Review of: Gary Numan

At: The Kasbah, Coventry

On: Thursday 24/07/08

By: Gaby

Ok, first things first: some of you out there who might happen to read my reviews from time to time might be somewhat surprised and a bit perplexed to see a review of a Gary Numan concert on this website, but please don’t be alarmed or worried my friends.

Gary Numan has come a long, long way from the heady days of the 80’s and his music has not only changed with the times but has grown into a musical style that I believe simply cannot be categorised. Seeing a Gary Numan show is most certainly not about some nostalgia trip back in time but rather a futuristic experience one participates in with sounds which draw you in and take you on a mind bending trip into cyberspace and beyond.

Gary Numan is one of the most charismatic, menacing and enigmatic performers I have seen for a very long time and rightly deserves the title of “electronica legend” as he has rightly been the inspiration for many a rock and metal band as much as dance and R&B. If you don’t believe me, then check out nearly any rock or metal band’s autobiography and you will undoubtedly find at least a mention of the man.

He most certainly has not been a static creator of music since his early “Pleasure Principal” and “Tubeway Army” days; which is hard to believe considering his apparent lack of radio air play, but rather an artist who in the tradition of David Bowie and Marc Bolan continues to enhance, develop and evolve both his image and style as well as his music.

Much of his newer music is rather a varied and hypnotic mix of hard and heavy industrial rock fusion/metal which is perhaps partly goth inspired whilst at the same time part prog rock psychedelic, part Brian Eno / Peter Gabriel. But as said earlier his music is one of those rarities that is unique to him alone and refuses to be categorised which makes this particular artist quite special in the world of music and most certainly not an artist to be ignored. Quite the opposite in fact.

For me it was a concert of sounds, vibes and noises I have not experienced before and in a sense it felt like a privilege to be in the company of this thoughtful and enigmatic performer who performed a whole host of what we were told were remixed versions of many of his hits and B-sides taken from a variety of albums. To be honest, apart from “Cars” and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” the rest of the songs in his set were completely un-known to me, which could most certainly not be said for the many fans who attended this small but perfectly formed venue.

From what I saw this particular evening, Gary Numan fans are some of the most passionate and committed fans I have ever encountered and who have stuck by their musical hero through thick and then and welcomed nearly every song with a chorus of “NUMAANN!”.

As you would probably expect with a Gary Numan concert, guitars were not the prominent instrument, which were sadly missed by this particular rock-head, but was more than made up for by the skilful and talented bass player and drummer who drove this show like a pile driver against the mysterious and often mesmerizing synth and keyboard players / operators.

So to sum up I would actively encourage any rock fan to take a chance and have a listen to what Gary Numan has been up to recently as he continues to explore and take music into strange, complex and exciting new universes.

With a bit of an open mind and a spirit of adventure I am sure no one would be disappointed and will only feel respect for this provocative and talented individual who will no doubt inspire countless different bands long into the future and beyond.