Live Review: Skinner - Shacklewell Arms, London 19/02/2025
Dublin-based artist, Skinner, banished the midweek blues on Wednesday by bringing his high-energy chaos to London’s Shacklewell Arms.
Skinner, the project of multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran, is currently touring the UK and Ireland after the release of his debut album New Wave Vaudeville back in January. The no-wave artist who has been, pardon the pun, making waves within the Irish music scene for a while now, is bringing his unique style across the Irish Sea and made sure to grace one of London’s most beloved venues, the Shacklewell Arms.
Burgeoning Brighton-based five-piece Canned Pineapple kicked things off before Skinner took centre stage underneath the Shacklewell Arms disco ball on Wednesday night. Their performance is high-energy, infectious, as lead vocalist, Cork man Seán Drury encourages the crowd to “get ready to rock” throughout. They’re a refreshing and necessary addition to the scuzzy, indie-rock scene, a band of friends out to make their mark and have a great time doing it. Performing tracks like Shubadooba, a frantic, guitar-heavy piece that is bound to be stuck in your head for days, their latest single Elvis, and My Only Favourite Girl, which has undertones similar to The Libertines, Canned Pineapple are a breath of fresh air to watch.
Skinner (Corcoran) and his posse take to the stage shortly after, and the venue has suitably filled up, as people squeeze closer together to watch the Irishman. It is safe to say that there is no one doing it quite like Skinner, who brings a slightly unhinged, madman approach to the no-wave, post-punk scene - and there is absolutely no shortage of talent from the man and his band either.
The set consisted predominantly of new tracks from the debut album New Wave Vaudeville, which is a masterpiece in its own right, but the collection is elevated when you hear AND see them played live. Corcoran jumps on the bongo drums almost immediately, introducing the familiar sound of the title track which is the opener for Skinner - it’s a concoction of energetic sounds and vocals which set the tone for the evening. Sour Milk allows Corcoran to showcase his never-ending set of skills. While he confesses “all I wanna do is smell the flowers / it’s funny how quick the milk turns sour” in a biting punchy tone, he simultaneously plays the guitar, the bongo drums and at some point also whips a cowbell out. Impressive doesn’t quite do him justice.
While Corcoran is clearly a powerhouse, the band he has supporting him can’t go unnoticed. A mix of perfectly paced drums, rich bass, gritty guitar and the smooth addition of the sax really brings the show to life, which is evident during the performance of Jesus Wore Drag. The opening guitar is pretty naughty, and it all comes together when the snare of the drum is heard before Corcoran’s raspy vocals start - but the real cherry on top for this track is the saxophonist, who looks every bit the type of character you’d meet in downtown New York, donning a pair of dark shades as he cruises along the stage, sax in hand.
The frontman jokes with the crowd that they’re about to play a traditional Irish folk song next, as he introduces Tell My Ma, stating they were going to try and do The Dubliner's rendition. However, Skinner’s version of Tell My Ma is the furthest from Irish folk that you can get…and it’s class. Its chaos brought to life, all distorted sounds and fury. Corcoran scream-sings the lyrics in a pure rage, protest-like. It’s a flurry of commotion for all of one minute and thirty seconds.
Corcoran swaps his guitar out for the bass as the band slow it down, or as slow as an act like Skinner can go, for the track Spiralling. It’s a slow builder of a song, a rich bass, a barely there drumbeat, Corcoran’s vocals are crisp, deep, heavy, while the sax adds a dreamy, soft touch before the track reaches its pinnacle - the band coming together in a fury, playing us out until there’s nothing left but Corcoran plucking the bass alone once again.
Skinner continues to impress, giving the crowd exactly what they came for, performing a German cover as well as a brand-new song. His talent knows no bounds, his love for experimentation is evident throughout the performance. From the cowbell to occasionally running the whammy bar from his guitar along the strings to create a variation of distorted sound, it’s a privilege to witness.
The performance of each track is a unique one, from Corcoran holding his guitar pick between his teeth as he furiously hits the bongo drums with drumsticks during Geek Love, to the impressive display of his vocal range during Calling in Sick. The latter is a fiery track, a foot stomper with lyrics to boot “calling in sick / boss is a prick / work like a dog and get treated like shit” - we’ve all been there, right? Here Comes the Rain, the penultimate track of the evening, gives the crowd a moment to reflect on what they have just witnessed, which is nothing short of something special.
When the show ends, the energy in the room slowly deflates, clearly, the crowd could have stayed there all night, mesmerised by Skinner. A couple of people in the crowd plead for “one more tune” as the full lights come on. Everyone’s slow to leave, lingering, soaking in what they’ve just seen, the ghost of the sax, the clink of the cowbell, still ringing in everyone’s ears.
There is no one quite like Skinner, whose unique, fearless take on post-punk music is well and truly needed. It’s hard to put into words the magic of seeing Skinner live, it’s not exciting or impressive, it’s something so much more.
Words and Photography by Angela English
