Kristofer Shadows
It would be so easy to make this review all about the ages of the band members and marvel at their energy, staying power, and commitment to their craft. Let’s face it… Theatre of Hate was formed in 1980, The Chameleons in 1981, and The Mission (UK) in 1986. But that would be doing these legendary bands and the members who have kept their music alive all these years a serious disservice; they were PHENOMENAL, regardless of age – all three of them. They brought the Deja Vu tour to Dallas, Texas on Friday, September 15th, at the historic Granada Theater.
Theatre of Hate, still lead by original guitarist/singer Kirk Brandon and bassist Stan Stammers, kicked off the night with a classic, casual stroll to the stage with no fancy lighting, and just started rocking. It was so laid back that I was personally caught off guard… I LOVE THAT!!! And who doesn’t swoon over a band that instead of a lead guitarist has a lead saxophone player?! I certainly swooned.
They kicked off their set with one of their first hits “Judgement Hymn” (a strong set opener) then rolled right into “Original Sin,” “Conquistador,” and “The Wake,” which were all released in the early 80’s. The next song was the 2018 release “Day of the Dog,” before retreating back to their classics and ending the night with “Do You Believe In WestWorld” and “Propaganda.” They gave us a solid set and were a strong opener to the night, which the growing crowd certainly appreciated.
When Mark Burgess’s The Chameleons hit the stage, the crowd really came to life and showed some enthusiasm. Along with original lead guitarist Reg Smithies (who left the band in 1987, and after a couple of sabbaticals, rejoined his mate in 2021), this band has experienced several lineup changes and side projects throughout the years but never departed from their original sound. They’ve also experienced tragedies from early on starting with the death of their original manager Tony Fletcher, resulting in the band breaking up in 1987. Then in 2017, the sudden passing of original drummer John Lever (to which Burgess has been quoted as saying he was devastated and shocked at the passing of his dear friend) nearly derailed The Chameleons once again. But as they say in the business, the show must go on.
With their first tour in 20 years, The Chameleons opened their Granada set in dramatic fashion, accompanied by stage smoke and hazy lighting, and launched into their classic track “A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days,” followed by ”Monkeyland and “Looking Inwardly.” The next song was the percussively complex and polyrhythmic “Soul In Isolation” which was played beautifully by current touring drummer Stephen Rice, then they rolled seamlessly into “In Shreds.”
At this point of the show, Mark addressed the crowd, thanking them for their decades of support. He shared that there have been many times they thought of calling it quits recently; but during the peak of COVID, Mark’s mother had sadly passed but in her final days encouraged her son to not quit and to keep going, which he has done with passion and vigor.
The Chameleons ended their performance with “Home Is Where The Heart Is,” “Swamp Thing,” and “Second Skin” to a resounding approval from the Dallas faithful. A strong, nostalgic, heartfelt set from a band that still loves what they do.
Finally, the main event… The Mission.
Hitting the stage at around 10pm to palpable anticipation, and lead by frontman Wayne Hussey and original members Craig Adams and Simon Hinkler, The Mission opened with “Beyond the Pale” and “Serpent’s Kiss” before going headlong into “Over The Hills” and “Slave To Lust.” “Black Cat Bone” made the setlist for the first time on this tour, and perfectly set up the classic “Severina.” At this point, their performance really hit its stride as the crowd engagement hit another gear and stayed there until the end of the night.
The band sounded great; however, the vocals were noticeably muffled. Not sure if it was the room or a technical issue, but that didn’t stop the fans from singing along to every song. As a side note… during the performance, I noticed that the crowd had thinned out gradually during The Mission’s performance. I first thought maybe I was imagining this, or perhaps due to the age of some of the attendees – some were just “pooped out.”
But after reading the after-show post by Wayne on the band’s Facebook page, he thanked the crowd for attending and for “staying to the end…” which confirmed my hunch. He went on to comment that he never understands why people pay good money to see a show and then leave well before the end. Wayne and his mates noticed it from the stage, and I noticed it from the front row. I gotta say, The Mission deserved better; their show rocked, the band was excellent, and they gave Dallas an awesome, memorable show.
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