90s UK rock band Skunk Anansie have announced that they are to tour again in Spring 2025.
Founded in 1994, the group takes its name from Akan folklore, after the figure Anansi the spider-man of Ghana. The ‘skunk,’ meanwhile, was intended to make the name sound ‘nastier.’
Fronted by singer Skin – real name Deborah Anne Dyer, 57, the band currently consists of Cass, Ace and Mark Richardson – with former drummer Robbie France having died in 2012, age 52.
Typified by their brash combination of heavy metal and Brit rock, the band is best remembered for hit singles Charity, Hedonism, Selling Jesus and Weak.
After going on hiatus in the early 90s, the band reformed in 2009 and have been performing ever since.
The band have now announced their latest UK tour – teasing a ‘completely brand new production’ as Skin and Skunk Anansie return with renewed vigour.
Skunk Anansie will open their 14-date tour at the London Roadhouse on Saturday March 29 before moving on to venues in Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, Norwich, Cambridge, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Bournemouth and Brighton.
The tour will conclude at Guildford G Live on Wednesday April 16.
Vocalist Skin said: ‘We are really excited to be getting back on tour, doing what we love the most which is playing live with fire in our belly. This tour will be a completely brand new production and we can’t wait to share it with the UK.’
Described by music database AllMusic as an amalgam of heavy metal and black feminist rage,’ Skunk Anansie formed in 1994 with a triumphant gig at London’s Splash club that year.
In 1995, the group released their first studio album, Paranoid & Sunburnt, which contained their hit singles Selling Jesus and Charity.
These two songs also appeared on the soundtrack of the cult film Strange Days, directed by Katheryn Bigelow and starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett.
In 1999, the band made history by performing at Glastonbury – making frontwoman Skin the first British black woman to ever headline the festival.
The band split in 2001, as frontwoman Skin embarked on a solo career; releasing her debut album Fleshwounds in 2003 and follow-up Chemical State in 2006.
Skunk Anansie reformed in 2008, with the band releasing new material and a best of album to coincide with their return.
Since reforming, the band have released three albums – Wonderlustre in 2010, Black Traffic in 2012, and Anarchytecture in 2016.
In 2022, the band released singles Piggy and Can’t Take you Anywhere, but have yet to bring out a new album.
However, with the news that their forthcoming tour will bring a ‘completely brand new production’ then new music may very well be coming soon from the Britrock icons.
Puncturing the group’s punk credibility somewhat, Skin appeared on The Masked Singer in 2020, disguised as a bright yellow duck.
She described the experience as ‘really challenging and major fun’, saying: ‘I just wanted to do something completely different and be someone that I wouldn’t normally be’.
Tickets for Skunk Anansi go on sale from Planet Rock Tickets at 10am on Friday October 18.
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