Skunk Anansie in Kostrzyn: rock energy and music crossing cultural boundaries

Although they quickly climbed the charts, with singles in the Top 40 and albums in the Top 10—“Paranoid & Sunburnt” in 1995, “Stoosh” in 1996 and “Post-Organsimic Chill” in 1999—the band owe their formidable reputation to their devastating live performances. One milestone came in 1997, when Skunk Anansie became the first foreign mixed-race band to tour South Africa. That year, they played 3 concerts in packed stadiums, returning in 1998 to perform at Nelson Mandela’s 80th birthday celebrations. They reached the pinnacle of their career a year later, headlining the legendary Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

Skunk Anansie are one of the few bands capable of taking complete control of a stage and its audience, making it only natural for them to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary with a special record of live concert recordings. “25 At 25” is a collection of live versions of Skunk Anansie hits drawn from the British band’s six studio albums. It includes politically charged songs such as “Little Baby Swastika” and “Selling Jesus”, emotionally intense tracks including “Weak” and “Hedonism” (“Just Because You Feel Good”), and true band anthems such as “I Can Dream” and “Charlie Big Potato”. “25 At 25” was recorded at the group’s performances across Europe.

Although 25 years have passed since Skunk Anansie shot to international fame, the band still have power and remain one of the music industry's key forces. “25 At 25” is living proof, pulsing with energy and vitality, that Skunk Anansie have no equal.

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