Chameleon

Any street corner will do for Chameleon. The Perth brass band plays without a PA or a stage, so they can rove through a festival or street party and strike up wherever the crowd is. Their sound is New Orleans brass crossed with funk and hip hop: second-line drum rhythms under funky horn lines, all-in vocals, and a sousaphone on the bass. The line-up draws on trumpets, alto, tenor and baritone sax, trombone and bass trombone, snare, bass drum and percussion. For a stage booking they turn it into a full jazz-funk show of classic and contemporary tunes, with a hip-hop MC joining in. Manager Ken Allen dreamed up the band, and it has been working the festival scene since 1999. They also take corporate events and private parties.