The Evolution of the Neo-Numan:  Gary Numan @ Brixton O2 Academy

by | Oct 18, 2017

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Opening with new song, the throbbing industrial Ghost Nation from hotly anticipated album SavageGary Numan is joined on stage by a standard rock band set up of lead, bass guitar and drummer as well as DJ decks and synths. His voice is clear and clean against the muted beats and dirty growls.  Topping and tailing every track is an explosion of rapturous applause from fans some of whom have shadowed him on his journey to bring an album from inspiration, to studio, to stage.

Savage was produced using an advanced form of crowd funding: Numan reliably attended his studio every day to write and record all whilst being streamed live to contributing fans. He handed over some creative decisions and suggestions to these remote partners. The fear with a project like this is that it could become little more than the creative whim guided by a democratic lowest common denominator, what this project birthed could not have been properly conceived until it was performed live.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan’s career has been marked by strange mile stones, his marriage to fan club member Gemma O’Neill,  who declared at age 16 to her teacher, something along the lines of, “ I don’t need to get a job, I’m going to marry Gary Numan”. They had not yet met. Ever since the Smash Hits years the tabloid media paid more attention to his eccentricities than his music, his blue eyebrows, his love of flying helicopters, or his eventual alleged marital problems.

He influenced a musical movement forcing an evolution in synth music from its early inception in the late ‘70s allowing artists to make music without a full band,  to goth tinged darkwave of the ‘80s.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

The spectrum of synth pop divided with synth pop becoming chart topping with bands like Yazoo, OMD and the Human League, Numan departed into a more goth tinged, near industrial sound. His music filled with the imagery of science fiction and film noir. Bands like Depeche Mode closely followed suit opting instead to colour in their music with romance and religious overtones.

Influencing artists like Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails, and becoming one of the most keenly sampled artists his music had a life of its own.  Nine Inch Nails did invite Numan on stage for the London date of their NIN/JA tour but as the teacher becomes the student, the material that Numan had been performing up to that point on albums like Pure and Jagged could be compared to Reznor’s work from ten years earlier.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Notoriously retiring and shy, Numan seems released, disengaging the microphone from the stand and making full use of the stage, casting shapes up to the gallery, crouching down to the pit. Both Numan and his band are clothed in a uniform of some fictional post-apocalyptic desert scape. Sun bleached utilitarian and frankly perfect for surviving a sweltering Brixton stage. The visuals add constant interest and reinforcement of the album videos and branding, close ups of industrial decay which mirror organic shapes, human forms in exhausted Christ poses.  Numan’s voice carries without wavering in his distinctive style which oscillates between a defeated whimper and a human outcry.

 

His voice is never more beautiful than on Bed Of Thorns where a new restraint draws the audience in. This song in particular could easily be confused with current day Depeche Mode, who have followed a similar musical trajectory. Performing Savage live draws attention to how Numan touches on elements of world music. It feels like there was more scope for incorporating earthy elements, and where they do peak through with elegant eastern style vocal ‘swaras’ or organic percussion which adds texture.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Numan intersperses classic material early in with Down In The Park.  He waves out to the audience, flailing his arms in a mock SOS which is quickly echoed back en masse by adoring fans. What an excellent  thing at this stage in his career to be seen, to be heard to be loved.

Savage is a project with a distinctive narrative of rebirth, or perhaps, reclamation from disaster. This could be an allegory for Numan’s music or his life experiences.  His energy remains consistent and infectious throughout the set, filling the stage with his presence.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

The pulse of a faint tick underpins a fragile and stirring vocal performance on Mercy. His voice left out in the open, exposed, is delicate and soulful.  The stage streams with red laser lights before blooming into a crimson haze of warning for the dark, sexy throbbing disco-esque Love Hurt Bleed.  Love Hurt Bleed has a powerful hook which will establish it as an industrial and goth dance floor essential.

Taking a moment between songs to speak to the audience he is able to enjoy a riotous hit of appreciation from the crowd.  He introduces a petite blond girl to the stage, his daughter 11-year-old Persia Numan who accompanies him on my Name Is Ruin. The juxtaposition of her tiny frame and wispy white blond hair and angelic, soft, choral vocal adds to the story being crafted to accompany the album. Numan only breaks character briefly as he visibly kvells with a gush of love and grips her in a ‘Papa bear’ hug.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan & Persia Numan (Belle Piec)

He punches through a pretty straight version of Cars in which he steps to the rear of the stage to glide through an Aeolian, cosmic synth solo while he continues his fevered dance.

