In a revealing interview with The Times, Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin has opened up about her band's troubling experience supporting the Sex Pistols during their 1996 Australian tour.
What initially seemed like a dream opportunity for the rising London rock band quickly descended into what Skin describes as a "horrendous" ordeal, marked by racist abuse and violence from audience members.
The singer recounts disturbing scenes of Nazi salutes from crowds during performances, with Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten notably remaining silent about the behavior. "Seeing the audience doing Nazi salutes every night really wore me down," Skin told The Times.
The situation reached its breaking point in Adelaide at the Thebarton Theatre. After enduring consistent racist abuse throughout the tour, Skin was attacked by a Sex Pistols fan while watching the headliners perform. The confrontation, which involved the fan removing her hat and throwing beer at her, led to a physical alteration and Skunk Anansie's removal from the tour.
"I lost it," Skin admitted, reflecting on the incident. "I'd faced the vilest racist abuse every single gig, so I smashed him right in the face."
While the experience with the Sex Pistols' audience was overwhelmingly negative, Skin noted that guitarist Steve Jones showed support by checking on the band's wellbeing after shows. The security team also attempted to protect them by warning about potentially dangerous audience members.
The revelations come as Skunk Anansie prepares to release their seventh album, "The Painful Truth," scheduled for May 23 via FLG Records, while currently performing on their UK headline tour.