Metropolis Records welcomed the legendary post-punk act Chameleons to its label roster in early 2022 for the April release of ‘Edge Sessions (Live From The Edge)’, a collection of seven classic songs by the band performed live in May 2021 by founding group members Mark Burgess (vocals/bass) and Reg Smithies (guitar), plus Chris Oliver (guitar) and Stephen Rice (drums). Three additional bonus tracks of live recordings rounded out what was a stunning release.
Having already toured the UK in 2022 prior to the release of ‘Edge Sessions’, the group will play a further dozen shows around England in December.
Cited as a hugely influential act, having inspired the likes of (The) Verve, Oasis, Interpol, The Killers and Editors, (The) Chameleons formed in Manchester in 1981, with an original line-up of Burgess, Smithies, fellow six-stringer Dave Fielding and drummer John Lever. They released three classic albums – ‘Script of the Bridge’ (1983), ‘What Does Anything Mean? Basically’ (1985) and ‘StrangeTimes’ (1986) – before breaking up.
More than a decade passed as each member of the group worked on separate projects, until the dawning of the new millennium finally saw the quartet reunite for successful tours in the UK, mainland Europe and the US. The acoustic album ‘Strip’ was released to coincide, while a fourth studio album entitled ‘Why Call It Anything?’ was subsequently issued in 2001 that The Encyclopedia of Popular Music stated was “a stunning reaffirmation of the brilliance of this unsung band.”
The following year saw the release of ‘This Never Ending Now’, another acoustic rendering of songs from their back catalogue, before they again disbanded in 2003.
Burgess eventually reunited with Lever as ChameleonsVox, performing and touring Chameleons material all over the world between 2009-2014 and releasing one EP just prior to Lever’s departure at the end of 2013 (he died in 2017). Another line-up centred around Burgess (accompanied by Yves Altana, Neil Dwerryhouse and Chris Oliver) saw him tour more regularly than at any point in his career prior to the pandemic, including shows in Australia and China as well as regular strongholds such as the UK, mainland Europe and North America.
UK TOUR
DECEMBER 2022
07.12.22 COVENTRY HMV Empire
08.12.22 LIVERPOOL Cavern
09.12.22 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
10.12.22 STOKE-ON-TRENT The Sugarmill
11.12.22 GLOUCESTER Guildhall
12.02.22 OXFORD O2 Academy
13.12.22 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
14.12.22 COTTINGHAM Civic Hall
15.12.22 BEDFORD Esquires
16.12.22 HUDDERSFIELD The Parish
17.12.22 MANCHESTER Academy
18.12.22 BLACKPOOL Waterloo Music Bar
