CHAMELEONSVOX 2014 Live Dates

These are the up-to-date confirmed live dates for Chameleonsvox for 2014:

30-04-2014 - Sala Noise - Valencia

01-05-2014 - Sala Arena - Madrid

02-05-2014 - Sala Apolo - Barcelona

03-05-2014 – Rockstore – Montpellier

06-05-2014 – La Maroquinerie - Paris

08-05-2014 - Spazio 211 - Torino

09-05-2014 - Velvet - Rimini

10-05-2014 - Mattatoio - Carpi

11-05-2014 - The Docks - Lausanne

13-05-2014 - Het Depot - Leuven

15-05-2014 - The Garage - London

16-05-2014 - Concorde 2 - Brighton

17-05-2014 - Forum - Tunbridge Wells

18-05-2014 - Leicester Academy - Leicester

19-05-2014 - Sub 89 - Reading

20-05-2014 - The Globe - Cardiff

21-05-2014 - The Assembly - Leamington Spa

22-05-2014 - Newcastle Academy - Newcastle

23-05-2014 - The Duchess - York

24-05-2014 - Academy - Manchester

25-05-2014 - The Brudenell - Leeds

26-05-2014 - Fruit - Hull

27-05-2014 - Broadcast - Glasgow

Info taken from: http://www.chameleonsv.com/ChameleonsV/Tour.html

CHAMELEONSVOX new album

This is the new Chameleonsvox T-Shirt design to promote their forthcoming album, whose working title is Eden and The End of World. This T-Shirt can be found on the merchandise corner in Chameleonsvox shows. 

The album was initially planned for April 2013, but it seems there will be some delay. On the ChamVOX official web, it is simply mentioned  it will be released during 2013.
Mark Burgess confirmed us on the spanish tour of 2012 the album artwork would be done by John Lever. So, the picture above is a hint about how it would look like ;)

Meanwhile we wait for the new album, you can listen to the BBC Radio Session of HEAVEN , a new song which will appear on the new album. This version is not the final one appearing on it, but no one can deny it already has the force, epic and atmosphere of the classic Chameleons songs. Who would say by listening to this marvelous song that 26 years have passed since Strange Times album was released! Not me!


Many thanks to John Lever, Mark Burgess, Tony Skinkis and the rest of the band for making this possible.

Enjoy!

Andy Whitaker & Andy Clegg Live in Middleton

For all the Chameleons and related bands out there: 

Next 7th February Andy Whitaker & Addy Clegg (Music for Aborigines, The Sun & The Moon, Weaveworld) will be playing live in Middleton to promote the Andy Whit´s latest album Things that Happened on Earth.

 

Don´t miss it, if you have the opportunity to attend this show. More info on the following Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/418198638250403/?ref=3

 

Some Youtube videos from 2 songs from Andy Whit´s latest album:

CHAMELEONSVOX Live in Donosti 2012

Mark Burgess and John Lever arrived in Donosti, with the rest of the band on 24th Nov 2012.  It´s been now over a decade that they visited the Basque Country with the original band The Chameleons. Now, it´s ChameleonsVOX, without the presence of Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, the band who performed a Live Show in Donosti at Intxaurrondoko Kultur Etxea, revisiting the classic songs of The Chameleons.

 

Mark, as in previous gigs with ChameleonsVOX, has taken again the bass guitar. The sound, in general was quite good, although Mark was not at his best with his voice. Nevertheless, that didn´t prevented the fans from enjoying a fantastic show, remembering all those classic tunes, which were performed with respect and very close to the original guitar sounds of the Smithies-Fielding tandem.

The audience was eager for listening to Chameleons songs, and good vibrations floated during all the show in the venue. The band felt comfortable on stage.

This is the actual Chameleonsvox line-up:

• Mark Burgess - Voice & Bass guitar
• John Lever - Drums
• Chris Oliver - Guitars
• Neil Dwerryhouse - Guitars

 

This is the setlist of the Donosti show:

01- Swamp Thing

02- A Person Isn´t Safe Anywhere These Days

03- Looking Inwardly

04- Monkeyland

05- Up The Down Escalator

06- Perfume Garden

07- One Flesh

08- In Answer

09- I´ll Remember

10- Soul In isolation

11- Singing Rule Britannia

12- Caution

13- Second Skin

Encore

14- The Fan & The Bellows

15- In Shreds

16- Don´t Fall

 More pics from this and other shows of ChameleonsVOX on this Picasa link. 

We recorded some vids of the show. Image and sound is audience recording quality, so it does not reflect the real experience, but still good vids. Hope you like them!

UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR


IN ANSWER/I´LL REMEMBER


LOOKING INWARDLY

CHAMELEONSVOX Nov/Dec12 Europe Tour Dates

ChameleonsVOX will be performing some Live Shows in Europe during November/December 2012

Flyers of Toulouse Show. Supporters: April Fools

These are the already confirmed dates and venues which are published in the Facebook Evenet, Mark Burgess has created:

york-fibbers 16th nov
clitheroe-the grand 17th nov
barcelona-sidecar 20th nov
madrid-arena 21st nov
valencia-wah wah 22nd nov
majorca-teatre lloseta 23rd nov
san sebastian-intxaurrondo 24th nov
toulouse-la dynamo 26 nov
essen-zeche carl 30th nov
frankfurt-das bett 1st dec
berlin-magnet club 2nd dec
nl breda-mezz 3rd dec
rome-traffic club 7th dec
scandiano-coralla club 8th dec

manchester-sound control 15th dec

To be up-to-date, join the FB Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/114902748666738/

ANDY WHITAKER new album

Andy Whitaker, formerly from Music for Aborigines, The Sun and The Moon and Weaveworld, has released a solo album, whose title is THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON EARTH.

The album also features Andy Clegg (also Music for Aborigines, The Sun and The Moon and Weaveworld), John Kolbeck (Messengers, Black Swan Lane), Steve Wilson,  Jack Richard Sobel (Messengers, Black Swan Lane) on various instruments. The album is produced by Wanderland Music & Black Swan Lane.

An excerpt from Militant Milicent, one of the songs of the new album, can be listened to on the following web site:

http://blackswanlane.com/song-of-the-month/

The video of Your Car, another song of the album is also available in Youtube:





 
You can order the album on Wanderland Music Website:

http://www.wanderlandmusic.com/andy-whitaker/



According to Andy, the writing on this album happened organically and he had the title for the record from the onset.  ”This will be the record to leave behind when I’m gone.”  This is the album to send into outer space for other civilizations to get an account of what life was like on Earth.  Songs on the album delineate subjects such as The Suffragettes, The Dawn Of Man, Prostitutes, Religion, Love, Sex, Death and The Life of Andy.

The Album cover will be done by Photographer by Julie de Waroquier, who also did the covers by some Black Swane Lane albums.

A very interesting post by Jack Richard Sobel, in which he talks about this new album is available on http://blackswanlane.com/and-the-moon/

WHITAKER&CLEGG Spanish Live Dates

Andy Whitaker will be performing an acoustic  live show with Andy Clegg on 5th October at Sala Mariscal, in  L´Startit (Costa Brava), Spain.

Both Andys were founder members in the 80´s of bands like Music for Aborigines, The Sun and The Moon and Weaveworld. Andy Clegg, has also been participating during last years with his brother Ian in a band called Kizilok. They will be playing old stuff, and also new material from the forthcoming album by Andy Whitaker, THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON EARTH.

On 6th October, they will also be participating in a show by MonkeyLand Project on Municipal Theatre Cinema of Caldes de Malavella (Girona), Spain

On Sunday 7th October, at 6:00 pm they will be performing a Live Show for RADIO CALDES FM.

More information on the following Facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/256759851094175/

We link here some youtube videos of both Andys playing live:

Love Is Your Game (Andy Whitaker and Andy Clegg)@The New Inn, Clitheroe, October 2008

 

An Individual Mind (Andy Whitaker and Andy Clegg)@The New Inn, Clitheroe, October 2008

Dolphin (Andy Whitaker and Andy Clegg)@The New Inn, Clitheroe, October 2008

CHAMELEONSVOX @Primavera Sound (BCN)

For those who couldn´t attend The ChameleonsVOX at Primavera Sound, in Barcelona, here you have some Youtube links with the full show.
Enjoy




(Thanks Jörg for the links)

New Retrospective album from THE CHRYSALIDS

Hot news directly received from Yves Altana: New Retrospective album "Neither Love Nor Money" from his band The Chrysalids, to be released on August the 6th 2012.

