy to take of your shirt. On “4” Benji instructs everybody in the room to whirl their shirts around their heads and as the beat drops the Old Fires Station sees an incredible sight of hundreds of people throwing caution to the wind. This ends what has been an amazing night full of euphoric highs that I challenge any band to better.

Set-List
Skindred
Intro: Thunderstruck/The Imperial March
Big Tings
Selector
Pressure
Rat Race
Ninja
Machine
Sound the Siren
That’s My Jam
Saying It Now (Acoustic)
Kill the Power (with “Out of Space snippet by The Prodigy)
Destroy the Dancefloor
Nobody

Encore
Warning
Outro: Nobody Does It Better

Jayce Lewis
Intro
Orderart
Godforced
Severe Server
Million
Daw Martyr
Wrath
Perfect Defect
Centaurus

Videos

Links
https://www.facebook.com/skindredofficial
https://www.facebook.com/jaycelewisofficial

Words, Video & Pictures by David Chinery.
Additional Pictures by Joshua Chinery.