Myke Gray of Skin has told Rock Radio DJ Paul Anthony the band split up after being forced to refuse a tour support slot with Whitesnake - because they couldn't afford to do it.

Ahead of the band's reunion for this year's Download Festival, Gray has explained there was never any animosity among the members, which is why, after some thought, Neville MacDonald, Andy Robbins, Dicki Fliszar and Gray jumped at the chance to make another appearance at Donington.

In an interview with DJ Paul, Gray explains: "We couldn't actually make a living doing it. If you don't have a major label you're very limited as to what you can do.

"There was no animosity in the band - it was purely financial. We didn't have any money to survive.We started to do session work. In Skin we earned £150 a week each then you start doing session work and you're being paid £300 per hour. You have to eat.

"We were offered a UK support tour with Whitesnake. But there was no record company to put up the money. We were signed to Snapper and we asked them for tour support. They didn't have it, and there was no money to make a video.

"It was like, there's no point being in a band if you can't promote your product. That was the real reason for the split. To this day we're still friends."

Gray explains the band had to consider the implications of reforming after Live Nation called to invite them to join the bill at Download. He says: "I have my training business in London. I was training one of my clients and I saw my phone ring. It was Andy Copping of Live Nation, asking, would Skin reform for Download?

"It took a little bit of talking about. Andy Robbins is financial director of a company, and as people we all have different lives. It took about ten days to come to a conclusion."

The band have already played an acoustic warm-up show in Wales ahead of their full comeback. The first date in London on June 9 sold out in three days, while sales for June 10 in London and June 11 in Wolverhampton are strong. Then the band will appear at Download on June 14.

Gray says: "I hadn't picked up the guitar for five years till the call through. Nev hadn't sung for eleven years, so it was very emotional.

"All of the attention is on those shows. We want it to be as good as it possibly can be. The future depends on how it goes."

Download latest

Have your say

Share this page

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook