RAGGA-ROCK legends Skindred stop at O2 Guildhall, Southampton tomorrow as part of their Start the Machine UK tour.

The band – formed in Newport in 1998 – is currently made up of Benji Webbe on lead vocals, Daniel Pugsley on bass, programming and backing vocals, Mikey Demus on guitars and backing vocals and Arya Goggin on drums.

Their style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and reggae, with integrate elements of hardcore punk, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip-hop, drum and bass, dubstep and various other influences.

They are well known for their energetic and involving live performances, and have won several awards including Best Live Band at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the Devotion Award at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.

Skindred have appeared at a multitude of international music festivals, including Boomtown Fair last year and a 2011 appearance at Download Festival, where the ‘Newport Helicopter’ was born.

The band’s upcoming album, Big Tings, is due out next week and single, Machine, has already been used as both the intro and outro theme to ACDC frontman Brian Johnson’s TV show Cars that Rock worldwide.

They will be supported on stage by Danko Jones, who featured as a guest vocalist on the latest Volbeat single Black Rose that was number 1 on the Active Rock Charts in the US and a huge success globally. Together with Lars Ulrich and a few other guests they flew Danko into Copenhagen for the Volbeat show at Telia Parken in August – the biggest show a Danish band has ever played in Denmark.

Danjo also toured with Guns N’Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, The Rolling Stones, Volbeat and Motorhead.

Explosive metal and punk material rubs shoulders with smooth melodies in a not to be missed show – big songs, big sound, Big Tings!