The second Chapterhouse reunion officially kicked off last month in the UK and is currently on its North American leg, with the band set to perform their 1991 debut Whirlpool in its entirety tomorrow night in Toronto. I was there the last time they came around in October 2010 and while it was not formally billed as an album recital – that wasn’t so much an angle 15 years ago – almost every song from Whirlpool was in the set list and if we compare then and now, it looks like they’re almost identical in content if not order. Early track “Inside Of Me” has been swapped for “Need (Somebody)” and Beatles cover “Rain” seem to have been dropped to add “Guilt”, the one missing Whirlpool song from last time out.
Interestingly, while their second album Blood Music gets some respect with appearances late in the show, neither of the two singles from the album are being aired. Maybe because while the record has its fans, to my ears with its of-its-time dance and electronic elements, it sounds a little too ’90s-dated and the videos really double down on that aesthetic. It’s okay, I was alive then and I’m very glad there are almost no photos of me or my fashion choices from that time. Here’s the clip from the final single from the album, not because I want to shine a spotlight on those creative choices but simply because I’ve already posted all the Whirlpool-era videos.
And because there is some, here’s some recent interviews with the band discussing their past, reunited present, and possible future:
There’s Still Life: Stephen Patman on the Return of Chapterhouse @ Ink 19
An interview with Chapterhouse @ First Revival
Paula Kelley (Drop Nineteens) and Andy Sherriff (Chapterhouse) Enjoy the Moment @ Talkhouse
And while it’s not a Chapterhouse interview, this chat with Nothing at Spin about how they got added to the Slide Away festivals that are anchoring the US tour is an interesting read.
How Slide Away Got Hum And Chapterhouse Back Onstage @ Spin
