Gary Numan
The Roundhouse, London
25th May 2024
Gary Numan, the King of Moog, brought his 45th anniversary tour celebrating the release of the Replicas and The Pleasure Principle albums back in 1979. Naomi Dryden-Smith took photos and reports back.
The Roundhouse is heaving tonight, the sold out first of three London shows on Gary Numan’s 45th anniversary tour. We’re past the scheduled start time of 8pm, delayed for half an hour because the meet and greet has run over time. Everyone’s pretty good natured – Numan is known for being generous with time for his fans – amusing themselves by breaking into “Nuuuumaa-aan” chants every now and then.
We’ve been promised tracks solely from the Tubeway Army album Replicas and his solo The Pleasure Principle, both released in 1979. This is an exciting prospect – potential new arrangements of these classic industrial tracks performed by an artist who is still riding peak form. And the Roundhouse with its industrial architecture – wrought iron and columns – feels like the perfect venue for this show.
The band arrives on stage – Numan flanked by Steve Harris (guitar, keyboard) and Tim Slade (bass) dressed as monks – a glowing triangle on the futuristic backdrop separating Jimmy Lucido (drums) and David Brooks (keyboards). First up is an updated, rocky version of Replicas, in your face with plenty of posturing and theatrics that we now expect from this mesmerisingly charismatic singer – who, as usual, puts endless energy into his performance. There’s no chat – the band just get to it and deliver one banging track after another, to a delighted audience.
It’s long been said that Numan is one of the most underrated of all ’80s popstars, straddling a gap between Bowie and Kraftwerk as he did then. He’s always been a composer in its fullest sense, creating textures and sounds that take his songs through movements, changes of energy and momentum, creating passion and emotion that resonated strongly with angst-ridden new wave teenagers in their bedrooms. Certainly this one. Tonight, Numan’s band bring even more depth to these old songs, and tracks like We Have a Technical, Engineers and (best song on the album?) Metal feel almost tribal at times.
The split is roughly half and half, songs selected from each album in no discernible order – it’s not a run through and a few songs have been left out completely. More of a ‘best ofs’. And so the set builds, moving through the AI dystopia of Down In The Park and The Machman, finishing with a pulsing We Are So Fragile. Harris, the monk on the left, has been constantly gesturing and conversing with the audience throughout. At one point he drops into the pit and there’s a distinct waft of incense – it’s starting to feel like a religious experience.
The encore starts with the inevitable Cars, Numan’s first solo single which he himself has described as “a pretty average song”. Thanks to the advertisers, it’s widely known and loved. But the real star of the encore, and possibly of the show, is Are “Friends” Electric?, which has been, and remains, a masterpiece since 1979. It’s still ahead of its time (if only just). The arrangement, the pauses, the drumming, and the audience singing back – all magnificent. And, as ever, he puts extra feeling into the final words “You see: this means everything to me.”
Setlist: Replicas / M.E. / Me! I Disconnect From You / Films / We Have A Technical / Do You Need The Service? / Engineers / Observer / Praying To The Aliens / Tracks / Conversation / It Must Have Been Years / You Are In My Vision / Airlane / Complex / Down In The Park / The Machman / Metal / Only A Downstat / We Are So Fragile / Cars / Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
Tour dates are here
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All words and photos by Naomi Dryden-Smith. Louder Than War | Facebook |Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
Use of these images in any form without permission is copyright infringement. If you wish to use/purchase or license any images please contact naomi@louderthanwar.com
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