Skunk Anansie Bring Attitude & Rock Anthems to Leeds O2 Academy [Photos]

It’s been nine long years since we’ve last had a studio album from British rock icons Skunk Anansie and, while we have to wait just a little bit longer for the release of The Painful Truth in mid-May, the band have already headed out onto the road to promote the album.

Supporting Skin and the band on the tour, is London aggro-pop troop So Good who tear onto the stage taking this sold-out venue by storm. A fiery cocktail of punk rock, pop hooks, and plenty of attitude, the group are an explosion of furious dance moves and middle-finger raised to the sky rage. Probably the ideal choice of support for the headliners in 2025, So Good make sure that by the time they leave the stage, their presence has been felt.

Under moody lights and an ominous stage set-up, Skunk Anansie arrive in Leeds and deliver a truly magical evening. Iconic vocalist Skin strides out last under a black cloak before the band surges into their anthemic opener “This Means War.” Even with the album still a good month or so away from release, fans are already clued up on the new stuff as “An Artist Is An Artist” finds them in full voice while staples of their setlist like “Weak” and “I Can Dream” sound even more collosal when they’re bouncing off the walls of the Academy.

Backed by a band who flawlessly execute the snappy punk rock of tracks like “Yes It’s Fucking Political” and “Little Baby Swastikka,” the Skin addressing the crowd between songs effortlessly flits from softly spoken to roaring with passion to humourous banter, even able to laugh it off when she gets the name of the city wrong.

Lock the quartet together and Skunk Anansie prove they are still a ferocious, formidable beast onstage and on record, and tonight is no exception. Her longtime bandmates play their unassuming yet equally as passionate role, but all attention is on Skin who switches from haunting, tender melodies to punk rock aggitator at the drop of a hat as the British rock icons hammer through an incredible set and, ahead of the release of The Painful Truth in a few weeks, show the rest of the British rock scene how high the standard is.

Our photographer, Graham Finney Photography, was at the show. Check out the photo gallery and the Skunk Anansie setlist here:

Skunk Anansie Setlist:

1. This Means War
2. Charlie Big Potato
3. Because of You
4. An Artist Is an Artist
5. I Believed in You
6. Love Someone Else
7. God Loves Only You
8. Secretly
9. Weak
10. I Can Dream
11. Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
12. My Ugly Boy
13. Animal
14. Yes It’s Fucking Political
15. Tear the Place Up
16. Little Baby Swastikkka
17. Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)
18. Charity
19. Whole Lotta Love
20. The Skank Heads (Get Off Me)
21. Lost and Found

Skunk Anansie (w/ So Good) @ O2 Academy (Leeds, UK) on April 12th, 2025

39 photos