Singer hails ‘wonderful experience’

The Skids played their first live gig in Dunfermline in August 1977.

The iconic post-punk band, founded by the late Stuart Adamson with Bill Simpson, Tam Kellichan and Richard Jobson, enjoyed their first big success with Into the Valley in 1979.

Other anthems included Working for the Yankee Dollar and Masquerade.

But for frontman Richard Jobson, 56, and the modern line-up of Bill Simpson, Mike Baillie, Bruce Watson and Jamie Watson, the 40th anniversary tour is about far more than nostalgia with August seeing the release of Burning Cities – the first album from The Skids in 35 years.

Originally the idea was to do a couple of gigs.

But it has developed into a full blown tour and Richard has been struck by the way the old songs now seem as relevant as ever in today’s troubled political climate.

“It’s been awesome – a wonderful experience,” he said.

“The music itself is incredibly physical. It’s physically exhausting music. It’s very powerful. We certainly put a shift in.

“When I go on stage I’m definitely 16. I just wish I was 16 when I come off the stage,” he said.

“People will say to me things like ‘are those leather trousers you’re wearing’ because they are just drenched in sweat.

“That’s as much to do with the power of the music and the whole passion of the thing.

“But it’s great just watching people reliving a moment in their own lives that was very important to them.”