The Skinner Brothers at Oslo review: a band that deserves its shot at the big time
“Are there any football fans in the house?” asked lead vocalist Zac Skinner before belting out Aways Days on last night’s London leg of the UK and Ireland tour for indie rock band The Skinner Brothers.
The 400 packed into the Oslo Hackney duly obliged and joined in the football anthem and most looked like they had played 90 minutes by the end of the gig with sweat coming out of every pore.
This was not an evening for standing on the sidelines as Skinner aka Soul Boy – who used to listen to Millwall supporters songs while working in the Five Bells in Newcross – controlled proceedings and led from the front with a mixture of ska, grime and rock, sometimes banging them in the top corner, sometimes playing soft passes.
Skinner has a range and variety in his voice and his clever, opinionated and funny lyrics begs the question how the band have yet to secure a significant record deal despite having toured with the Libertines and supported Kasabian.
Formed in 2018 by frontman Skinner, with roots in the capital but now calling Manchester home, the slightly mysterious band all wear masks and go by the names ‘Unit’ (lead guitar), #46 (bass) and #47 (drums) and the Buzzard (DJ).
They are a family-run small enterprise with Skinner’s wife Claira acting as manager, merch salesperson and head of PR and social.
Skinner himself has his own view on the music industry: “They won’t help me so I won’t help them”, which might explain why they are still independent.
Skinner described his musical influences are “everything and anything – from jazz to Frank Zappa, Motorhead, garage rock and Britpop’ and he served up a bit of everything last night.
They opened with Put Me Down as a Maybe which drew attention after appearing on Soccer AM on Sky Sports. There was a touch of irony during JK: “People used to have a fucking backbone. Now they film shows on their iphone,” sang Skinner as a lady at the front of the stage was doing just that – perplexingly filming the entire show.
Skinner mixed up the set brilliantly with banging tracks Prawn Soup, Mississippi Mud Pie Blues and XL Bully from the latest Soul Boy IV album bringing the mosh pit right into the game and he was able to turn it down a notch with Away Days, Stupid Much and Tears in Her Tonic.
The finale Mark of the Beast drew the frenzied finish of a late goal in injury time at the New Den but sadly there was no extra time or rather the encore the crowd was demanding.
The Skinner Brothers deserve their shot at playing in the Premier League and Soul Boy’s talent needs a bigger stage. To do that, though, he might need to get a little better at playing the music game.