Skunk Anansie | Garbage: Delamere Forest, Cheshire – Live

Skunk Anansie | Garbage | Du Blonde
Delamere Forest Live
18th June 2026

Two of alternative rock’s most enduring and influential bands, Skunk Anansie and Garbage, deliver a joint headline show against the stunning backdrop of Delamere Forest that’s as powerful, emotional and politically charged as it is entertaining. Claire Glover and Melanie Smith from Louder Than War check it out, and discover there are gigs and then there are nights like this that feel genuinely special.

Part of the ever-popular Forest Live series, which brings world-class artists into some of the UK’s most beautiful woodland settings, the event offers a unique opportunity to experience live music surrounded by nature. Despite threatening skies and changeable weather throughout the day, the rain stays away, the sun peeks through, and a fantastic atmosphere fills the forest clearing.

Opening the show is Newcastle-born multi-disciplinary artist Du Blonde. She immediately grabs the attention of the steadily growing crowd with a set packed full of grit, grunge, punk attitude and infectious pop hooks. Supported by a driving rhythm section and twin female guitar attack, songs such as Live Wire and The Next Big Thing showcase Du Blonde’s knack for combining introspective lyricism with huge choruses and expertly crafted guitar work. Their energetic performance gets the audience clapping along and sets the tone perfectly for what’s to come.

As darkness begins to descend among the trees, Garbage take to the stage beneath a giant octopus backdrop, accompanied by dramatic strobe lighting and a roar of anticipation from the crowd. Shirley Manson emerges wearing black and red plaid trousers and a “Stop Killing Children” T-shirt in support of Gaza’s Orphan Care Program, immediately signalling that this will be a performance with both heart and purpose. The band’s blend of alternative rock, electronica and grunge remains as distinctive as ever. Tracks such as Empty, I Think I’m Paranoid and Stupid Girl sound as fresh and ferocious as they did three decades ago, with Manson commanding the stage through every snarling vocal and razor- sharp lyric. Lovesong, their beautifully dark interpretation of The Cure classic, provides one of many highlights.

Manson’s connection with the audience is evident throughout, especially as she walks amongst the crowd at the front and down the centre holding hands and engaging with everyone. At one point she halts proceedings after spotting concerns within the crowd, checking on fans’ wellbeing and even encouraging younger audience members to protect their hearing. “I know it’s annoying,” she laughs, “but your hearing is precious. One day you’ll be as old as me, and you’ll be glad you took care of it.” The moment perfectly encapsulates the warmth and humanity that has always underpinned Garbage’s music. She also pays tribute to both Du Blonde and their co-headliners Skunk Anansie. “We’re enormous fans of them as musicians and as people. We’ve known each other since we were all very, very young and to finally share the stage with these people is a profound honour.”

Community, compassion and gratitude become recurring themes throughout the set. Manson speaks passionately about the importance of looking after one another, declaring that “community is everything”, before leading the audience through a thunderous rendition of Only Happy When It Rains, with thousands singing every word back at the stage. An emotional Manson hints that performances on this scale may be becoming rarer for the band, admitting they are “too old” for many more shows like this, adding an extra poignancy to an already memorable set.

If Garbage deliver elegance, emotion and attitude, Skunk Anansie arrive like a force of nature. From the opening moments of This Means War, the atmosphere shifts up another gear. Skin remains one of the most captivating frontwomen in rock music. Looking and sounding phenomenal, she stalks the stage with boundless energy, her powerful voice effortlessly moving from soulful vulnerability to explosive punk aggression. Backed by a band operating at the very peak of their powers, Skunk Anansie produce a masterclass in rock performance. Charlie Big Potato, Because Of You and the brilliant single An Artist Is An Artist demonstrate just how seamlessly the band blend hard rock, punk, funk and alternative influences into something uniquely their own.

As ever, Skin uses the stage as a platform to address issues close to her heart. Speaking passionately about human rights, equality and the dangers of political power being pursued purely for its own sake, she reminds everyone why Skunk Anansie have always been one of Britain’s most fiercely intelligent and uncompromising bands. The emotional intensity of I Can Dream and Love Someone Else contrasts beautifully with the singalong catharsis of Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good) and Weak, both of which prompt huge audience reactions. There is also room for outright fun, with a blistering cover of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell sending the crowd into overdrive before the politically charged Yes It’s F*ing Political reaffirms the band’s enduring relevance.

By the time Intellectualise My Blackness brings this amazing vibe towards a close, Delamere Forest has witnessed two bands proving that age, experience and longevity can be powerful creative assets rather than limitations. Garbage and Skunk Anansie may have emerged from the alternative explosion of the 1990s, but on this evidence neither band is remotely interested in becoming a nostalgia act. Both continue to challenge, inspire and connect with audiences through exceptional musicianship, fearless honesty and performances overflowing with talent and passion. In a beautiful forest setting filled with community spirit, powerful messages and outstanding raw, powerful music, this is Forest Live at its absolute best.

Please note: Use of these images in any form without permission is illegal. If you wish to contact the photographer, please email: mudkissphotos@gmail.com © Melanie Smith / Mudkiss Photos All rights reserved

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Skunk Anansie can be found at Twitter |Facebook | and their website here:
Garbage can be found online here: www.garbage.com. They’re also on Facebook and tweet here:
Du Blonde can be found at her website, on Twitter and Facebook.

All words by Claire Glover. More writing by Claire on Louder Than War can be found at her author profile here. You can also find her on Twitter

All photos by Melanie Smith – Louder Than War | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Portfolio