On Valentine’s Day, 80s post-punk icons The Chameleons brought their brooding, atmospheric sound to the stunning Halifax Minster as part of the annual Halifax Goth Festival — and it couldn’t have been a more fitting setting.
As the Minster doors opened at 7pm, the venue slowly filled with black-clad devotees and festivalgoers, the gothic architecture amplifying the anticipation. Churches aren’t typical gig spaces, but on this night, the vaulted ceilings, stone arches, flickering candles and looming crosses created the perfect backdrop for the band’s shadow-drenched soundscapes. It felt less like a concert and more like a communion between music and place.
Taking to the stage promptly at 8pm, The Chameleons delivered a set that reminded everyone why their music has endured for decades. Their signature blend of shimmering guitars, driving basslines and emotionally charged vocals resonated beautifully within the Minster’s natural acoustics. The atmosphere was immersive — at times haunting, at others euphoric — with the space itself seeming to breathe alongside the music.
The band balanced fan favourites with selections from their latest album, Arctic Moon, released last year. The newer material sat comfortably alongside the classics, proving that their creative spark remains very much alive. Frontman Mark Burgess, known to many as Mark “Vox” Burgess, took a moment to thank the festival organisers and the audience, acknowledging the uniqueness of performing in such an extraordinary venue.
It was, in many ways, the ultimate gothic dream — post-punk echoing through sacred stone, history meeting atmosphere in a way that felt both reverent and rebellious. With a UK tour continuing into the autumn, this Valentine’s performance will be remembered as one of the band’s most striking settings yet — and one we’d gladly experience again.
Setlist:
Where Are You?
The Fan and the Bellows
Dangerous Land
Pleasure and Pain
Up the Down Escalator
Lady Strange
Paradiso
Perfume Garden
Soul in Isolation
Swamp Thing
David Bowie Takes My Hand
Feels Like the End of the World
Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing
Second Skin
Don’t Fall
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