England’s Gary Numan demonstrated once again how his musical contributions to new wave, electronic music, and music videos made him a pioneer and an influence on countless musicians (Nine Inch Nails, Basement Jaxx, Depeche Mode) who followed him. His unique blend of synthesizers, electronic beats, robotic vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics paved the way for the emergence of the new wave and electronic music genres. His staggeringly devastating show at St. Louis’ newest downtown venue, the Sovereign (in the Grand District), Friday night, was one for the books.
Numan hasn’t played St. Louis since a 2018 show at the Ready Room, so his return was highly anticipated, and a big event for fans who may have never seen him, or for those who have, but just can’t get enough. Fans came from far and wide, and all points in between, to catch the living legend and electronic, new wave pioneer and tastemaker.
For those of us who have seen him, we knew that he puts on an amazing spectacle with top-notch sound, lighting, and production; however, this show was special. The combination of his classic hits and new material, the energy of the crowd, and the flawless execution of his performance topped even his best shows from his heyday. It was more than another show; it was a sublime and memorable event.
Even before the well-received performance from the nouveau-shoegazer duo Tremors, anticipation built, and the fog machines began to pump out even more fog, creating the perfect mood for Numan’s futuristic, cold, dramatic, and cinematic presentation. The audience was a beautiful mix of younger and more mature fans, all united by their love for Numan’s music. Some sported goth makeup, dresses, and their favorite 1980s shirts – Bauhaus, Depeche Mode, The Cure, and, of course, Gary Numan. The newness of the venue and large, expansive balconies framed the setting as a bit more exotic and underground, adding to the sense of inclusivity and unity.
Numan and his band of alien-looking frontline musicians entered the darkened stage shrouded in fog and launched into their 17-song set (including two encores) to a roar and whistles. The venue erupted, and the lights bathed the musicians in a barrage of red, blue, and purple hues, plus strobes, as the band played the first notes of the opener, “Halo.”
Gary Numan’s jet black spiky hairdo and black eye makeup gave him a dramatic and stark, vampirish appearance. Dressed in black jeans, a black long T, and sporting leather wrist bands that highlighted his tattooed arms, he looks just as striking as he did when he came onto the scene in the late 1970s or during his legendary appearance on “SNL” on February 16th, 1980. Guitarist Steve Harris and bassist Tim Slade both sported kilts or futuristic man dresses, shaved heads, spot makeup or corpse paint, and tall black boots, thus exuding a singular, futuristic, cultish look, reminiscent of the Hare Krishna movement. Numan’s band was completed by drummer James Vincent Lucido and keyboardist David Brooks. This was a real dramatic rock performance with all the frills and flourishes.
While most people remember Gary Numan for his breakthrough and quirky hit “Cars,” and maybe are familiar with his former band, Tubeway Army’s single, “Are Friends Electric?” Numan is not simply a one-hit wonder or flash-in-the-pan novelty act; Numan has been active for decades and has released 20 studio albums, two albums with Tubeway Army, and numerous singles, covers, and collaborations. He also found time to enjoy a stellar career in aviation as a pilot and owner of an aviation company. He’s even found time to enjoy motor racing. And, as witnessed on Friday night, Numan continues to tour and perform for fans new and old. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
The 90-minute show featured two Tubeway Army tunes (Numan’s first “real” band): “Down In The Park,” and closer, “Are ‘Friends’ Electric,” a tune that features the Numan signature sound: gurgling synths, danceable beats, a hummable melody, detached vocals and distorted guitars and synth lines colliding into a symphony of distortion. Numan also played some “newish” songs, including “My Name is Ruin,” from Savage: Songs From A Broken World (2017), and “Everything Comes Down To This” from “Splinter: Songs From a Broken Mind” (2013).
As the pulsating strains of “Cars” started to percolate, the crowd erupted to a new apex. This track is one of the defining tracks of the 1980s (recorded in 1979) and was a staple on “MTV” back when the channel actually programmed actual music videos. Numan also played deep cuts like “Haunted” and “Pray for the Pain You Serve.” The band and Numan were bathed and engulfed in brilliant blue and purple lights, and a futuristic, “goth” vibe permeated the atmosphere from the first notes until the final notes of “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” echoed off the high ceilings. The drained and elated crowd filed out into the unseasonably balmy night with the sounds of their youth ringing in their ears.
Let’s hope that Gary Numan returns to St. Louis soon and continues to be the living legend he was born to be.