This retrospective also contains the re-recording of 5 songs. On the following link you can listen to Shrine, one of the tracks which ash been re-recorded

This is the Track List and Press release, Yves has forwarded to us:

********************************
ALBUM NAME :Neither Love Nor Money
TRACK LIST :
1. When There Are No Stars In The Sky
2. My Heart Is Where My Home Is
3. Home Grown Garden Boy
4. Shrine
5. Too Lucky To Listen
6. Half The Distance
7. Canute’s Last Wave
8. Days Like These
9. Tell My Story
10. Just Like Stingray
11. I Am My Mirror
12. Mad Professor
13. Don’t Wait At The Gates For Me
14. Spoil The Child
15. Before I Stop, Let Me Start

PRESS RELEASE:

The Chrysalids
 

 In South Manchester throughout 1989 two groups routinely rehearsed in adjacent rehearsal rooms, exchanging nods of acknowledgement like polite neighbours with nothing much to say to each other. One of these groups would soon become known to the world, whilst the other was to soon retire from it - Manchester, and the world, was about to go Mad.

The Chrysalids were brought to the cusp of being by indie pop crooner, John Wood, (late of C86's One Thousand Violins) and Corsican maverick musician, Yves Altana, who had taken refuge in the city where many of their strongest musical affinities had originated. However, in 1989 expressive singing was soon to become drowned out by a chemicalized Madchester monotone, and songwriters who felt that they could pull anything out from pop's lustrous historical bag were to be largely overlooked in favour of the merely 'baggy'.
The Chrysalids had accumulated a repertoire of pop mastery and emotional intensity, but they were 'down' just as the rest of the world around them was 'up'. Their songs were a testimony to those who felt apart from the world, not a part of it.

The final mastering of The Chrysalids' retrospective album 'Neither Love Nor Money' one week prior to the announcement of The Stone Roses reunion sees The Chrysalids finally come fully into the world - not so much as the "resurrection" but as the life. Now, more than 20 years since the songs on this album took their first breath (and featuring four entirely new recordings) 'Neither Love Nor Money' is no fossilised pop pupa but, rather, brings The Chrysalids to us as the unbroken butterfly of 2012.
*************************

If you need more information about Yves Altana and his projects, just take a look at the following links: 

The Chrysalids Facebook Group
Yves Altana Facebook

 

WHITAKER-CLEGG Unplugged Gig+ KIZILOK

Andy Clegg & Andy Whitaker, founder members of MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES & THE SUN AND THE MOON, will be performing an unplugged gig @The Crown -37 Booth Street Manchester- on 15th March 2012.

Free Entrance
Special Guest: KIZILOK

For more info check this Facebook Event.

The SUN & The MOON: Rare & Unreleased Recordings

Andy Clegg (Music for Aborigines, The Sun & The Moon, Weaveworld) has announced the release through his Record Label Going Nowhere Records some Rare and Unreleased Recordings from The SUN & The MOON era.

They have been released as cd-r copies from the master recordings

Rough Sketches Vol I

1.The Speed of Life 2.Death of Imagination 3.A Matter of Conscience 4.Peace in our Time 5.House on Fire 6.Price of Grain 7.Limboland 8. A Picture of England 9. This Passionate Breed 10.What Do Angels Look Like 11. I Love You, You Bastard 12.The Chills 13. The Healer

Rough Sketches Vol II

1.What Do Angels Look Like 2.Kaptain kool 3.(The End of) Death of Imagination 4. The Speed of Life 5.Peace in our Time 6. A Matter of Conscience 7.Dolphin 8.House on Fire 9.The Price of Grain 10.Limboland 11.A Picture of England 12. The Chills 13.Interview

If you want to order any of these CDs, just write an email to Andy to the following email address: gnrecords@gmail.com

More info in this Facebook link.

ChameleonsVOX Tour Dates & SOTB Live Performances

This is an update of the ChameleonsVOX live dates for the USA & UK Tour for November and December 2011. More info about tickets on ChameleonsVOX Web Site new dates in November for their US Tour:

USA

Nov 11th - Austin TX - Elyseum
Nov 12th - Dallas TX - Trees
Nov 13th - Albuquerque NM - Burt’s Tikki Bar (To be confirmed)
Nov 14th - Phoenix AR - The Rythm Room
Nov 15th - Los Angeles CA - The Troubadour
Nov 16th - Oakland CA- The New Parish *
Nov 17th - San Francisco CA - Cafe du Nord
Nov 20th - Chicago ILL - Bottom Lounge
Nov 21th - Rochester NY - Water Street Music Hall
Nov 22th - Boston MA - TT The Bears
Nov 23rd - Manhattan - Home Sweet Home *
Nov 25th - Brooklyn NY - Littlefield
Nov 26th - Manhattan NY - Delancey’s
Nov 27th - Hoboken NJ - Maxwell’s
Nov 28th - Washington DC - The Black Cat
Nov 30th - Atlanta GA - The Shelter


UK
Nov 5th - Whitby Goth Weekend
Dec 12th - London - Dingwalls
Dec 22th - Manchester - Ruby Lounge *


* Special Live performance of Chameleons´ debut album: The Script of the Bridge


It won´t be the same as watching the original band playing together, but it will be for sure a unique opportinity to listen to good these old tunes being played live. So, enjoy!

MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES Live

An update of the Music for Aborigines gig t Night & Day Cafe (Manchester-UK) on 10th October 2011:

Colin Smith, member of the band, has published on his Facebook profile some pictures from the show.



Thanks Colin for sharing them

News from YVES ALTANA

Yves Altana, talented multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer and producer, who worked in the past with Mark Burgess in different projects/bands (Mark Burgess&Yves Altana, Invincible, Bird) is setting up a new band based in Manchester. Although this new project hasn´t got a name yet, we hope to be able to listen soon to the new compositions of this great artist.

During last year Yves has been touring with I am Kloot, and he also has been composing the soundtrack for the game Hydrophobia.

He also worked as engineer/producer of Gabrielle´s Wish.


Yves was contacted by Mark Burgess some time ago to join him on his Chameleons covers band ChameleonsVOX, but he kindly declined the offer as he was more interested in challenging new projects.

You can follow Yves on Facebook with the following profiles: Yves Altana, Wonky Alice. Wonky Alice is an early 90´s alternative/indie manchester band in which Yves played guitars.




You can also listen to some songs froms his past projects on the following myspace links:

http://www.myspace.com/alchemized
http://www.myspace.com/wonkyalice

MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES, KIZILOK & Cornelius Crane Concert

An update of the gig MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES played last 29th July in Manchester (UK) @Night&Day Cafe:

This is the set list of the MFA gig. The played some songs of Black Swan Lane & Weaveworld:

1. Tidal Wave (Black Swan Lane)
2. Pathetical Twat
3. An Individual Mind (Black Swan Lane)
4. Hydraulic Bottlejacks
5. Singing September Songs
6. Kink in your Plan (song from early band "The Neighbours", Col Smith & Andy Whit were in 1980 before forming MFA)
7. Sitting on a Biscuit
8. Perfect Day
9. Out and Down (Weaveworld)
10. Open up my Eyes (Weaveworld)
11. Davy Jones (Weaveworld)
12. Faith

(Thanks Col for the set list)


We have also collected some pics of the event and we have included them in the MFA Photo Album, available here and at the side bar of this blog. Mark Burgess and John Lever attended the show, as part of the audience.

Hope you like the pics. Special thanks to Col & Izzy Wizzy for sharing them.










Background: As all of you may know, MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES was founded many, many years ago by Colin Smith, Andy Clegg & Andy Whitaker, and then two Andys created the SUN & MOON band with John Lever and Mark Burgess from the Chameleons.

MFA was supported in the gig by KIZILOK and CORNELIUS CRANE. If you want to know how these bands sound like, just take a look at the following links:

MUSIC FOR ABORIGINES:
www.myspace.com/whitakerandy
http://www.myspace.com/weaveworld
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0A_iXFF_gQ&feature=related

KIZILOK:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kizilok1

THECORNELIUS CRANE:
http://www.myspace.com/captainsofindustry31
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001967923438

All the info on this Facebook Link.

New Photo Albums: THE REEGS&DAVE FIELDING; WEAVEWORLD; MARK BURGESS&FRIENDS

We have created new photo albums dedicated to The Reegs and other bands Dave Fielding has been involved, WeaveWorld and all the different Projects Mark Burgess has been involved (apart from SUN&MOON which has its own dedicated photo album) : MB solo, MB & Sons of God,MB & Yves Altana, Invincible, Bird, The Sound of Adrian Borland & ChameleonsVOX. You can view them right here or at the side bar of the blog:
THE REEGS & DAVE FIELDING

WEAVEWORLD

MARK BURGESS & FRIENDS

News from KIZILOK

If you want to be updated with all new compositions KIZILOK, the group where Andy Clegg is involved, just take a look at Youtube.

Here is series of wonderful atmospheric guitar Improvs.

Enjoy them

Conversations with...(Part I)


Conversations with...(Part II)


Conversations with...(Part III)


If you like this band, you can also subscribe to their Youtube Channel... and support them in all their events, of course. News about them available in this blog and also in FaceBook

DAVE FIELDING: Original Artwork & Prints

Dave Fielding (founder member of The Chameleons, The Reegs, & Coconut DF) & Rebecca Amis have created website http://www.dragonfliesandbutterflies.co.uk/ where you can find and buy all their artwork and prints.

