Skunk Anansie Biography
This London, England-based quartet, formed in 1994, are led by the stunning black lesbian singer Deborah 'Skin' (b. Brixton, London, England). After attending a furniture design course at Teesside
Polytechnic in Middlesborough, she returned to the capital and started
meeting musicians on the local circuit. Her original band was shelved for being too 'rockist', but she retained the services of bass player Cass and began rehearsing with Skunk Anansie (who also include Ace, guitar, and Mark Richardson, drums) in January 1994. After signing to
One Little Indian Records their debut single followed, 'Little Baby Swastikkka', available only through mail order from BBC Radio 1's Evening Session programme.
The controversial 'Selling Jesus' was then followed by 'I Can Dream', which skirted the fringe of the UK Top 40, while the group toured with Therapy? and Senser and as part of the New Musical Express 's Bratbus coalition. They also appeared on the first edition of Channel 4's The White Room television programme. After collaborating with labelmate Bj鰎k on her 'Army Of Me' single, Skunk Anansie began work on the band's debut album with Andy Wallace.
This contained the predicted brew of agit prop and funk metal, while Skin's lyrics remained forceful, but over the course of a full album, it was clear that there was a lack of development in style and in terms of the issue-led subject matter. This lack of progression was carried over to Paranoid And Sunburnt, which took a good idea and sound just 40 minutes too far. Stoosh was a harder-edged collection, characterized by metal-edged guitar and Skin spitting out her lyrics. Controversial lyrics can sometimes sound deliberately contrived, but on this collection, Skin sounds as though she means it. Her anger on the excellent opening track, 'Yes It's Fucking Political', is almost tangible.
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Best Band in the World Ever!!!!! | Reviewer: Andre James | 6/26/10
Contrary to the opinions of 'Macho', who is clearly using this review slot to peddle his hatred of women, I believe that Skin's outstanding, powerful vocals and overwhelming passion and charisma is what makes Skunk Anansie such an awesome band.
The reason she "takes far too much attention away" from the band is because she is an excellent front woman.
"Black Females are the highest currency in western society"
Are u fuckin kidding me?? That is the most uneducated and ignorant statement I have ever read.Black women have to work 10 times as hard to get one tenth as far in as white men in western society. And black women are not 'currency' they are human beings. Go read up on history, sociology and politics before making any more brash generalisations.
The fourth in a brotherhood of Three | Reviewer: Macho | 2/5/08
When I think of Skunk Anansie, I immediately want to have another name for the band itself. This is because Deborah the singer is their weak link, and takes far too much attention away from what is quite possibly the best punk/rock band in the history of major-signed rock. It is a constant annoyance and disappointment to hear such painstakingly well developed and textured music shouted over by a menstrual feminist who thinks shes in the slavery days of the 1640s. The men that actually do the work and the music that she uses to complain about men over, are actually some of the finest composers of the 20th Century, and their genius is unappreciated and mind-blowing.
Strangely, while "Skin" peels off the band to work on a solo project with two album releases, Ace, Cass and Richardson (and Robbie France)fall into oblivion. This only serves to make it painfully obvious why Skunk Anansie was a success in the first place: with a black feminist at the front, everyone likes them. Black Females are the highest currency in western society. With a predominantly white male lineup who made the band what it was, however, no-one cares in the slightest. So Deborah only got one thing right: It seems there was a reason to sing about racism after all.
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