Skunk Anansie's Skin announced as keynote speaker at The Great Escape 2025
Groundbreaking rock artist Skin will appear as a keynote speaker at this year's The Great Escape festival in Brighton, where her band Skunk Anansie will also headline The Independent's stage in a rare intimate performance.
The iconic frontwoman will sit down with The Independent's Music Editor Roisin O'Connor to discuss her extraordinary career and the many milestones she has achieved over the years, including becoming the first Black British woman to headline Glastonbury Festival in 1999.
In the exclusive keynote conversation, which will be held on Friday 16 May, Skin will offer insights into the tumultuous period that shaped Skunk Anansie's new album, The Painful Truth, which is scheduled for release on 23 May, as well as offering her views on the music industry today.
The news comes as part of an announcement for the conference that a number of other new speakers, including representatives from Warner Music, UK Music and the BBC.
Previously announced are high-profile names including Rizzle Kicks star and author Jordan Stephens, and Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins and co-founder of the record label Bella Union.
Skunk Anansie's TGE performance will mark the only chance fans have to see the band in an intimate club setting as part of their sold-out UK tour.
'I don't care that we were big in the Nineties,' Skin said in a statement about their album, The Painful Truth. 'Creatively it's irrelevant because in my rock bible the first commandment states, 'If thy rest on them laurels thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally. And then financially.''
Meanwhile, The Independent is returning for the third consecutive year as The Great Escape's exclusive news partner, bringing readers the latest coverage of the event along with interviews and special offers.
This year's TGE festival will include an additional day of music on Wednesday 14 May, offering guests a chance to discover a wealth of new bands and artists in some of Brighton's best-loved music venues.
The Great Escape Festival takes place between 14 to 17 May; tickets are on sale now.
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