THE CHAMELEONS

Written by darren on July 11, 2013. Posted in Uncategorized, News.

Harmonic presents

THE CHAMELEONS

plus guest

Tickets on sale now priced €20 (including booking fee) from www.whelanslive.com, www.tickets.ie, www.ticketmaster.ie& outlets nationwide

“The oddest thing about the Chameleons’ comeback is that they’ve carried on exactly where they left off, with their devoted fanbase still intact (the Verve and the Gallaghers reputedly among its members) and new album Why Call It Anything? picking up their trademark sound as if it were something they’d left in the garage. The gig has an eeriness that makes for an untypical but thoroughly hypnotic two hours… the band mostly ditch the rockier numbers in favour of a stream of introspective songs. Of the old, the heroin-haunted Caution (from 1987’s Strange Times, their sole work for Geffen) is particularly stunning. But the newer songs, with Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding’s interlocking guitars at their telepathic best, have a positivity to match their melodies. The Chameleons may have missed the commercial boat in 1987, but they have still made a fascinating voyage.” – Dave Simpson, The Guardian ****

Dave does some keyboards (and didgeridoo!), as did Alastair Lewthwaite and then Andy Clegg. Brian Schofield was their original drummer and Martin Jackson replaced John when he took a year off in 82-83. They were managed by Tony Skinkiss until May 1985, and thereafter by Tony Fletcher until his death in 1987. Following the reformation (no… not Martin Luthers protestant one,) the band have been managed by Simon Lawlor.

The band formed in 1981 in Middleton, six miles north of Manchester. Before this, Mark had been in the Clichés while Reg and Dave were in Years. Dave was in a school band called Sen. The three started without a drummer and got the attention of the legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Their first single, “In Shreds” on CBS, made number 42 on John Peel’s Festive Fifty in 1982. They originally signed with CBS, but they disagreed with how they should sound. CBS dropped them after the one single, despite encouraging sales. They soon signed with Statik. However, Statik was distributed by Virgin, so they couldn’t qualify for the independent charts and were thus overlooked by the music press.

The debut album, “Script of the Bridge”, was recorded in Rochdale during a six-week period. The band was really pissed when they found out about the reduced version which was released by MCA in the US. They then became unhappy with Statik and tried to get away from them, but were bound by contractual obligations. After their second album, “What Does Anything Mean? Basically”, they signed with Geffen. While signed to Geffen, the band released what was to be their last album together for fifteen years, “Strange Times” as the band literally fell apart, acrimoniously, with grief after Tony’s death.

The dawning of a new millennium saw an ending to the ‘hostilities’ as the band buried hatchets, kissed and made friends once more, culminating in a reforming of the group, and a new ‘unplugged’ album entitled ‘Strip’. A triumphant, sold out, 5 day residency at their old stomping ground ‘The Witchwood’ in Ashton confirmed their old reputation for being one of the tightest live outfits ever.

TICKETS

€20 available from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone, internet & credit card bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).