Skindred

In the organizer's words:

Support: Alien Ant Farm

Presented by Rock Antenne

In August 2023, British ragga-metal legends Skindred fought a hard-fought race to number one in the UK album charts with their colossal eighth album "Smile". With incredible support from the rock and metal community - including endorsements from Metallica, Rage Against The Machine and Disturbed as well as Kerrang!, NME and Metal Hammer - the band landed at number 2 in the UK album charts. They also reached #1 in the Official UK Rock & Metal Charts, the Independent Album Charts, the Official Download Charts and the Vinyl Charts, outselling most of the UK's biggest and most established rock artists.

All of this followed an incredible, career-defining year for Skindred, which saw them win Best British Live Act at the Heavy Music Awards and perform as special guests on their final UK tour with rock legends Kiss. The band also graced the cover of Kerrang! magazine for the first time in their career and performed their single Gimme That Boom on BBC 2's Later... with Jools Holland. Singer Benji Webbe also appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and the band were guests on BBC Breakfast,

Plus, the band's '00s hit "Nobody" saw an electrifying resurgence following a viral TikTok dance trend that saw the band rack up more than 14 million clicks on the Skindred hashtag in a matter of weeks. (Even in the final weeks of 2024, one person dancing to Skindred's classic Nobody amassed 32 million views on their Insta account).

The band's album "Smile" proves that a band that makes for a good time every time will continue to endure. "When I look into a crowd, whether it's in a small room or at a festival, the one thing I notice is the smiles," says Skindred's formidable frontman Benji. For him, and for Skindred - who are rounded out by guitarist Mikey Demus, bassist Daniel Pugsley and drummer Arya Goggin - it's about consistency and legacy. "Life is about hearing that our music has encouraged people and gotten them through dark times. But even when we're done and no longer alive, people will still be listening to this music. That thought makes me smile."