by Jade Nixon
Gary Numan is regarded as an icon of 20th century electronic, new wave and synth pop with his career booming and reaching it’s peak in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s with hits such as "Are ‘Friends’ Electric?" and "Cars" which both reached the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart.
Numan announced his 45th anniversary tour for albums The Pleasure Principle and Replicas back in mid February of this year, originally playing NX in Newcastle however this venue was quickly upgraded to the much loved 2,100 capacity, O2 City Hall.
Although the weather was grey and miserable on May 23rd, the audience certainly was not. Queues stretched around the side of the venue and back as the people of Newcastle eagerly awaited to enter the venue for an evening of incredible live music. With no support act for this tour, the atmosphere was, in fact, electric (if you pardon the pun) in anticipation to hear Numan and his band perform a nearly two hour set filled with hits from The Pleasure Principle and Replicas plus 2 B-sides "Do You Need The Service?" and "We Are So Fragile."
As the lights dimmed and the intro music kicked in, the excitement in the room was palpable. Numan entered the stage to thunderous applause, launching into a powerful rendition of "Replicas." His presence was magnetic, and from the first note, it was clear that we were in for an amazing night.
The sound quality was incredible with every synth line and drumbeat resonating throughout the venue. Numan’s voice was as haunting and powerful as ever, proving that his vocal ability has certainly not diminished over the years. The band was tight and well-rehearsed, complementing Numan’s performance perfectly. The stage production was another highlight. The lighting design with its stark contrasts, bright colours and synchronised effects added a visual layer to the music that really enhanced the overall experience as Numan rattled through 11 songs from Replicas and 8 from The Pleasure Principle.
This tour saw the re-emergence of B-side "Do You Need The Service?" for the first time since 2016 with the song only to have been played 35 times before this date. It’s needless to say the crowd went wild upon hearing the kick drum intro followed by gut-punching bass that concluded the main set before the encore which was made of his top hits, "Cars" and "Are ‘Friends’ Electric?" that was sure to get the audience singing along at the top of their voices and dancing along like it was 1980 all over again. Surely, a very reminiscent moment for longtime Numan fans with memories of this exact moment in their youths.
Gary Numan’s concert was a stunning showcase of his enduring talent; his ability to keep the performance dynamic and engaging even after 45 years from the original release of these albums is something to behold.
For fans old and new, it was a night to remember, reaffirming Gary Numan’s place as a "pioneer in electronic music." If you have the chance to see him live, don’t miss it – it’s an experience that will leave you spellbound.
All the above photos of Gary Numan were taken by Jade Nixon.
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Gary Numan are: Gary Numan (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Steve Harris (guitar, keyboard), Tim Slade (bass), David Brooks (keyboard) and Jimmy Lucido (drums).
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