It is dark, windy, and raining. It is absolutely Baltic. But that does not stop the winding queue of fans circling the path around Swansea’s Patti Pavilion, all eager to get inside for tonight’s sold-out show of Skindred, Snayx and Strange Company.
Skindred – Snayx – Strange Company
Patti Pavilion, Swansea – 18 October 2025
Words And Photography: Georgia Brittain
Fifteen minutes past doors, and the venue is already packed out for openers, Strange Company. I am already fighting my way through the crowd to take my place in the photo pit.
Strange Company
Strange Company have a solid mix of clean and scream vocals and riffs that make you bounce your head along. They mention they usually play smaller venues, and you would not actually be able to tell with the energy they are bringing to the stage.
They are all clearly thrilled to be here and bask in every moment. Strange Company decide on a slower song, announcing on stage, “let’s calm it down a bit,” which is a bold move for an opener. But the crowd does not seem to mind.
Ultimately, Strange Company are a great local addition to the lineup, and I look forward to seeing where these guys go.
Snayx
Next up, we have Snayx, which consists of only three members: a vocalist, drummer and bassist. I have no idea what genre these guys are playing, but it is passing the head nod check.
I find myself pleasantly surprised by what Snayx are putting out there, especially as I do not consider myself a fan of rap. Their second song is one that sticks in my head, which I later searched up on Spotify to see it is called Sink Or Swim.
I have full reign of the photo pit and find myself involuntarily head nodding that bit more than usual, and turn to face the crowd to see every single person in my eyesight doing the same thing.
It is not long before a mosh pit breaks out. These are one of those bands where you do not have a god damn clue what genre is being played, but everyone can vibe with it.
This is later confirmed as we get a tribute to the late Keith Flint (The Prodigy), with a cover of Breathe, which Snayx have made their own. The Prodigy are one of those bands that fans of all genres just love.
I find myself chasing the two standing members all over the stage, trying to get a shot. The energy and stage presence are immeasurable. “Who’s heard of us before?” we are asked, to a crowd of silence. A first I have ever (not) heard, but there are absolutely masses of new fans after their set tonight.
On their last song, I actually find myself disappointed it is over, and I know I will be seeing these guys again at some point in the near future.
Skindred
Finally, after a 30-minute changeover and a sit-down in my cushy crowd-free area cause my back cannot take all this standing anymore (my God, I’m old), it is time for the almighty Skindred to come to the stage.
Skindred are as fun as ever, as bouncy as ever, and Benji’s stage outfits are as extravagant as ever. They take to the stage to common opener Set Fazers, which results in an instant sing along from the crowd.
Stand For Something comes next, and the crowd starts to get that little bit rowdier. When it is time for Ninja, the third song of the set, the crowd breaks into a wildness like no other, and I find myself pinned to one side of the photo pit due to the sheer amount of crowdsurfers, which keep coming and do not stop.
The energy the band and crowd give each other is something that can only be witnessed at a Skindred show.
A couple of songs in, we get a small medley over the PA of what I call your classic rock club songs, all cutting off just before they kick in with Benji announcing at each “I know you all now this one,” (think Psychosocial, Master of Puppets, etc).
After the band keep teasing us, it cuts off to a “fuck off, you’re at a Skindred show”, typical of Benji’s stage banter. We have a couple of teases and banters from the band, though unfortunately, I miss a couple of speeches due to where I am standing, thanks to the delay and echo from the stage to the sound systems.
But what is important is the tunes coming out, and they pick right back up with Kill The Power and Nobody. The crowdsurfers slow down, but do not stop coming, and the mosh pit remains as big as it started since the start of the setlist.
For our final songs, we are treated to one of my favourite songs to hear live, Gimme That Boom, and of course, ending with the classic Warning, where you will always see someone doing the Newport helicopter from start to finish.
One of my favourite things to witness about the Newport helicopter is the joy on people’s faces who have never experienced it before. It never gets old, Skindred never get old, the only thing that gets old is my damn aching back.
It hurts to be nearly 30.
