By Chyrisse Tabone
Live Review: The Chameleons’ Arctic Moon Tour w/The Veldt – New World Brewery, Tampa, FL l- April 23, 2026
There is a specific kind of magic in discovering an “old” band for the first time. For me, that band is The Veldt. Despite their roots stretching back to the late ’80s, they only recently flickered onto my radar after I reviewed their single “Black Girl” from the Spanakopita EP.
As fate would have it, my curiosity was rewarded almost immediately. The band embarked on a North American tour alongside post-punk royalty The Chameleons, making a stop at Tampa’s New World Brewery on April 23rd. Living just 15 minutes away, I couldn’t help but feel like the universe was doing me a massive favor.
By the time I arrived, the venue was humming with a quintessential Gen X crowd—a sea of Midge Ure and The Cure t-shirts, grey-haired devotees, and women in goth bustiers and fishnets.
Promptly at 8 p.m., the six or seven members of The Veldt squeezed onto the stage. The core trio of Daniel Chavis, Danny Chavis, and Hayato Nakao—joined by Alex Cox, LG Galleon, and Martin Newman—wasted no time. What followed was a breathtaking “wall of sound.” It was a singular cocktail of shoegaze, psychedelia, and R&B that felt both nostalgic and entirely fresh.
The recordings I’d studied came to life through a gorgeous, atmospheric layer of jangly strings and echoes. At the center of it all was Daniel Chavis’s soulful voice, bridging the gap between 35-year-old classics like “Pleasure Toy” and “Willow Tree” and modern singles like “Forevergreen (The Ecology).” The set closed with “The Everlasting Gobstopper,” a personal highlight that left the room reeling. As their 40 minutes ended, I found myself making a rare mental plea: “Please don’t stop.”
After a quick changeover, the Mancunian legends took the stage. Founders Mark Burgess (on vocals and guitar) and Reg Smithies (rhythm guitar) were joined by Stephen Rice, Todd Demma, and Danny Ashberry, immediately transforming the brewery into a high-energy New Wave celebration.
The Chameleons played for nearly two hours, delivering a masterclass in post-punk precision. The setlist was a seamless bridge between generations, featuring Classics like, “Pleasure and Pain,” “Up the Down Escalator,” and “A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days” and the New Era, fresh tracks like “Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing” from their 2025 album Arctic Moon.
Burgess kept the chitchat to a minimum, preferring to let the music drive the room. In a refreshing move, he forwent the usual encore theatrics, staying on stage to power through a final run of heavy hitters: “Monkeyland,” “Second Skin,” and “Don’t Fall.”
The Verdict
It’s rare to walk away from a show feeling like every note was meant for you. Between the effervescent, genre-bending wall of sound from The Veldt and the high-octane British punk energy of The Chameleons, this was easily one of the best concerts I’ve witnessed in years.
Both bands proved that great songwriting doesn’t age—it just gets louder.
Rating: ★★★★★
PHOTO GALLERY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
