The Chameleons

On 5 December 2026, The Chameleons take over New Century in Manchester for Home Is Where The Heart Is 2026, joined by strings from the Manchester Camerata. Formed on the outskirts of the city in the early 80s and led by Mark Burgess, the band’s atmospheric post‑punk — basslines up front, chiming guitars, a voice on edge — gets a new frame with a live string section. The set revisits key moments from across their catalogue, with pieces from Script of the Bridge, What Does Anything Mean? Basically and Strange Times rearranged for voice, bass, guitars and chamber textures, keeping the pulse and dynamics intact while opening new space around the songs.

Very special guest Patrick Fitzgerald (Kitchens of Distinction / Stephen Hero) appears in a stripped-back format, drawing a line between his band work and later writings, words at the center and melodies left bare.

Evi Vine completes the bill with intimate, slow-burn pieces that drift between dream-pop and dark folk, setting the room before The Chameleons’ string‑laden set.