Hopped the pond: The Skints start tour in Biggest Little City

Tony COntini / Tahoe Onstage — The Skints’ new album is doing swimmingly, reaching the top of the reggae charts.
Tony Contini / Tahoe Onstage photos

The Skints from London took the stage at Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor in Reno to Fox’s X-Men cartoon series’ theme song. The set got even more badass from there.

The Skints are a reggae fusion four-piece featuring three talented vocalists. Marcia Richards swings her braids while singing, playing multiple keyboards and whacking drum pads — key hits with her right hand and wobbly bubble noises and drum fills with her left.

This is their first headlining tour in the United States and the second time they’ve played in Reno.

“There’s nothing quite like Reno in the UK,” guitarist Joshua Waters Rudge said.

Not only is their most recent release “Swimming Lessons“ the top reggae album in the U.S. (beating out a who’s who of reggae greats like Rebelution, Shaggy, Santigold and Sting & Shaggy), they also know how to get a crowd involved.

“Biggest little city in the world!” Rudge yelled. “If you love this town make some noise!”

Richards, Rudge and drummer Jamie Kyriakides can all deliver lightning fast vocals.

Rudge is thin with a tight haircut. He’s energetic on the mic and keen on flailing around the stage. When he chatted with the crowd, he sounded like any ole bloke, but when he sang, he could sound like Ali G. At one point he gave Reno a “big ups.” That means we’re cool, I’m pretty sure of it.

They played fun songs that mixed reggae, dub, rap and punk with great harmonies, reverbed piercing drum hits and mile-a-minute articulate prose. The types of songs that make you watch all of their music videos on Youtube when you get home.

Reno’s Seedless 10denC opened for the touring guests. They got the crowd dancing and bobbing their heads the way only reggae can induce.

Their seven-piece group filled the stage with something engaging from left to right. Their percussion is on-point, the guitar leads are dynamic and Rick Metz’s saxophone is enthralling.

Grady Holdridge writes passionate songs and means what he says.

Just another fantastic night of music in Reno, Nevada.

— Tony Contini