Gary Numan broke out in the music industry in a big way in 1979. He had 2 albums hit the charts at #1 in the UK. Replicas was released under his band’s name, Tubeway Army and The Pleasure Principle was released under his own name. Forty years has passed since that monumental breakthrough year which presented the world with his most famous release, “Cars“. Gary is still making amazing music with his latest studio release “Savage” being perhaps his most gripping release to date.
In a nutshell, Numan’s career has been a roller coaster of styles and popularity. He started off as a UK punk rocker as many London musicians were doing in the mid to late 70’s but when Gary happened upon a synthesizer, things took a dramatic turn. While not the first to delve into the world of “synth-rock” he certainly brought the genre to prominence. Replicas was a mix of guitar and synth songs but The Pleasure Principle was full on synthesizer based songs. Completely abandoning the electric guitar for the Minimoog and Polymoog synthesizers brought forth a new and exciting sound the world of rock music. Following The Pleasure Principle was 1980’s release, Telekon. Guitars were reintroduced to his heavily synthesized sound and he had another #1 release on his hands.
Following the tours supporting Telekon, Numan announced his retirement from touring with several sold out shows at London’s Wembley Arena. Fortunately, this didn’t prove to be a permanent retirement from the road! What followed was a series of albums which saw Numan delve into a different musical style. What followed his “Machine” section of his career was a foray into a mix of jazz and funk which was not as widely received as his earlier releases. Numan admits to putting too much stock in what industry “experts” were dictating. He was putting out music that wasn’t true to him. In 1994, his future wife Gemma encouraged him to leave the less than favorable influences behind and be true to himself.
1994 is when Gary’s sound turned to a more heavy industrial sound in his release Sacrifice. This style is the one he has settled on for the last 25 years and he has been getting better and better at it as time has passed. He has influenced the likes of Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson with his turbulent and imposing sound. He has been steadily gaining ground with both the press and his fans. His last two releases, 2013’s Spinter (Songs From a Broken Mind) and 2017’s Savage (Songs From a Broken World) show Numan’s musical growth has peaked. He is due to release a new album titled Intruder late in 2020. It’s hard to imagine it being better than his last two releases. How does one top such incredible pieces of work?
For those interested in the video aspect of Gary Numan live, there are several DVDs out there to quench your thirst for a visual image. His latest two concert releases are stunning. “Savage – Live At Brixton Academy” is a fantastic example of what it’s like to be at a Numan concert. The pure energy that Numan exudes is palpable. The next DVD is “When The Sky Came Down” which features the Skaparis Orchestra. The backing by a full orchestra fills out Numan’s sound majestically. Throw in a small chorus to add to the backing vocals and you have a concert sound like no other. For those fans who didn’t attend one of these amazing orchestra backed shows, it will make you sad that you didn’t attend. Both DVD releases are accompanied by a double CD version of the concert DVD.
Unlike most artists of his era, Numan’s shows are not normally an early years greatest hits package. Because Numan has been producing great music in recent years, he doesn’t have to rely on his late 70’s / early 80’s music to sell tickets. Yes, he indeed trots out some of his older songs such as “Cars”, “Are Friends Electric”, “Down in The Park” and others, but he doesn’t rely on them. When he does play his older songs, he pumps them up to match his heavier industrialized sound rather than playing them as they were released. His shows are as much a visual spectacle as they are an aural sensation. These days, Luke Edwards from Cue Design has put together an absolutely stunning light show to accompany Numan’s music. One more reason a Numan concert is a MUST see!
2019 saw a departure in his concert set list. To celebrate his 40th anniversary he dug out songs from across his lengthy career in a tour that traversed the UK. I was fortunate to be able to photograph the final two shows of the tour at London’s venerable Roundhouse. Numan is known for his pre-show meet and greets. Having all access to the shows, I was able to witness the pre-show activities. Gary is not one to rush through his meetings with fans. He takes the time to truly listen to what his fans have to say and often has a good laugh with them. He takes an interest in the history of the items folks bring to have him sign as well. It’s well worth the money to partake in one of these sessions!
Showtime came and the house was full both nights. The opening act was Los Angeles based indie artist Kanga. Her set was a good match for Numan as she was rather dark and ethereal yet powerful. With the stage being shrouded in darkness then hit with an explosion of light, it was a tough go for photographers. In no way did the lighting detract from her set. She’s a very compelling young artist worth watching out for. Pre-shows saw band members doing push ups in the hallways, having a daughter applying polish to dad’s nails, and talking with family and friends who came to see the shows. The mood was loose and upbeat.
As the crowd waited for Gary to hit the stage, the standard cry of “Nuuuumaaaannnnn” was heard around the arena. When he and the band hit the stage, the crowd erupted. The show’s energy level was amazing. Guitarist Steve Harris prowled the stage like a predator in search of prey. Filling in for Tim Muddiman whose wife had just given birth was Tim Slade on bass. He too moved menacingly about the stage. Richard Beasley on drums and David Brooks on keyboards were at the back of the stage stoically filling out the sound. Numan paraded around the stage like an artist half his age. He switched from his venerable Gibson guitar to his keyboard to using his mic stand as a prop from song to song and was quite animated through the whole set. Numan really keeps himself in shape considering how athletic he is during his shows.
As I was photographing for Gary, I didn’t have the time to sit back and take in the show so many of the details escape me unfortunately. With set list in hand, I knew where I wanted to be for certain songs. For example, during “Cars” I wanted to be at the back of the audience in the balcony to catch the band backed by a video screen showing his ground breaking 1979 video for the song. At the end of “Are Friends Electric?” I needed to be on stage to take a group photo. People don’t realize that when one photographs for a band, the show loses one aspect but gains another. One can’t sit back and listen to a favorite song, one has to capture the energy of the song in a photograph. Capturing the right moment brings the joy.
Gary Numan is a performer who loves what he does and is humbled by the outpouring of fan support. He knows that without his fans he wouldn’t be doing what he loves and he frequently tells his audiences that. Numan is not one to go through the motions and play a show for the money. He gives the audiences their money’s worth. I appreciate the opportunity he provided me and Music Madness Magazine appreciates allowing the use of “out takes” from shows in both the London shows and shows in 2018 that I photographed for Gary. 2020 is going to be a big year so keep your eyes and ears open for new material and an accompanying tour!
Many thanks go to Gary Numan’s band, road crew, and family for making me feel welcome and part of the “team”. A very special thanks go to tour manager / front of house sound man Dave Dupuis. Dave worked with me to allow me to get the best possible photos of Gary and the band. Also I’d like to thank the rabid fans known as “Numanoids”. Their loyalty is inspiring! Several Numanoids took this foreigner into their fold and shared stories, laughs, and a drink or two. Cheers to them!
