Skint Video back in Deptford

Skint Video were a popular Deptford-based duo on the London comedy/music circuit in the 1980s, featuring on the bills of numerous benefit gigs at the time of Thatcher, poll tax and the miners strike, as well as on the Red Wedge comedy tours with the likes of Lenny Henry and Ben Elton.

Steve Gribbin and Brian Mulligan met at Goldsmiths in the late 1970s, and got together as Skint Video in 1983. An earlier version of the duo with Gribbin and John Ivens had played their first gig at Woolwich Tramshed in May 1982, as Steve Gribbin recalls, 'in an evening entitled 'Utopian spacelines Comic Cabaret'. There was a saxophonist on roller skates, a nude male stand-up and a very angry performance poet... it was right in the middle of the Falklands War, we were all paranoid that they would bring back National service. I was in a double act called Skint Video... we used to act out films... someone called out 'raging Bull'... I don't remember much after that!'

Their best known musical parody was their Cops on 45 medley in 1985, featured as single of the week in NME.



Anyway this very afternoon - Sunday May 29th - they are playing a rare reunion gig at the Duke in Deptford, one of the local venues they played at back in the 1980s. They say: 'In the spirit of artists recreating classic albums live Skint Video will perform their NME single of the week Cops on 45/ Rogues (or at least as much as they can recall) at the Duke in Deptford on May 29th - a return to the scene of their triumphant 1985 gig where the beer ran out but the laughs flowed like the Creek which passes within yards. We will play some other tunes too including all of the songs from the Glee Skint Video episode which we turned down after intense negotiations as not in keeping with our image. In deference to the changed times, the show will be at 2pm and suitable for children'. Although it's free entry, there will be a collection for the UK Uncut Fortnum 145 campaign (i.e. for those arrested in Fortnum and Mason's on the March 26th demonstration).