Review: Skindred at Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes

Image: Skindred at Hit The Deck

For anyone that hasn't been to the Craufurd Arms before, it is not your normal run of the mill pub venue. It boasts a sizeable space at the rear which has become a highly utilised, great sounding venue. With the type of gigs being held here that cease to exist anywhere else in the Milton Keynes area, Craufurd have cornered the market. 

The first band of the night went by the name of Silly Band. Admittedly, a sense of mystery surrounded what type of band the crowd would be presented with, although it's safe to say the crowd were left pretty speechless for the most part.

Opening with a track called 'Yes', the lead singer tried to whip the crowd into a party like frenzy by emptying a pack of plastic balls over them and literally whipping them with his lengthy barnet.

The general feeling at this point was one of confusion and it generally felt as if people were laughing at, rather than with the band. By chucking in some balloons, inflatables, and attempted break dancing on the dancefloor, people started to take notice.

Picking out a couple of highlights, it would definitely be the 'space hopper wall of death' and the introduction of a piñata. Honestly, why don't other bands adopt these ideas in future? 

So, on to Skindred. It was apparent that there was an extremely low percentage of first timers in the building. The moment the band came out on to the stage, the whole room was jumping.

Tracks like 'Rat Race' (above) got a play early on in the set and almost everyone was singing along, an ongoing theme throughout the gig.

Benji has always been a great front man for the band, it's very much a band that is built around him. He held the crowd immediately from the moment the first note was played and didn't relinquish that hold until the very end.

The older material was very well received, 'Selector', 'Pressure' (above) and 'Nobody' all got a run out in the warm up show. If you are lucky enough to see a band in a similar environment before they embark on a big tour, it's highly recommended.

The fact that Skindred will be playing at venues such as Brixton Academy and across Europe following this intimate affair gave this event a whole different dynamic. After the band played a final encore track of 'Warning', the mass exodus from the venue began as the heat inside the venue was pretty unbearable.

By far the most fun you can have on a Tuesday night, the plaudits must go out to the organisers for putting on a great band in Skindred who fully delivered on the night.  

Follow Andy on Twitter @OptimumDJ

Read: 'Review: Latitude Festival'