HERITAGE: As 'Original Pirate Material' Turns 20, Revisit This Live Performance Of "Has It Come To This?" (2002)

HERITAGE: As 'Original Pirate Material' Turns 20, Revisit This Live Performance Of "Has It Come To This?" (2002)


March 25, 2022

This year marks 20 years since Mike Skinner released his debut album as The Streets, Original Pirate Material. It's hard to put into words how massive this album was, but it really was a watershed moment that launched the career of one of the most brilliant minds in UK music and helped nudge the clandestine world of pirate radio out into the open.

Recorded in his bedroom at the turn of the millennium, Original Pirate Material spawned far more than its fair share of hits, including "Let's Push This Forward", "Don't Mug Yourself", "Weak Become Heroes" and "Has It Come To This", the latter of which he brought to Later... With Jools Holland for a performance with singer Kevin Mark Trail who featured heavily on the album (although not on this particular track).

A little chaotic but plenty soulful, if you're looking for a performance that's emblematic of the playful, rowdy street poetry that Skinner brought to UK music, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better example than this.




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