Alec Evans talks to Benji Webbe of Skindred ahead of their Newport Helicop-tour show at Newport Centre

Your last shows were part of the Soundwave Australian touring festival. How do Australian crowds compare to the UK, particularly Wales?
Benji Webbe: Yeah, that was good fun, that was real good fun. We played on a great stage with bands like Clutch and Chino from the DeftonesÔÇÖ new project (Crosses). Crowds were great, we were very jetlagged, itÔÇÖs a long way to go. Very good.

Support this evening comes from The Blackout, Hacktivist, Feed The Rhino and Continents. What do you like about these bands that made you choose to take them out with you?
BW: I only know The Blackout and Feed the Rhino. I like the singer from Feed the Rhino, heÔÇÖs cool, heÔÇÖs from London, heÔÇÖs very ÔÇÿLondonÔÇÖ as well, sounds like a gangster film.

TonightÔÇÖs lineup is very rock & metal-orientated. With so many more aspects to your sound, could you see yourself playing shows with non-rock acts in future?
BW: Of course! We could play with anyone, we could play with Beyonc├®. WeÔÇÖd just do, like, mash ups with her. And Rihanna as well.

Skindred have a very good live reputation. Who are some of your favourite live acts?
BW: I seen a band the other day called Mutemath, and I thought they were fantastic. The drummer was incredible and just blew me away, I said ÔÇ£thatÔÇÖs why I love rock and rollÔÇØ. If we, as a band,┬áSkindred, do that to people, make them feel like that, how that band made me feel in Australia, thatÔÇÖs our job done.

Your live show has recently been using a hip hop remix of John WilliamsÔÇÖ Imperial March from Star Wars as the intro tape. WhatÔÇÖs the story behind that?
BW: WeÔÇÖve been doing it for years! Since I heard it in 2002 in Florida, itÔÇÖs amazing. It just makes me hyped, I feel like IÔÇÖm Mike Tyson in his early days, gonna knock a motherf*cker out.

The last two tracks on your new album ‘Kill the Power’┬áare ÔÇÿProceed With CautionÔÇÖ, one of your heaviest songs and ÔÇÿMore FireÔÇÖ, one of your most chilled out. Is that something that went into your mind when you were choosing the track list for the album?
BW: I dont choose the track list, I just write the songs (But) we all got them two sides to us, right? Mellow side and the aggressive side.

The album draws from so many different influences.
BW: We just love music, you know? By any means necessary, I want the crowd to rock. I will use anything necessary, except for German techno.

Do you think music fans today are more accepting to your brand of musical fusion than they would have been back in the 80ÔÇÖs/90ÔÇÖs?
BW: Of course, itÔÇÖs a different world that it used to be. With music being at the click of a space bar, anything from old to new, people are going to be more accepting to it.

One of your plans for this summer is playing UK rock festival Download in June alongside headliners Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park and Aerosmith. Also Rob Zombie, who you did some shows with in the UK a few years ago.
BW: We did some the other day in Australia, too.

The last time you played the main stage of Download (2011) was when the Newport Helicopter (crowd members remove one item of clothing and swing it in the air) was first invented. How do you plan to top that this year?
BW: I donÔÇÖt plan on topping it, I just do what I do, bro. ThereÔÇÖs no ÔÇ£ah, what are we going to do to this?ÔÇØ People love that stupid helicopter thing (picks up a Newport Helicop-tour flyer).

I brought a spare shirt
BW: Exactly, people bring special shirts.

Why should Quench readers unfamiliar with your band be paying attention to Skindred in 2014?
BW: Because weÔÇÖre doing what we want to do, and weÔÇÖre not following no genres, weÔÇÖre making our own way through this f*cking jungle. If you want to survive, be the hunter, not the hunted.

Is there anything else youÔÇÖd like to say to the readers of Quench?
BW: IÔÇÖd like to say, weÔÇÖve all stolen music over the years, a lot of us have stolen a lot of music. When bands come to your town and you know youÔÇÖve stolen their music, please go, buy tickets, buy merchandise, support the bands, because punk rock bands and reggae bands, it ainÔÇÖt like in the old days, we donÔÇÖt make money from record sales any more, we make money from merchandise, and if you want us to live and survive, youÔÇÖve got to support that.

IÔÇÖd like to say, IÔÇÖve bought both the new album┬áand┬átickets to the show.
BW: (Offers a handshake) I appreciate that, thank you, sir, youÔÇÖve done your job.