The Streets

Mike Skinner born 27 November 1978 was brought up in Birmingham and now lives in Brixton. He started messing around with keyboards at the age of 5. He took several jobs in fast food restaurants to finance a failed attempt to launch his own record label. As a teenager he built a recording studio in a cupboard in his bedroom. At 19 he went to Australia for a year, taking his sampler along for company. The first two Streets albums were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize: Original Pirate Material in 2002 and A Grand Don't Come For Free in 2004. "Fit But You Know It" was a Top 5 hit in the summer of 2004. Mike Skinner has performed live at Reading Festival in the dance tent as well as on the main stage.