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PREVIEW: The Chameleons @ The Varsity (April 7)

by Twin Cities Arts Reader -

The Chameleons in concert. Photo by Will Bonniker. Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 license.

After more than four decades, the UK-based English rock band The Chameleons retain a quietly towering presence in the post-punk and indie music worlds. On April 7, the band brings their hypnotic, emotionally charged sound to Minneapolis’ Varsity Theater.

The current tour lineup reunites original members Mark Vox (vocals, bass, lyrics) and Reg Smithies with longtime collaborators Stephen Rice (guitar), Danny Ashberry (keyboards), and Todd Demma (drums). This is the same lineup heard on The Chameleons’ latest full-length album, Arctic Moon, which dropped last September to widespread critical acclaim. Layered guitars intertwined with Vox’s intricate lyrics in a new remix of the band’s core classic style.

Arctic Moon features seven new songs, including the striking “Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing” and a re-recorded version of 2024’s “Where Are You?” Among the standouts is the slow-burning epic “David Bowie Takes My Hand”, a reverent nod to the Thin White Duke and reminiscent of the mood and textures of The Man Who Sold the World.

The Chameleons were a major influence on bands like Oasis and Interpol, and their early albums Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically! (1984), Strange Times (1986), and Why Call It Anything? (2001) remain benchmarks of post-punk innovation.

https://www.varsitytheater.com/shows

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