Skindred Turn Alexandra Palace Into A Halloween Riot Of Riffs, Rags And Pure Unfiltered Joy
Alexandra Palace – 31st October 2026
IMAGES / WORDS ALAN BRYCE
Halloween at Alexandra Palace has witnessed all manner of spectacles over the years, but few have matched the sheer communal delirium unleashed by Skindred on 31 October 2026. The Welsh ragga-metal institution arrived in north London not as survivors of an era, nor as elder statesmen of an alternative scene, but as a band still operating on pure instinct and kinetic force. In a musical landscape increasingly obsessed with algorithms, demographics and carefully tailored audiences, Skindred remain gloriously, stubbornly human. Their music is sweat, movement, laughter, defiance and release. For two and a half hours Ally Pally ceased being a concert venue and became a living organism, fuelled by bass frequencies and collective joy.
The evening began with the unlikely but welcome sight of Spineshank returning to a British stage. They emerged from the shadows like ghosts from the early-2000s metal boom, except there was nothing faded about their performance. What might have been a nostalgia trip instead became a demonstration of just how ahead of their time they were. Their fusion of industrial rhythms, electronic textures and crushing guitar work felt surprisingly contemporary, with every riff landing like a hydraulic press. Jonny Santos sounded possessed, effortlessly shifting between soaring melodies and bursts of venomous aggression. The band's mechanical precision created an atmosphere of tension that gripped the crowd from the first note. Songs once associated with the dying days of MTV now sounded revitalised in the vast space of Alexandra Palace, every electronic pulse bouncing around the hall like a warning signal from some dystopian future. Support slots often feel like obligations for audiences arriving early, but Spineshank won over the room through sheer force of delivery, leaving behind a crowd significantly more animated than the one they inherited.
Alien Ant Farm provided a complete tonal shift, bringing warmth, humour and infectious melody where Spineshank brought steel and machinery. For years they have unfairly existed in the public imagination as little more than the band responsible for a famous Michael Jackson cover, yet their set served as a reminder of just how criminally underrated they remain. Dryden Mitchell stalked the stage with a combination of mischief and gratitude, looking genuinely thrilled to be performing. The chemistry between the band members felt completely natural, the product of decades spent learning exactly how each other think and move. Their songs carried an effortless sense of fun without sacrificing musical muscle. Huge choruses rolled through the crowd, drawing singalongs from fans old enough to remember the band's breakthrough and younger concertgoers discovering them for the first time. When "Smooth Criminal" inevitably arrived, the reaction bordered on euphoric, but what was striking was how naturally it blended with their own material rather than overshadowing it. By the time they left the stage, Alien Ant Farm had achieved the difficult feat of feeling both nostalgic and strangely fresh, proving that good songs often outlive the scenes that first produced them.
Then came Skindred.
The lights dropped, the anticipation peaked and "My People" exploded from the stage like a starter pistol. Instantly the hall belonged to Benji Webbe. There are frontmen, and then there are forces of nature. Benji remains one of the most charismatic performers Britain has ever produced, capable of commanding thousands while making it feel as though he's addressing every individual in the room personally. The opening moments transformed Alexandra Palace into a giant celebration as voices roared back every lyric with evangelical enthusiasm.
"Set Fazers" and "Ratrace" followed, both delivered with staggering intensity. The band's chemistry remains extraordinary. Guitarist Mikey Demus unleashed riff after riff with surgical precision while drummer Arya Goggin provided the locomotive power driving everything forward. What makes Skindred unique remains their refusal to recognise musical boundaries. Metal riffs collide with reggae grooves, dancehall rhythms and punk energy without ever feeling awkward or forced. It is less fusion and more natural evolution.
"This Is The Sound" generated one of the first truly massive responses of the evening, thousands of bodies moving as one while Benji orchestrated the chaos with a conductor's confidence. A thrilling "Pressure" segued into AC/DC's "Back In Black", creating one of those moments that only Skindred could pull off without seeming gimmicky. The transition felt entirely logical because Skindred's entire career has been built on tearing down barriers between genres.
"That's My Jam" and "Big Em Up" pushed the atmosphere further into celebration mode. Every song seemed designed to inspire movement. Every rhythm demanded participation. The audience complied enthusiastically. "Radio 01633" arrived as both hometown anthem and declaration of identity, a reminder that despite international success, Skindred have never abandoned the Newport roots that shaped them.
By the time "Jump" arrived, Alexandra Palace appeared to be physically moving. Floors shook beneath thousands of simultaneously airborne fans. Drinks flew through the air. Security staff exchanged that familiar look suggesting they had long since given up attempting to impose order.
Yet amid the mayhem, Skindred have never forgotten the emotional side of their music. "You Got This" delivered one of the night's most powerful moments. In lesser hands positivity can feel artificial or patronising. In Skindred's world it feels earned through years of struggle and perseverance. The song transformed the giant venue into something strangely intimate, a collective affirmation disguised as a rock anthem.
The final run of the main set was almost absurd in its effectiveness. "Broke", "Kill The Power", "Can I Get A" and "Nobody" arrived as an uninterrupted barrage of crowd favourites. "Kill The Power" felt particularly potent, its message resonating with renewed force, while "Nobody" produced one of the loudest singalongs of the night. The opening riff alone generated a roar capable of lifting the roof.
The encore began with "Gimme That Boom", a suitably explosive return, but everyone knew what was coming. The opening notes of "Warning" immediately triggered hysteria. Then came the Newport Helicopter. T-shirts spinning above heads across the vast hall, transforming Alexandra Palace into a swirling sea of fabric and movement. It remains one of the most ridiculous traditions in modern music. It is also one of the most beautiful. Looking around at people of every age and background participating with complete abandon, it was impossible not to be swept up in the sheer joy of it all.
What Skindred achieved on this Halloween night was more than a concert. It was a reminder of what live music can still be when it escapes the confines of commerce, branding and manufactured cool. They turned a giant Victorian palace into a temporary nation ruled by unity, energy and groove. As the final notes rang out and the house lights returned, thousands of smiling faces slowly drifted towards the exits, exhausted but exhilarated.
Many bands can fill Alexandra Palace. Very few can make it feel like the centre of the world for an evening.
Skindred did exactly that. And on the evidence of this extraordinary performance, they are still getting better.
SET LIST
My People
Set Fazers
Ratrace
This IS The Sound
Pressure/Back In Black
That’s My Jam
Big Em Up
Radio 01633
Jump
You Got This
Broke
Kill The Power
Can I get A
Nobody
ENCORE
Gimme That Boom
Warning
CONNECT SKINDRED
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