It Takes Blood and Guts, Skin
It Takes Blood and Guts, Skin
List: $23.99 | Sale: $16.79
Club: $11.99

It Takes Blood and Guts

Author: Skin, Lucy O'Brien, Lucy O'Brien

Narrator: Skin

Abridged: 8 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/24/2020


Synopsis

'One of the most important females in British music of my lifetime.' Colin Murray 
'A beautiful, raw and exhilarating book that will leave you feeling empowered.' Fearne Cotton
‘The pioneering Skunk Anansie frontwoman’s memories offer a very different take on the Britpop era…Skin’s story is one of a rhomboid peg spurning both the round and square hole, drilling dimensions of her own…We now have a lot of language – intersectionality, microaggressions – to describe many of the events in this memoir. However, nothing can really equal candid, first-hand experience, recounted matter of factly here. It would be instructive for anyone who thought they knew the story of the 90s to spend 300 pages in Skin’s Skin.’ OBSERVER
‘The epic tale of Glastonbury’s Black British headliner… Skin is one of the Britpop decade’s forgotten epics… Skin’s feet are positioned firmly on the ground throughout; she’s a winningly genial, sweary soul on paper. 4 stars’ Jude Rogers, MOJO
‘The former Skunk Anansie singer pulls no punches in this heady trawl through her life from tough beginnings in Brixton to work as an LGBTQ+ activist and beyond’ The I
'It’s the story of a trailblazer, and gives a refreshingly re-angled perspective on the Britpop era.' Evening Standard, 'Best music books of 2020'

Lead singer of multi-million-selling rock band Skunk Anansie, solo artist, LGBTQ+activist and all around trail blazer – Skin is a global icon, and she has been smashing stereotypes for over twenty-five years. Her journey from Brixton to one of the most influential women in British rock is nothing short of extraordinary. 
 
‘It’s been a very difficult thing being a lead singer of a rock band looking like me and it still is. I have to say it’s been a fight and it will always be a fight. That fight drives you and makes you want to work harder… It’s not supposed to be easy, particularly if you’re a woman, you’re black or you are gay like me. You’ve got to keep moving forward, keep striving for everything you want to be.’
 
Born to Jamaican parents, Skin grew up in Brixton in the 1970’s. Her career as an artist began in the ‘90s, when Skunk Anansie was formed in the sweat-drenched backrooms of London’s pubs. Since then she has headlined Glastonbury and toured the world, both as lead singer of Skunk Anansie and as a solo artist.

Her success has been groundbreaking in every way, which has come at a personal cost. She has always been vocal about social and cultural issues, and was championing LGBTQ+ rights at a time when few artists were out and gay.
 
Told with honesty and passion, this is the story of how a gay, black, working-class girl with a vision fought poverty and prejudice to write songs, produce and front her own band, and become one of the most influential women in British rock.

About Skin

Skin is one of Britain’s leading and acclaimed rock singers. She is also a fashion icon, a renowned DJ, an actress and an activist. Born and brought up in Brixton, South London, she rejected the safe haven of soul/R&B session singing by diving headlong into hardcore rock. Since she emerged in the mid ‘90s with Skunk Anansie, Skin has been a groundbreaking presence. As well as fronting one of the UK’s most successful underground bands, Skin is a multi-talented artist and she is currently producing solo Techno music and preparing for an up-and-coming movie role.

About Lucy O'Brien

Lucy O'Brien is a writer, academic and author of She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music, Madonna: Like An Icon and in-depth biographies of Dusty Springfield and Annie Lennox. She has been a good friend of Skin’s since 1995, going to countless Skunk Anansie shows and festival dates. Lucy was a judge for the Penderyn Music Book Prize, 2018. She was one of the few female staff writers for NME and has contributed to numerous titles including Q, Mojo, NME, the Sunday Times and the Guardian.  


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bel on November 07, 2020

Turns out Skin from Skunk Anansie is awesome and inspiring. Who's surprised? I loved this honest and humble account of her life from shy girl in Brixton to global star. Skin talks in detail about what she learned, who she learned it from, and how hard she worked at everything. She explains how she f......more

Goodreads review by chantel on January 13, 2021

AMAZING. SKIN IS A BADASS. Wow, I can't believe how good this memoir was. It was so much fun. It was a wild ride through the 90s and the creation of a band that always made me feel seen growing up. Skin has lived a life, and she does so much more with this book than just give you a straight up self-......more

Goodreads review by Jonathan on January 05, 2024

As a super-fan of Skunk Anansie, I had to find a way of getting my grubby little hands on this gem. The genre of music that I have always gravitated to has always been rock most especially from the 90s; the alternative/grunge scene has always been my vibe. Though I was always miffed by the lack of d......more

Goodreads review by Guðrún on November 05, 2020

I almost didn't want to finish because I enjoyed it so much! I love how her lyrics are like a red thread throughout the book. I took special notice of how respectfully she talks about other people and other bands. Telling it like it was but without any added drama or ill will. Keeping it classy but i......more

Goodreads review by Joanne on October 18, 2020

God, I love Skin! Reading this was like sitting in a café, enjoying a warm drink and just listening to her talk. I thought I knew a lot about Skunk Anansie (and I do) but this book provided so many lovely, extra details.......more


Quotes

‘The epic tale of Glastonbury’s Black British headliner… Skin is one of the Britpop decade’s forgotten epics… Skin’s feet are positioned firmly on the ground throughout; she’s a winningly genial, sweary soul on paper. 4 stars’

‘The pioneering Skunk Anansie frontwoman’s memories offer a very different take on the Britpop era… Skin’s story is one of a rhomboid peg spurning both the round and square hole, drilling dimensions of her own… We now have a lot of language – intersectionality, microaggressions – to describe many of the events in this memoir. However, nothing can really equal candid, first-hand experience, recounted matter of factly here. It would be instructive for anyone who thought they knew the story of the 90s to spend 300 pages in Skin’s Skin.’

‘As a Black gay woman fronting 1990s rock band Skunk Anansie, Skin has broken her fair share of ground, but it has come at a personal cost. This is a story of resilience and courage, prejudice and passion’

'One of the most important females in British music of my lifetime.'

'A beautiful, raw and exhilarating book that will leave you feeling empowered.'

‘The former Skunk Anansie singer pulls no punches in this heady trawl through her life from tough beginnings in Brixton to work as an LGBTQ+ activist and beyond’