LIVE REVIEW #1/2

7/6/2025

LIVE REVIEW #1/2

[Ed. Note – rex has more gigs lined up this year than in many recent years. Thursday night he got to see two legendary post- punk outfits. Here is his first review.]

I was thrilled to get my first opportunity to see Manchester 🇬🇧 post- punk outfit and long-time faves THE CHAMELEONS. They opened @ Caesars Wïndsor for PSYCHEDELIC FURS on July 3.

For some reason I never got to see these guys live during their initial iteration in the 1980s.

The venue was set up to hold 4,200. As you know, I normally attend gigs with way way fewer punters than this. I am used to standing. I have no issue with that.

Or so I thought…

There was no one in attendance who wanted to see the CHAMELEONS play more than I did.

Yup.

These two [insert your choice of word] were the ONLY 2 patrons who stood in the entire venue. The ONLY 2…

I can confirm that because rather than act on my rage, I left my mates Mike and Peter and took in CHAMELEONS from a different perspective. This lowered my blood pressure and raised my enjoyment of this incredible band…

To his credit, after I vamoosed, pal Peter stopped a fight from persons in the two behind ours with these two selfish expletives and was eventually able to coax them into their seats for the last two songs

It didn’t really matter because this band was hitting on all cylinders and the acoustics in this perfectly designed venue are brilliant regardless of location.

It was a shame CHAMELEONS were limited to a 45 min/ 7 song set as the opener.

Not only were we treated to the brilliant gems like “Swamp Thing”, “The Fan and The Bellows” and “Perfume Garden” but the band featured two tracks from their upcoming new LP!

This was not a band on a nostalgia tour. Singer MARK BURGESS sounded fantastic and energetic. He even handed his bass over to keyboardist DANNY ASHBERRY for a rousing “Don’t Fall” to close the set. Sublime.

I will be seeing these guys live again soon when they are the featured artist and I can receive the full CHAMELEONS treatment. Bravo!!

I am going to feature the old and the new.

First, here is “Swamp Thing” from their 1985 masterpiece “Strange Times”, live recently in Toronto, followed by new single “Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing” from the upcoming LP “Arctic Moon” LP (September 12, 2025 on Metropolis Records.)