Skunk Anansie Are DJing A Kerrang! Basement Party To Bring In The New Year

Christmas is now a distant memory and your New Year hangover has started to subside, so it’s the perfect time to start thinking about what rock action lies ahead.

In order to ease you into the proceedings we’re hosting a New Year Edition of the Kerrang! Basement Party in association with Rizla+. And we’ve asked our good friends in Skunk Anansie to bring the noise.

The Britrock four-piece celebrate their 25th anniversary with the release of 25LIVE@25 on January 25 and, nine days earlier, on January 16 they’ll be laying down the tunes at one of our increasingly legendary Basement Parties.

The night will be held at venue in North London close to Kerrang! HQ, and you could win a pair of tickets and a bag full of swag which you’ll pick up on the night. All you need to do is to tell us what your favourite Skunk Anansie lyric is and why.

Email us your answers at feedback@kerrang.com in order to be entered in our prize draw (remember to place the word ‘Skunk’ in the subject line). Winners will be contacted by email on January 11.

In the meantime, if you’re wondering what you can expect from Skunk’s DJ set, then wonder no more, as here’s guitarist Ace spilling the beans on the fun they’re threatening to unleash…

You’re DJ-ing at the Kerrang! New Year Basement Party, what can people expect from your set?

"High-octane Skunking energy! Jumping, moshing and crazy dancing mash-up tunes! We’ll be drinking, dancing and hanging out with everyone! It’s gonna be a crazy fun night and we are really looking forward to it."

How do you approach your DJ sets?

"Thinking of tunes between us that will smash the dance floor and gradually accumulate to a thrashing crescendo of molten metal mayhem! Usually it’s our favourite choices from our personal collections. We’ll all be at the decks alternating our choices and raising a glass to the punters!"

What’s your go-to crowd-pleaser?

"Usually no-fail classics will be dropped at the crucial moment: Deftones' Shove It or System Of A Down's Chop Suey!."

And what’s the most ‘out-there’ track you’ve ever played and why?

"Probably Gay Bar by Electric Six because of the pure visceral energy of the track. It always goes down a storm!"

This year marks 25 years of Skunk. What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learnt as a band in that time?

"The secrets of looking after each other while having a great time touring and tearing places up! If you nurture your band and respect each others feelings and space, the bond will be strong and the music will flow for a long time."

Your new album, 25LIVE@25 is due out soon. What’s your favourite track on there, and what memories does it evoke?

"Probably Charlie Big Potato, as it sums up a lot of the elements of Skunk in one track, plus it was our progressive epic at the time it was written and has become a big live favourite with the fans as well as with the whole band.

"It reminds us of when we recorded it in Bearsville in New York and the energy of the construction of all the complex elements of it, but also of the hundreds of live shows where it has either blown the doors open at the front of a set, or brought the roof down at the end!"

Why did you choose to celebrate 25 years by releasing a live album?

"Our fans have been asking for a live record since the first LP and we just hadn’t gotten around to it. But now we have a wealth of material to go on it after eight LPs and we have our own record label, we thought it would be a good way to celebrate our 25th anniversary and do a whole bunch of festivals and live shows to back it up. Also we love to play live and it’s the essence of Skunk Anansie and what we are all about, so it’s good to get that out there too."

What else does 2019 hold in store for you as a band?

"A whole bunch of things: lots of European festivals, some of our own shows, press, TV shows and some more songwriting for the next studio LP. A busy year for the Skunks!"

For more information on Skunk Anansie’s 25th anniversary, new album, and live dates, visit Skunkanansie.com.

The small print: Competition Terms And Conditions

1. The promoter is Kerrang!/Wasted Talent Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 4333049 with its registered office at 90 – 92 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HS

2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of Kerrang! and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.

3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via email: feedback@kerrang.com

6. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.

7. Closing date for entry will be 10/1/2019 at 12pm. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.

8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.

9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows: email feedback@kerrang.com

10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.

11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.

12. The prize is as follows:

2X Tickets to the Rizla x Kerrang! Basement Party – New Year Edition 2X Goodie Bags supplied at the event

The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize without giving notice.

13. Winners will be chosen at random

14. As the Rizla x Kerrang! Christmas Party is an over 18s event, winners and their guests are required to bring a valid form of photographic ID (passport or drivers licence) to the event in order to gain entry on the night. For the avoidance of doubt, any winner and/or winner’s guest who fails or refuses to show a valid form of ID will be refused entry to the event and their tickets will not be accepted.

The winner will be notified by email on the 11/1/2019. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 1 day of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.

15. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.

16. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

17. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

18. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law, and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

19. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

20. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.

21. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Kerrang! and Rizla (Imperial Tobacco) and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the Privacy Policy.