{"product_id":"it-takes-blood-and-guts-9781471194917","title":"It Takes Blood and Guts","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most important females in British music of my lifetime. Colin Murray A beautiful  raw and exhilarating book that will leave you feeling empowered. Fearne Cotton The pioneering Skunk Anansie frontwomans memories offer a very different take on the Britpop eraSkins story is one of a rhomboid peg spurning both the round and square hole  drilling dimensions of her ownWe now have a lot of language  intersectionality  microaggressions  to describe many of the events in this memoir. However  nothing can really equal candid  first-hand experience  recounted matter of factly here. It would be instructive for anyone who thought they knew the story of the 90s to spend 300 pages in Skins Skin. OBSERVER The epic tale of Glastonburys Black British headliner Skin is one of the Britpop decades forgotten epics Skins feet are positioned firmly on the ground throughout; shes a winningly genial  sweary soul on paper. 4 stars Jude Rogers  MOJO The former Skunk Anansie singer pulls no punches in this heady trawl through her life from tough beginnings in Brixton to work as an LGBTQ activist and beyond The I Its the story of a trailblazer  and gives a refreshingly re-angled perspective on the Britpop era. Evening Standard  Best music books of 2020  Lead singer of multi-million-selling rock band Skunk Anansie  solo artist  LGBTQactivist and all around trail blazer  Skin is a global icon  and she has been smashing stereotypes for over twenty-five years. Her journey from Brixton to one of the most influential women in British rock is nothing short of extraordinary.  Its been a very difficult thing being a lead singer of a rock band looking like me and it still is. I have to say its been a fight and it will always be a fight. That fight drives you and makes you want to work harder Its not supposed to be easy  particularly if youre a woman  youre black or you are gay like me. Youve got to keep moving forward  keep striving for everything you want to be.  Born to Jamaican parents  Skin grew up in Brixton in the 1970s. Her career as an artist began in the 90s  when Skunk Anansie was formed in the sweat-drenched backrooms of Londons pubs. Since then she has headlined Glastonbury and toured the world  both as lead singer of Skunk Anansie and as a solo artist.  Her success has been groundbreaking in every way  which has come at a personal cost. She has always been vocal about social and cultural issues  and was championing LGBTQ rights at a time when few artists were out and gay.  Told with honesty and passion  this is the story of how a gay  black  working-class girl with a vision fought poverty and prejudice to write songs  produce and front her own band  and become one of the most influential women in British rock.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45646664794165,"sku":"ByrdShop_1471194914","price":70.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781471194917.jpg?v=1781676943","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/it-takes-blood-and-guts-9781471194917","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}