47 years ago, a 13 year old me - desperately trying to impress my best friend’s sister cruising on a cheap ass plastic skate board - found a new song who I thought was sure to impress the girl. “Are Friends Electric” by Gary Numan (then in Tubeway Army). Well, I didn’t get the girl, the skateboarding attempt only lasted weeks, but somehow Gary Numan seems to accompany me through the years.

I lost track of him for a while but stumbled across a show of his at First Ave in the early 2000s. And back in 2014 Gary Numan was the first show that I “professionally” photographed and in 2023 his was the last show before I retired from running TCM. Well, TCM is in good hands and I still shoot the occasional show, so I was quite looking forward to this evening.

DJ Jake Rudh has become a local fixture to open Numan’s shows and his music selection get the crowd in the mood.

Opening the night was LA duo Tremours. A hazy stage in dark purple pretty much matched their sound. There was only one word on my notepad for their set “Immersive”. Their sound is chill, cool, shoe gaze and feels like it expands beyond individual songs into an, uh yeah immersive, experience.

Many of Numan’s band have been with him for some time and it shows. Steve Harris (guitar) Tim Slade (bass) are well in tune and their stage presence balances Numan’s for an energetic show even though he is pushing 70. Their matching “Industrial Valdemort” look draws the eye. From the first song the crowd got drawn into a thundercloud of music with strobing lights and Numan’s distinct vocals.

I liked “Metal” when it was first released but fell in love with the version that’s currently being played. It sums up what this artist is about - not resting on past laurels but continuing to push forward as a musician as well as a performance artist. Sure the classics “Cars” and “Are Friends Electric” were there, but the set list was heavy on newer songs.

Set List:

Halo / Metal / Haunted / Everything Comes Down to This / Films / Is This World Not Enough / Down in the Park / M.E. / Here in the Black / Ghost Nation / Love Hurt Bleed / Cars /The Fall / The Chosen / A Prayer for the Unborn / Are 'Friends' Electric?

Encore: The Gift /My Name Is Ruin