Skindred arrive at Glastonbury having established themselves as a legitimate arena headlining band with a successful, mainstream crossover album to their name. Yet the Avalon stage they headline this evening is hardly one of the festivals's largest tents. Skindred, though, as pretty much anyone who has ever attended a festival in this country can attest to, don’t do bad shows. In fact, they don’t even do average shows. What they do bring, something even frontman Benji Webbe will admit, is the same thing over and over again: “You’ll never be surprised and you’ll never be disappointed” he has said previously.
But, even though Skindred do go through their usual repertoire this evening, there's clearly something about Glastonbury that has got them fired up. Yes, playing to a crowd of hardened metal fans all ready to do the Newport helicopter the second they walk onstage is always killer. But faced with plenty of strangers wandering over from Dua Lipa or Fatboy Slim and still looking to party, Skindred get the bit between their teeth and deliver what might just be the most aggressive, impressive and energetic show of their career…and that’s Skindred we’re talking about. Let that sink in.
