Dunfermline, Scotland · punk · post-punk

Skids

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Richard Jobson's theatrical Scottish punk, with guitar lines that would later become Big Country — 'Into the Valley' still a rallying cry.

Skids formed in Dunfermline in 1977, with vocalist Richard Jobson and guitarist Stuart Adamson joined by bassist William Simpson and drummer Thomas Kellichan. They played their first gig at the Bellville Hotel in August 1977, and within six months had released the Charles EP on the local label No Bad Records, which caught the attention of BBC DJ John Peel and led to a support slot with the Clash.

Signed to Virgin Records in 1978, the band moved past its punk origins quickly: "Sweet Suburbia" and "The Saints Are Coming" built momentum before "Into the Valley" reached the UK top ten in early 1979. Adamson's ringing, melodic guitar lines and Jobson's declamatory delivery set Skids apart from their London contemporaries. "The Saints Are Coming" was later covered by U2 and Green Day as a charity single in 2006.

Their debut album, Scared to Dance, was recorded at London's Townhouse Studios in 1979 with producer David Batchelor. Adamson left before the guitar overdubs were finished, and session player Chris Jenkins completed four tracks in his place, though Adamson returned for the tour that followed. "Masquerade" and "Working for the Yankee Dollar" kept the band in the UK top twenty later that year.

Days in Europa, produced by Bill Nelson, followed in 1979 after Kellichan's departure; Rusty Egan, later of Visage, and keyboardist Alistair Moore filled in before drummer Mike Baillie joined permanently. The album's cover and lyrics drew accusations of Nazi imagery, prompting a redesign, a remix and the involvement of Canadian producer Bruce Fairbairn before its release.

The Absolute Game followed in 1980 and stands with "Into the Valley" as the band's most enduring work. Adamson left Skids to form Big Country, carrying the guitar sound he had built here into that band's signature style, while Jobson later led reunited versions of Skids, including a 40th-anniversary tour in 2016.

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