The Chameleons have been a true influence in my musical roadmap. In fact, their Script of the Bridge 40th Anniversary Tour was the first gig I ventured to solo in 2023. That still remains one of my favourite gigs to date. There was a connection between Burgess and the audience from beginning to end in a way I had never seen before, It really was an experience that sparked my passion for live music.
When I had the opportunity to see The Chameleons in Glasgow in 2024, this felt like an opportunity to experience the magic of that first Aberdeen gig all over again. It was clear that there had been a resurgence in the band’s music during this time with a younger fan-base and a larger audience in attendance. This gig took the qualities that made their 2023 tour memorable and amplified them. With visual graphics in the background, and Burgess commanding the stage with his voice, instrumentation, and choreography. He was in a trance, arms moving with his words, venturing into the audience at points. This gig renewed my faith in live music culture all over again.
A staple of the Manchester post-punk scene of the 1980s, The Chameleons have withstood the test of time to become regarded as a true influence within British musical culture. Atmospheric is the central word that comes to mind when I think about The Chameleons. Thick layers of guitar and bass paired with passionate and honest lyricism. That doesn’t sound different from any other band of the past or the present. Yet, there remains a unique quality within the sound of The Chameleons. There is never a short song, never one without repetition, a rich instrumental section, or a tone that isn’t borderline psychedelic. These songs possess the ability to move you into another state of being in ways that other artists cannot.
The first time I saw The Chameleons in Aberdeen, Lesley Woods of the Au Pairs donned the stage of The Lemon Tree as the support slot. At the time, it was powerful to see these artists working together decades down the line. With Lol Tolhurst supporting The Chameleons for some of their UK dates this year, it struck me that the musicians of the post-punk movement have truly maintained their sense of community. It is clear that these groups have nurtured their ties despite the adaptations in marketing and gig culture in the music industry over recent years.
Having seen The Cure play at Edinburgh Summer Sessions this year, the opportunity to hear Lol Tolhurst – co-founder of The Cure – play live really piqued my interest. As I entered the venue, the space was already thick with fog and the pulsating notes of A Forest were distinctive and compelling.
When an artist plays material from their youth, it produces a true sense of nostalgia. I could feel the buzz in the air with fans re-living the halcyon days of their twenties. Strangely, that feeling extended to myself – despite the fact that I’m arguably in the midst of ‘my youth’. The trio on the stage had transported me from a typical dreich night in Glasgow to the early days of The Cure. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience these songs as they were being released. I instead felt nostalgic for a time I never got to experience.
I know that feeling will return when I reminisce about the year I got to see both The Cure and Lol Tolhurst play some of my favourite songs live. It was a privilege to hear about the influences of The Cure’s work from Tolhurst himself between songs. It was a form of mythbusting and a reclamation of his true influence in the trajectory and work of this globally famous group.
The fog and backlighting that produced the hazy silhouettes of the support did not dissipate when The Chameleons took to the stage. For the duration of the gig, I could only make out outlines. This visual aesthetic was a sharp departure from the previous sets I’d witnessed from The Chameleons. The thickness in the air resembled the thick instrumentation of the group.
Gone was the intimate crown interaction, vogue-esque arm movements, and visual graphics. The instrumental qualities of the group stood out more, the bass took on greater prominence. My expectations were being turned on their head. I was being introduced to a new direction from The Chameleons, where songs I’d heard live previously were becoming entirely new entities in front of me.
The lack of visual clarity didn’t feel important, however. Nobody was here to visually scrutinise. People were here to hear and to feel the music of The Chameleons in their bodies. I was surrounded by movement, and the sense that each person was being compelled to move as if under a spell. The crowd were letting go, being drawn into their youth, being beckoned back to a musical culture that doesn’t rely on good lighting or visuals.
One particular feature I respect time and time again is the band’s ability to introduce snippets of other songs into their works. Soul in Isolation included fragments of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” The Doors’ “The End,” David Bowie’s “Be My Wife,” The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and The Smiths’ “There Is a Light”. It reminds me that music is a point of connection, and a group are never truly isolated. A distinctive sound or lyric stems from previous artistic seeds. An artist provides inspiration for other artists to the point that art is never alone. The Chameleons produce a political and post-industrial commentary that builds from what exists around them. They are a group that takes what exists and what is real, and stretches it beyond any expectations you may have of sound.
The evening ended with an unofficial encore, and this gig has been circling round and round in my mind ever since. The Chameleons will never cease to keep me on my toes. I didn’t know how to feel about the set at first, because I went into the gig with a specific expectation.
But the whole purpose of art and live music is self-expression and creativity. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing The Chameleons live three times, and no gig has been the same, no song has felt forced or sounded like a repetition. It reminds me that this band is still alive and unafraid to experiment with their sound. That’s a wonderful thing to be able to experience again and again as if for the first time.