On this page you will also find the paitining that was used for the single Singing Rule Britannia de The Chameleons:



Enjoy them!

Update on COCONUT DF 2011 Gig Dates

Coconut DF, the band of Dave Fielding, has confirmed more live dates for 2011 in the UK. This is the actual schedule:

@ Soundhouse, 7th May 2011
Globe Mill, Ash St.
Bolton, United Kingdom
http://www.thesoundhouse.co.uk/
email: info@thesoundhouse.co.uk

@ 1:22 Bar, 13th May 2011
120 New Street
Castlegate
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
http://122live.com/?page_id=179
email: info@122.live.com


@ The Star & Garter, 9th June 2011

18-20 Fairfield Street
Manchester, United Kingdom
http://www.starandgarter.co.uk/

Phone : 0161 273 6726

@The Suninn Pinxton, 10th June 2011
Nottingham, United Kingdom
email:suninnpinxton@hotmail.co.uk

@The Stereo YORK, 24th June 2011

@ Star Festival Rotheham, 13th Aug 2011

ChameleonsVOX in BCN

Last 15th of January Mark Burgess and friends arrived in Barcelona to play some Chameleons classics songs. The venue was Bikini and the name of the band: ChameleonsVOX. Caution! Not to be confused with Chameleons. Some might say "What difference does it make? Meanwhile the sound remains as close as possible to the original it doesn´t matter", but some others will think Chameleons songs are too good to be played by other people than the original members Fielding/Lever/Burgess/Smithies.


The truth is that The Chameleons are (and will be) no more, so the only real possibility of listening live those beloved songs again is without the original band. In fact, it is right now the singer Mark Burgess the only remaining original member. John Lever joined him for some months, but he is not anymore. This is the actual line-up of ChameleonsVOX:

Mark Burgess - Vox
Justin Lomery - Guitar
Stephen Foxcroft - Guitar
Chris Oliver - Guitar
Ray Bowles - Bass
Dug McLeod - Drums



This is not the first time Mark Burgess plays Chameleons songs without the rest of the band (remember Mark Burgess & The Sons of God & Invincible), but we have to recognize this is the first time the guitars sound as close as possible to the original band. If you close your eyes you can almost pretend it´s Dave and Reg... almost, although you will notice three guitars are required to reproduce a similar atmosphere.

The venue was a bit small for the amount of fans who attended the show. Both the venue and band offered a fantastic sound quality. Mark´s voice was into shape, although I prefer it when he sings and plays bass at the same time. The rest of the musicians demostrated the love and respect they have for Chameleons songs. No one attending the show (knowing beforehand it was not the original Chameleons) would be upset. It´s always a pleasure to listen to these magnific tunes, when being recreated with professionalism and respect to the spirit of the original band.



Video of Tears


Video of Second Skin

The band of Mark Burgess focused on songs from Script of The Bridge and Strange Times albums, although a devoted audience was surprised with gems like Singing Rule Britannia or In Shreds. Second Skin, Monkeyland, Seriocity & In Answer were also some of the highlights of the show, which took almost two hours. Only a couple of songs, one of them Soul in Isolation sounded a bit strange and forced. The new millenium album Why Call it Anything? was ignored by the band, surely because it lacks the magic of the three classic albums.



Mark was very happy and warm during all the show, and he mentioned the possibility of coming back in summer.

ChameleonsVOX will have for sure a successful european tour, because die-hard fans are always eager to listen to Chameleons songs. But one question remains in the air: Would it be the same if the name of the band was simply Mark Burgess & Friends? Surely not, because a product always needs good marketing to be sold, even in The Chameleons world. And one thing is for sure: the word "Chameleons" and references to Reg´s original art will always attract more people.




I won´t begin a discussion if it´s fair or not the usage of Chameleons imagery when the original band is not involved, but I have to confess I personally miss new material from Mr Burgess both live and in studio.

I know people always ask on his concerts for Chameleons songs, but I guess it has to be a bit frustrating for the artist to be recognized only for songs created a quarter century ago.

I really hope this look to the past is only temporal, although it is evident on the shows he enjoys a lot playing with his new band. I hope this period will help Mark embrace the future with renovated efforts. We still have for sure a lot of new songs from this fantastic artist to enjoy. Let´s hope people will encourage him to move one step forward, leaving behind once and for all the Chameleons era, which should not be necessary for sold-outs.



It´s about time all chameleons fans recognized Mark Burgess for what he is, not only for what he was.