A double headline pairing Skunk Anansie and Garbage promised to be a powerful alliance, with support from rising star Du Blonde adding even more strength to the mix at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on 20th June, 2026.

Du Blonde – stage name for multitalented independent artist and creator, Newcastle’s Beth Jeans Houghton – set the tone for the evening with a set that ran through the lively Live Wire, the more dulcet, deeper tones of All The Way, and the refined rage of Next Big Thing (the release of which features Skunk Anansie’s Skin) about ‘greasy f*cks in the music industry’.  The blisteringly good set, which also featuresd the incomparable Cortney Dixon on guitar, consisted of a lot of justifiable anger, but there were also intensely sweet emotions, as Du Blonde revealed her Mum was proudly front and centre in the audience, and became emotional acknowledging Mum’s support.  Equally, the wonder and awe at being on tour with two such immense bands and their legendary frontwomen was clear.  Du Blonde’s opening set was the perfect entry point for the evening to come.

There is always a question with a double-header billing, who actually ‘headlines’?  Well, in this case the answer was perhaps decided by the fact that this marked a hometown gig for Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, so next up on the Open Air Theatre stage, Garbage entered the fray.  Kicking off with recent single, There’s No Future in Optimism, Shirley Manson’s vocals soared up and over the assembled crowd.  Pairing plenty of tracks from most recent album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, alongside hits from their earlier years, Garbage proved that their songwriting and performance is as strong as ever.  That being said, classics such as I Think I’m Paranoid and Stupid Girl aren’t played to familiar expectation – there are breakdowns into different rhythms, a wonderful playfulness that manifests through them.

If there is anyone who can master the visceral power of a sung scream, it is Shirley Manson and this was evidenced during mid-point song, Have We Met (The Void).  The crowd are requested to join in on 1998’s When I Grow Up and it makes for a wonderful feeling right across the venue.  Closing the set with another recent track, The Day That I Met God, the set has taken us back and forth through Garbage’s timeline, and it’s fair to say many are timeless – as lyrics rage against the assumption that getting older must mean losing power, Garbage are a tour de force that prove no one has to believe that sort of Chinese Fire Horse sh*t.

The intensity and tight camaraderie of Garbage in performance is something I’m lucky enough to have witnessed more than once, and would happily do over again; the same can be said of Skunk Anansie, and outpourings of love for their tour mates, and support act Du Blonde, were central to both headline acts; the solidarity was evident.

If Garbage’s Chinese Fire Horse smashes into the concept of ageism in music, then An Artist is an Artist kicks the ball out into the long grass, as this rousing recent hit lands third in the set, before Skin addresses the audience and marks the fact that this is a homecoming gig for drummer Mark Richardson; besides Mark’s family and friends, sometimes visible to the side of stage, his wife Erika, a musician in her own right, guests with Skin for a number of songs and brings animated joy and energy to the offering.  This audience, together on this night, are sharing some very meaningful moments with Skunk Anansie, without doubt.

With a similar back-catalogue period to tour mates Garbage, Skunk Anansie blend the compelling offerings from The Painful Truth with delights from the earlier days – Shame followed by Weak as a back-to-back pairing showcased the immense vocal dexterity that Skin possesses.  Her trademark humour also comes through in many of the moments between songs, along with a couple of evocative statements on politics and unity; and the iconic frontwoman isn’t afraid to get out amongst the crowd, making ventures during Weak and I Can Dream, with the novelty of the ‘Skin Cam’ displaying on the large screen as she goes.

As an encore, we are treated to a four-strong mix that takes us from a thankful gesture in Cheers, through classic Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good), a rousing cover of Highway to Hell and ending with Intelletualise My Blackness.  The band are in no rush to leave the stage after such a generous performance, having given their all, and brought a stunning evening of music in Scarborough to a heartfelt close.  Powerful, joyous, iconic – and thank all the stars that these bands are both still creating new music.

Check out more at TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre here