Over 40 years since their formation, The Chameleons return to Manchester’s Albert Hall to play out a career-spanning set list of hits.
Often hailed as Manchester’s best-kept secret and one of post-punk’s most influential “lost” bands, The Chameleons have garnered widespread acclaim and an enduring cult following since emerging in the early ‘80s. As Thatcherism tightened its grip on industrial towns, the band’s sound reflected both the decade’s anxiety and a longing for security and innocence. With songs charting universal themes that convey a world-weary outlook, their appeal is all the more prevalent in today’s age – a parallel drawn brilliantly in this The Quietus piece.
Taking the stage at 9 pm sharp to a deafening reception, The Chameleons launch straight into ‘Where Are You?’, a scintillating track from their new album Arctic Moon – their first release in 24 years. The track showcases a lighter side of the band while still retaining their lyrical prowess and intensity, providing a direct and emotionally resonant opening.
“Music is medicine,” frontman Mark Burgess, aka Vox, declares before ‘Pleasure and Pain’ – the first to be played from their 1983 debut, Script of the Bridge. Sinister, atmospheric and bursting with chiming guitars and a banging bassline, it showcases The Chameleons’ gothic edge.
‘Up the Down Escalator’ gains an enthused response and the first singalong of the night. The packed-out Albert Hall attendees stand with their arms around each other, swaying to the tune’s driving guitars – a contrast to the choruses’ anxious and urgent tension: “There must be something wrong, boys.”
‘Perfume Garden’ lends a more hopeful atmosphere to proceedings. Its playful melody and lyrics suggest becoming one with chaos rather than fighting it – a message that the standing section of the audience fully embraces. Amid fractured, hazy guitars and resounding drums, ‘Perfume Gardens’s soft, dreamy atmosphere prevails.
“I’m an anarchist,” Vox claims before calling Nigel Farage a cunt, receiving one of the easiest cheers of the night. Even at 65, the frontman retains his political bite, magnetism and provocative nature. Over the course of the evening, he showcases a unique blend of showmanship and emotional charge.
Following ‘Savours Are a Dangerous Thing’, another standout from Arctic Moon, comes ‘Swamp Thing’. The crowd are spun into ecstasy as the unmistakable opening rings around the Albert Hall. Its industrially tinged instrumentation and biting lyrics, which chart themes such as disillusionment and inner turmoil, blend Joy Division’s intensity with a sweeping, stadium rock grandeur.
‘Feels Like the End of the World’ sees The Chameleons swap their trademark post punk edge for majestic melancholia, upbeat instrumentation and glam-tinged guitars to deliver a glorious moment before plunging into the intensity of ‘In Shreds’. Pounding drums, harrowing lyrics and driving guitars are front and centre during a dynamic rendition of another fan favourite.
A trio of Script of the Bridge classics – ‘Monkeyland’, ‘Second Skin’ and ‘Don’t Fall’ – provides a crowd-pleasing finale. Though ‘Monkeyland’ lacks some of its recorded version’s intensity, ‘Second Skin’ triumphs in a live setting – hypnotically powerful in its simple yet thrilling arrangements. “If this is the stuff dreams are made of, no wonder I feel like I’m floating on air,” Vox sings – arms outstretched – almost instructing the audience to bask in his ethereal vocals.
After a heartfelt thank you to the 1600 or so Chameleon’s devotees in attendance, the band leave the stage to a thunderous roar. For a group four decades into their career, The Chameleons have lost none of their bite and remain one of the UK’s most quietly compelling bands.
PHOTO CREDIT – NEIL WINWARD
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