Punk legends Skids will celebrate their landmark third studio album, The Absolute Game, with 12 special gigs across the UK, starting this week.
Originally released in 1980, it became Skids’ most commercially successful release, peaking at No 9 on the UK Albums Chart and cementing their place as one of the most inventive bands of their generation.
Featuring hit singles Circus Games, Goodbye Civilian, and A Woman in Winter, The Absolute Game captured the raw spirit and ambition of Skids at their creative peak.
More than four decades on, the band is bringing the iconic album back to the stage, offering fans a rare chance to experience it live in full force.
I was lucky enough to see the Skids perform a warm-up gig for The Absolute Game tour at Newcastle in October, and they were on fire. It’s reviewed HERE.
Formed in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1977, Skids quickly made their mark with a run of excellent singles. These included Into The Valley, The Saints Are Coming — later reimagined by U2 and Green Day — alongside Masquerade, Working For The Yankee Dollar, Animation, and Charade.
The celebrations extend beyond the stage. To coincide with the tour, Glasgow label Last Night From Glasgow is re-releasing The Absolute Game, giving fans the chance to rediscover the album in a new light.
Frontman Richard Jobson is also publishing a memoir – also titled The Absolute Game – offering insights into the writing, recording, and touring of the record. His new novel The Alabama Song, illustrated by Jonny Hannah, will also be available throughout the tour.
Recent tributes to Skids’ enduring legacy include Dunfermline Athletic FC unveiling a new strip inspired by their debut album Scared to Dance, with all Skids’ profits donated to The White Ribbon Charity, which works to end male violence against women.
Meanwhile, a new documentary directed by Mark Sloper will premiere at Edinburgh’s Cameo Cinema on October 1 before being shown on Sky Arts.
At all but one of The Absolute Game shows Skids will have legendary post-punk group Au Pairs as special guests – their first shows in over four decades.
Formed in Birmingham in 1978, Au Pairs became one of the most influential bands of the post-punk era, fronted by vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Lesley Woods, who was once described as “one of the most striking women in British rock”.
The only show where they won’t appear is at London’s Electric Ballroom on 30 January, where Skids will be joined by The Vapors.
Tickets for all dates on the Skids’ The Absolute Game tour are available HERE.
