45 years ago Gary Numan helped change the course of music with the ground-breaking albums Replicas (with Tubeway Army) and The Pleasure Principal, his first album as a solo artist. For the charts of the day his electronic output was something completely new, something ‘out there’. Numan quickly became one of the biggest artists of the day and a whole generation of Numanoids came to exist. Fast forward to 2024 and the person who has often said he wants to continuously move forward and not step into the retro/nostalgia age has opted to celebrate both albums with a tour. Cynicism aside we know Numan always delivers the goods, from his stage presence to the lights, a Numan show never disappoints. Tonight is no different.
There’s a palpable sense of excitement in the air as Leeds Academy fills to capacity well before he walks on stage. No support, it’s 90 minutes after doors open that the lights dim, the place erupts into chants of “Numan, Numan”. In front of a giant neon triangle and a bank of strobes his band walk on to the opening beats of ‘Replicas’. Numan follows and from this point on we’re treated to a mesmerising performance. Gary Numan doesn’t talk between songs, there’s no introductions, no stories. It’s not needed. Numan communicates with those present with looks, movements, stares and the occasional smile. He twists, crouches, throws his arms into the air, spins on the spot, swings his guitar around. And that voice. Forty five years later and it’s still unmistakeable. Age hasn’t changed it one bit.
Anyone wanting to hear both albums in chronological order will have been a little disappointed. But both are played almost entirely with the setlist perfectly alternating between the two. ‘Replicas’ is followed by ‘M.E.’ which then rolls into a superb ‘Me! I Disconnect From You’, Numan front of stage staring, pointing individuals out. Of course it’s a feast of nostalgia but ‘Do You Need The Service?’, ‘Praying To The Aliens’, ‘It Must Have Been Years’ and ‘We Are So Fragile’ from Replicas as well as ‘Films’, ‘Tracks’, ‘Observer’ and ‘Conversation’ from The Pleasure Principal only serve to emphasise how different, experimental and fresh these electronic sounds were back in the day. Tonight, with a band that adds a particularly powerful edge to those sounds and, in Steve Harris (guitar/keyboard) and Tim Slade (bass/keyboard) a wonderful theatrical touch to proceedings, everything is brought into the 21st century.
Credit to the lighting engineer. Strobes, searchlights, neon, a huge spectrum of colours with the typical dominance of red, blue, white it really is a brilliant light show that matches perfectly the sounds pounding out from the stage.
Yes it’s all a throwback to times gone by but Gary Numan is always hungry to try new ideas, too inventive, too forward looking to ever become just another artist relying on his back catalogue and tonight provided an opportunity for those fans old and new to hear songs that rarely, if ever, get played live. ‘Cars’ and ‘Are Friends Electric’ are saved for the encore and, as expected receive the biggest responses of the show, the latter is absolutely huge with a deafening chorus from the crowd filling the entire place.
A brilliant show from an artist who never gives anything less than 100%.
One big issue for this reviewer if you were actually here – only recognising three or four of the songs being played does NOT make it OK to start having a conversation with your mates that’s loud enough for everyone near you to hear. Just listen to, and appreciate, the songs you don’t know without spoiling it for others. In less polite terms – Just shut the f*** up and save your conversation for after the gig. Better still, just spend your money down the pub and not in a venue where people are trying to listen to a show.
Photos/words: Steve White
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