Radiation Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: The Chameleons have never been darlings of the indie press in the same way other Manchester bands such as The Stone Roses, Joy Division and The Smiths have been. Nevertheless, they never let that stand in their way and became one of the biggest bands in the city and shaped it in many ways. For instance, it's hard to imagine the early Stone Roses' atmospheric sound coming off in the same way if it wasn't for The Chameleons. This release captures them performing to a packed Hacienda just a few months before they released their Cure and Joy Division-esque debut album and so the setlist draws heavily from that classic. There's also cuts that never saw a studio release and were only played live, such as 'Men Of Steel' and 'Years Ago', making for a rich, deep dive into one of the key bands of post-punk history.