1,207 CHAMELEONS, The Membranes, Bristol Fleece, Wednesday 2nd February 2022

 

My Chameleons odyssey continues, as I again cross swords with this 80’s post-punk band, whom I never fully “discovered” until my 2016 redundancy freed up some time (and slush cash!) to revisit some older bands who’d passed me by back in the day. This, my 7^th time of asking (indicative not only of my desire to make up for lost time, but of bandleader Mark Burgess’ appetite for “live” performing!), was not only a Covid-affected much-postponed affair (originally scheduled for Autumn 2020!) but also a “35^th Anniversary” run-through of their sophomore 1985 release, “What Does Anything Mean, Basically?”. The one of their 3 seminal 80’s albums that had arguably made least impression on me, and the one I’d yet to see played “live”, so I was well up for rectifying both of these points as well, now this gig can finally go ahead!

 A swift motor down the M4 and a parking space with my name on it (!) around the corner saw me lurking outside just before doors and getting in – and swiftly getting merch bought and back to the car! – early. Grabbed a front spot and chatted with a couple of fellow punters of similar vintage beforehand and between sets – it’s true; if you like the same bands, you’re soon friends! The Membranes were on at 8 – a band also of similar vintage to the headliners, but one that had pretty much completely escaped my radar until now. My mistake. Leader and legendary indie figure John Robb, whom I know mostly from his excellent and sadly missed “Louder Than War” publication, cut an imposing presence onstage, wild eyed like Wilko, pacing around purposefully like Bob Mould, and wielding his bass like a Kalashnikov, firing off Hooky-like bass riffs underpinning The Membranes dark, dramatic post-punk material. A voluble performer too – after thunderous Joy Division-esque opener “Universe” he inquired ironically, “have you been having fun in the last two years? We were in Manchester – double lockdowns!”, later quipping, “we’re the post-punk version of omicron – a hideous disease!” and throwing some pointed social commentary our way prior to the splendidly savage terrace chant chorus of “Snow Monkey” (“the posh monkeys get to go in the swimming pool and the rest throw snowballs at them – that’s a sociological dissection of UK politics [right there]!”). Quite Chameleonic musically, with the early primal stomper “Supernova” channelling early Clash and “Grave” recalling “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” with some potent dub goth rhythm, The Membranes, like their headliners a few years back, made me regret not checking them out before, a mistake I fully intend to rectify. Robb, fittingly, exhorted us to, “live in the moment,” before a slow launch into a driving Joy Division-esque closer “Myths And Legends”, equally fitting as The Membranes were an unknown pleasure – for me at least!

 After that splendid opening set, the place (a sell-out tonight!) got appreciably busier but still eminently habitable down the front as Mark Burgess led the 5-piece Chameleons onstage, happily augmented by original guitarist Reg Smithies. “Draw a veil between yourself and the world that smothers you – play on! Said the referee…” Burgess announced, tongue in cheek, over instrumental opener “Silence, Sea and Sky” before easing into opener “Perfumed Garden”, commencing the “WDAM? B” run-through in order. Less widescreen and immediate for me than its 2 companion pieces, and relying more on mood, atmosphere and (occasionally) almost old school punk rock attitude, this material was nonetheless splendidly delivered tonight, Chameleons’ trick of almost slowing up the delivery “live” in comparison to the studio recordings giving the songs both added nuances and space to breathe. “Intrigue In Tangiers” featured some almost Bowie-like vocal inflections from the great man in its’ denouement; “Roughnecks” by contrast was a snarling vocal delivery over an undulating Bunnymen “Do It Clean” bass riff, and “Singing Rule Britannia” a savage yet epic attack, preceded by a prescient word from Burgess – “stop making [these songs] relevant so I can stop singing them!”. This prompted a “Boris is a wanker!” catcall from a fellow punter, Burgess firing back, “that’s the truest thing we’ll hear all night!”

 The “Shine On” ringing siren blare of “Looking Inwardly” was my album highlight, although the plaintive and haunting crescendo of an extended “PS Goodbye” (a track I’ve never much cared for on record) surprisingly ran it close, Then, after the 2 “bonus CD tracks” of a rollicking, punky “In Shreds” and a singalong “Nostalgia”, a poignant moment; a fan had posted on the facebook site that he’d attended his best mate’s funeral that day but was at tonight’s gig to honour his memory, and the band dedicated an unplanned “View From A Hill” to him, which was stark, emotive, heart-breaking and just beautiful on so many levels, and a fitting end to the set as the band left the stage afterwards, But wait, there’s more…

 Following calls for an encore, Mark took the stage again, declaring that, “the [mixing] desk is broke!” (hence a rather harsh feedback sound during “View…”) which seemingly truncated the gig somewhat. However, following debate with the crowd and band, and in the true punk rock spirit of community and solidarity, they soldiered on, the roadie turning the onstage monitors upright and facing outwards, and the band delivering quite brilliant and blistering versions of a wonderfully meandering “Swamp Thing” and the astonishingly widescreen and joyous “Second Skin”, roared and sung along to the rafters by this appreciative crowd. The most appropriate way to end a night which had started off as a very fine Chameleons gig, but had turned into a communal and inclusive gathering of folk, and a celebration of live music at its finest.

 Grabbed my breath and equilibrium, a set-list thanks to a friendly roadie (yay!) and a word or three with John Robb at the merch stand, thanking him for “Louder Than War” and giving him a card for my blog. Hope you’re checking it out, Mr. Robb, good sir… A roadworks-affected yet swift drive home got me back for midnight after another stunning step on my Chameleons odyssey. This one 18 months in the waiting, but well worth the wait. We are all Chameleons!