The Psychedelic Furs and The Chameleons at ACL Live: a night of nostalgia and sonic evolution from two iconic new wave acts wows Austin crowd.
It’s been a great time to be an ’80s alternative music fan in Austin lately, but Tuesday night at ACL Live was particularly potent: new wave icons The Psychedelic Furs returned to the state capital.
The moody Brits have always had a knack for picking great openers, but they outdid themselves this year by offering the slot to post-punk pioneers The Chameleons. Both bands walked a tightrope of satisfying nostalgic expectations, while still exploring new terrain.
The Manchester-based quintet took the stage to acclaim, with frontman Mark Burgess (who I interviewed last year) offering his sympathy and support to victims of the recent Texas floods. What followed was a life affirming, transcendent set, featuring classic tracks like The Fan and The Bellows and Up the Down Escalator.
Strident in poise and strong in voice, Burgess was a commanding presence throughout the set, his large chest tattoo peeking out from his button-down shirt.
His bass playing pulsed with intensity, and his voice showed little signs of aging, particularly sonorous on the ghostly twang of Swamp Thing and goth classic Don’t Fall, featuring cavernous riffing from longtime guitarist Reg Smithies and recent addition Stephen Rice.
At one point during Don’t Fall, Burgess leapt into the adoring crowd, breaking into bits of David Bowie’s Rebel, Rebel, and The Door’s Light My Fire.
They also previewed two tracks from their forthcoming album Arctic Moon, their first full-length in over two decades. Both fit seamlessly into their set, leaving fans eager to hear the new material in full when it releases this fall.
It’s no exaggeration to say they nearly stole the show, a testament to both their timeless sound and the emotional weight of their performance
The band left to deafening applause, whetting the audience’s appetite for the headliners. The Furs took the stage with fervor, although frontman Richard Butler stumbled on his way to the mic.
Any concerns about his health were alleviated when he popped back up and joked: “What a way to make an entrance.” The band kicked things off with the scalding and still relevant political screed President Gas.
It was an eclectic set, from iconic bangers Heaven and The Ghost in You, to deep cuts like Mr. Jones, My Time, Run and Run and Forever Now.
Butler was all smiles, his gruff vocals intact, and his energy infectious, belying his 69 years. The group offered lovely takes on classics Love My Way and Until She Comes.
They proved their continued relevance through several tracks off the band’s excellent 2020 release Made of Rain, in particular the stirring Don’t Believe and anthemic No-One.
Butler was flanked ably by his compatriots. Brother Tim Butler held down the bottom end with his thrumming bass, in lockstep with powerhouse drummer Zack Alford and guitarist Rich Good.
The only complaint is that keyboardist Amanda Kramer (formerly of Information Society) was too low in the mix.
Pretty in Pink sent the (mostly) middle-aged crowd back in time, remaining a sublime aural confection. Heartbreak Beat made a surprise appearance, as Butler avoided playing it for years due to his ambivalence towards the album it came from (1987’s Midnight to Midnight). It was mesmerizing, bringing the biggest applause of their set.
Both bands balanced past and present with poise: the Chameleons teased their next chapter, while the Furs showed they’re still writing theirs.
In an evening that honored their legacies without coasting on them, both bands proved they still have gravitas and something vital to say.