When it comes to playing the grand or the intimate occasion, THE CHAMELEONS seem able to deliver the goods regardless, if this performance was anything to go by.
20 months have passed since THE CHAMELEONS reformed to a triumphant homecoming back in their native Manchester at the Academy, but since that time, new material has been buffed up and old treasures dusted down for a whole new generation to enjoy and discover.
AS was the case here at the Lomax where half the audience was around 25 and upwards, with the remainder older disciples, in their mid 30s and up.So,with so many devoted fans in attendance - including a big Mancunian contingent featuring legendary bootlegger Alex Staszko and entourage - THE CHAMELEONS were guaranteed a rapturous reception when at around 8.45 PM they came onstage to roars of anticipation.
In two and a quarter hours, THE CHAMELEONS played a no-nonsense set, comprising both new material from their recent album "Why Call It Anything"(notably a glorious "Indian") and the classics we hoped for. "Cautious", "A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days","Childhood" and my personal favourite "Second Skin" were performed with all their old intensity.
Seeing as this was an intimate show, I could watch and listen to guitarist Dave Fielding in detail for the first time. He's unique: one of the key factors in setting them apart from their contemporaries such as The Cure or The Bunnymen. Indeed, whilst his stage presence is minimal, his guitar sound remains both a revelation and a joy to this day. As for Mark Burgess, his stage presence has never deserted him,and neither has his ability to hold court. When some fans shouted for "The Healer" (from the ultra-rare "Tony Fletcher Walks On Water") Mr.B was pretty quick with a reply. "No! None of that shit," he replied, knowing full well the trouble and strife that EP caused within the group back in 1987/88, when their lengthy hiatus began.
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This clearly showed that maybe not all the ghouls have been laid in THE CHAMELEONS' camp just yet. However, maybe this infuses their music, especially during their (still) barnstorming version of ALTERNATIVE TV's "Splitting In Two."
As ever, this song found trustworthy rhythm guitarist Reg Smithies swapping his guitar for John Lever's drums (John now sports a fetching Lennon Legend T-shirt) to provide perhaps the highlight of an already ecstatic night., with Mark talking and muttering asides to himself and the audience, even inserting lines from "Love Will Tear Us Apart" into this already epic track.
Afterwards, he threw himself into a surprised audience, surfing all the way to the mixing desk before being caried aloft back to the stage while the band were still winding down the dregs of "Splitting In Two."
Additionally, THE CHAMELEONS now have an unofficial fifth member in percussionist Kwasi Asante(ex-Community Charge), who likes to yak a fair bit between songs, both to his fellow band members and the crowd, much to everyone's amusement. Maybe he's the karma or light relief the group needed to rid themselves of nerves or remaining bad mood swings.
Not that there was any of that in tonight's performance, as tonight captured the pure energy and atmosphere THE CHAMELEONS are rightly still renowned for and proved beyond doubt that even after their lengthy time away from the fray,they are a formidable force to be reckoned with.
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