Back in the late seventies and early eighties, Scottish punk band The Skids brought a sense of melody and mischief to the charts with their blend of powerful and energetic music punctuated with the distinctive vocals of Richard Jonson and the unmistakable guitar sound of guitarist Stuart Adamson.

Fittingly, the concert at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union coincided with the release of Stay Alive: The Life and Death of Stuart Adamson, Scott Rowley’s autobiography of the singer and guitarist who went on to greater success with Big Country. Adamson committed suicide in December 2001 in Honolulu after hanging himself with an electrical cord found in the wardrobe in the hotel he was staying in. He was only 43 years old at the time.

The Skids third album, The Absolute Game became their most successful album, released in 1980. The album became a top ten fixture in the charts, with the current tour celebrating the success of the influential album.

Now aged sixty-five, Jobson still danced around the stage like a boxer warming up in the boxing ring, though tonight he and the rest of the band still had some killer blows to deliver in the shape of Hurry On Boys, Circus Games and The Saints Are Coming – the latter being later covered by Green Day and U2.

Guitarist Connor Whyte had a significant challenge to take on for the late departed Adamson; his dexterity and skill in performing the tracks would have impressed Adamson, as Jobson affirmed, “I am sure Stuart will be looking proudly on down from the afterlife tonight."

The warmth and sincerity displayed by Jobson made the night even more special and interactive – his wit and personality would aid him as a good after-dinner speaker.

Into The Valley sounded as regal as ever; TV Stars might not be “the worst song ever written", as Jobson described, since it name-checks many former Coronation Street stars, while Working For The Yankee Dollar features a lyric that is more pertinent now than when the song was written in the late seventies.

Rather than being just a nostalgic trip, tonight proved that with determination, delivery and dedication, recreating the past – when in the right hands – can work superbly without tarnishing the band’s reputation.

As The Olympian closed a formidable set, tonight in Leeds, the Skids were definitely more than alright.

The Skids play the following date:
Saturday 18th April - Grand Central Hall, Liverpool

https://skidsofficial.com/tour