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From page 92 of Classic Rock Magazine June 2011
Cover of June 2011 issue.
Ragga-metal mash-up merchants capitalise on recent triumphs.
F ormed in 1998 from the ashes of Dub War, Newport-based ragga-metalheads Skindred are undertaking their biggest headline tour to date. Meet their singer, Benji Webbe.
The title track of Skindred’s new album, Union Black, is a pastiche of the God Save The Queen. The words are hard to distinguish, though. What are they?
It’s a street take on the national anthem. The message is that we’re out here going through madness and riots, but God save our country. After all the woes, being beaten up and running from the police, we’re still saluting the Union Jack.
It’s an upbeat thing?
Of course. Our asses have been kicked but we’re still here.
This album sounds a little more ragga-flavoured than before. It still has amazing riffs but, yeah, there’s an urban feel – on the dance
side of things that Skindred is known for.
You don’t worry about alienating the metal fans? No. I’m a firm believer that if it’s loud and heavy and heads can be banged, people will get it. And if they don’t embrace the record, they’ll definitely get it live.
The reaction to your set at Sonisphere last year was astonishing. A career high point? Mate, I’m still pinching myself. I’m waiting for my mother to wake me up and tell me to get off to school. But that’s the whole thing about the
ragga thing – if it rocks, people will dig it.
When Skindred were at the indoor Ozzfest at the O2 Arena, did you get to meet Ozzy? I’ve met Ozzy before, ages ago over in LA. But I did stand behind Sharon and think: “Wow! That’s Sharon Osbourne!” In February you also supported Rob Zombie on his UK tour. Watching him with his robots and stage props made me think that when I get a couple of quid that’s the type of show I’d like to put on.
The challenge now must be to capitalise on all this.
Definitely. The great thing about the Zombie tour was that 50 per cent of those people had never heard of Skindred. I hope they’ll come to our own shows. DL Skindred’s tour concludes in London on May 7.