A lattice of white lights create a geometric cage around his silhouette as he picks up his guitar for the first time this evening for A Prayer for the Unborn. A blood red ultrasound dominates the screens as he raises the guitar over his head in triumph. Is this a song for his children?  We’ve heard his extraordinary daughter sing (he has every right to grab a little credit)!

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

A standing ovation from the seats and a raucous chant from the pit beg him back on stage, his return guaranteed by the exclusion of Are Friends Electric.  He addressed the audience, “I have to say it’s been a very big year for me. It is you who makes it happen for me.”  He is clearly affected as the whole venue rises in a chant of ‘Nu-man’. “I just want to say thank you very much”.  As Films starts the video screens flash with movie countdown test cards in a signal of anticipation. What will come next from this rejuvenated star?

The UK leg of the Savage tour continues hitting capital cities in continental Europe and concluding with multiple dates across the USA.

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Gary Numan (Belle Piec)

Photography by Belle Piec and Live Review by Sarah Sievers at Gary Numan, Brixton Academy 14th October 2017

 

The Soulful Charisma Of Zak Abel – Live At Koko

Lizzie Esau for Rockshot Magazine (Kalpesh Patel)

“Always Dreaming Of Something, And Not On This Planet” — Lizzie Esau Has Sky-High Ambitions

It’s a grey day in Newcastle, but Lizzie Esau is all colour. Not just in her sound — an intoxicating blend of indie...
The Royston Club (Sam Crowston)

The Royston Club Announce New Album ‘Songs For The Spine’ And Biggest Tour Yet Ciematic

After the Top 20 success of their debut album, The Royston Club are pushing into bold new territory with the announcement of their second full-length record, Songs For The Spine, due out 8th August. Alongside the album reveal comes the emotionally charged new single Glued To The Bed, premiered by Huw Stephens on BBC 6 Music, and news of their biggest UK headline tour to date—culminating in a major London show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.

Lissie (Madison Speer)

Rockshot Favourite Lissie Returns With Tender New EP Promises, Sharing Heartfelt Cover Of ‘I’ll Stand By You’

A long-time favourite here at Rockshot Magazine, American singer-songwriter Lissie makes a welcome return with her...
Skerryvore (Press)

Skerryvore Unveil Uplifting New Single ‘The Sea That Sings’ Ahead of Biggest Show Yet At Floors Castle

Scottish folk-rock trailblazers Skerryvore are celebrating 20 years of music, memories, and massive live moments with...
Will Linley (Press)

Will Linley Channels Heartache Into Euphoria On New Single ‘Cinematic’

South African-born artist Will Linley is keeping his foot on the gas. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter has returned with his brand-new single Cinematic via Island Records—a sweeping, emotional anthem that perfectly captures the push-pull between heartbreak and hope. Known for his self-coined “sad-pop” style, Linley once again proves his ability to transform personal pain into songs that make you want to dance through the tears.

House of Protection (Anthony Tran)

House Of Protection Drop Electrifying New EP ‘Outrun You All’ & Announce UK Tour Dates

One of the most thrilling new forces in heavy music, House Of Protection have released their sophomore EP Outrun You All via Red Bull Records—a genre-hopping, high-octane project that confirms the duo’s position as one of 2024’s most fearless acts. Known for fusing atmospheric trip-hop, art punk, underground electronic, and hardcore chaos, the band wastes no time diving deep into their expansive musical world on this blistering seven-track release.

Jawbone (Rob Blackham / Blackham Images)

Jawbone Reignite Their Signature Sound With ‘Jawbone II’ — A Soulful, Live-Wire Triumph Of Folk, Rock & Psychedelia

It’s been a long time coming, but some things are worth the wait. Acclaimed British roots-rock band Jawbone have released their long-anticipated second album, Jawbone II, out now via 5dB Records (also home to anaiis, Ashaine White, and MOULD). Arriving seven years after their 2018 debut, Jawbone II reintroduces the quartet with the full force of their signature blend: timeless songwriting, masterful musicianship, and a rare kind of chemistry that can only come from years of playing together.

The Zipheads Kickstart A Rock ‘N’ Roll Renaissance In London

There’s two types of people in this world: those who’ve experienced The Zipheads live, and those who are missing out....

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing