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[ChameleonSimon]

The press release reads something like this...


Mark Burgess, front man with legendary Manchester band The Chameleons, plays a solo acoustic set at the Moorings Bar in Aberdeen on Wednesday July 28th.

The Chameleons were one of the most influential, angst ridden, bands of the 1980’s. Their trademark textured guitars, haunting melodies and passionate vocals, giving inspiration to the likes of Oasis and The Verve.

However, commercial success always eluded The Chameleons. Their career was dogged by in-band squabbling, nervous breakdowns, drug and alcohol problems and the group’s refusal to play the music industry game. They split in 1987 after the death of their manager Tony Fletcher.

Although the band was no more, their reputation was kept alive by a string of new artists citing The Chameleons as a major influence. Noel Gallagher even sang one of their songs while collecting his first Brit Award, and the New York Times declared them as ‘the only significant band out of the UK since The Beatles’.

In the year 2000 The Chameleons briefly reformed, playing a massive sell out tour of Europe and the United States and recording a new studio album before splitting, once again, in turmoil and anger. With The Chameleons, it seems that the desperation expressed in their music was all too present in their real lives.

Mark Burgess is now performing as a solo artist. He‘s recently completed a four week tour of America, and is playing dates in Europe before travelling to Scotland. The Moorings is a warm-up show for Mark's appearance at the Shetland Festival. He'll be playing acoustic versions of songs spanning his twenty year career. Entry is free.

[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by ChameleonSimon

The press release reads something like this...
The Chameleons were one of the most influential, angst ridden, bands of the 1980’s. Their trademark textured guitars, haunting melodies and passionate vocals, giving inspiration to the likes of Oasis and The Verve.

Although the Chameleons influenced The Verve and Oasis, this is not in the way you might expect. Mark has a wonderfully sweet and clear vocal... the trademark Manchester accentuation of bands like Oasis does not appear to have originated from the Chameleons. Mark has possesses a turely great vocal. I'd also describe the music of The Chameleons as much more melodic than The Verve.

I'm not a great fan of either Oasis or the Verve, but I love the music of Mark Burgess and The Chameleons. Come along and I guarantee you'll be hooked.

[delboy]

sold to the fat man in torry.......

[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by delboy

sold to the fat man in torry.......

When was that picture taken for your avatar - you look much younger there than in the flesh?

[delboy]

in 1873, i used to work in a pub called the rovers return (you may have heard of it), on that particular day i'd made one hot pot too many.

[Keilan 303]

Awesome will be there!!! Hopefully he might play "nostalgia" - we butchered that song at the jam sesh a month or so back...

[delboy]

i'm sure mr burgess would have appreciated the fact that somebody had actually heard it never mind attempt to play it!

I can't believe so many people (3) have heard of the Chameleons. I think they released an album of acoustic versions of theirs songs a while back, though I only heard Soul in Isolation, which worked really well despite being bombastic in its original format.