• Newsletter Sign up
• Subscribe
• Back Issues
• Sample Issue
• Contact Us

Skin

From page 14 of Classic Rock Magazine June 2011

Cover of June 2011 issue.

They split in ’98. They’re splitting again after High Voltage. But they may be back. Make your mind up!

UK HARD ROCKERS Skin notched up six UK Top 40 singles during a first run that wound up in 1998. Having been enticed into a reunion by Download Festival supremo Andy Copping, the band played a farewell tour last December. Now they’ve surprised many by being confirmed for this summer’s High Voltage Festival. Guitarist Myke Gray checks in.

The band self-financed their reunion album Breaking The Silence . Did you make your money back?

Yes. We knew we had to sell 2,000 copies, and we managed that. We did it purely out of love and for the joy of making music.

For those who might not know, why are Skin going to split again?

We’d already achieved what we wanted to. The band hadn’t ended on the greatest of terms, but we’re all friends again now and we’ll be friends forever. I’ve got my brothers back and, along with reconnecting with our fans, that was the most important thing.

Last December’s farewell tour didn’t go like you intended it to, did it? You can say that again. I was ill throughout, Nev [MacDonald] lost his voice after four gigs, and the snow kept lots of ticket holders at home.

So how did the band feel on stage at Nottingham Rock City during what was intended as the final gig?

There were a lot of raw emotions. It was a great gig, but we left with our tails between our legs because we hadn’t performed the way we knew we could. So when Andy Copping called to say he could get us on to a bill [High Voltage] with one of my all-time favourite bands, Judas Priest, we were definitely interested. Coming so soon after the tour, there must have been some trepidation? Not for a second. Look, if you don’t like Skin then we’re not going to convert you and there’s nothing we can do about that. But our fans don’t want us to split up. They certainly won’t hold it against us for playing another show and going out on a high the way we intended.

It must irk you when posts such as: “Why don’t they be honest about it [and admit they’re] just doing it for

the money” appear on the Classic Rock website, though? Not at all, pot-shots like that are okay because people don’t understand how the business works. It’s the headliners and their Special Guests that command huge fees, not smaller bands like us. When the bottom line is totalled up, every member of Skin will actually lose money to play at High Voltage. But we’re not complaining, because being there makes us happy.

The band’s statement stresses that High Voltage and the two warm-up gigs “will be our only shows this year, and probably ever”, but quotes Nev as saying: “Never say never!” If music’s inside of you, it’s hard to leave it there. I’m lucky that my lifestyle [working as a fitness coach and life coach] allows me certain freedoms. It’s not the same for the others. For instance, one of them is a teacher. But I’ve told the rest of Skin that if any of them ever wants to do a show, they can count me in. I’ll always be there, but I can’t push the others because they’ve all got full and satisfied lives. DL Skin play Nottingham Rock City July 21, Pontypridd Muni Arts Centre 22, London High Voltage Festival 23.