Coventry was ready, the capacity crowd were eager and as the lights went out, shouts from the crowd, “Nuuuuumannnn” began to ring around.
Words by Jack Williams
The Copper Rooms located in the heart of Warwick University’s incredible campus has a whole host of upcoming nostalgic acts such as The Buzzcocks and Selectar & The Beat, as well as tributes to David Bowie and The Jam. This Saturday was no different when the dark figure of Gary Numan took to the stage.
Numan was apart of the new wave of music being introduced in the late seventies to early eighties, however many journalists quickly shutdown Numan’s success at time, calling his style of music “gimmicky”. The Hammersmith born Numan ignored the raft of criticism he received and made three iconic albums. Replicas, The Pleasure Principle and Telekon were three completely different sounding albums that were released at fast rate, all of which hit the peak of the charts.
Numan’s desire to make new music is clear, 21 albums speak for itself over a 38-year career and with another album due soon, Numan has no intensions to stop.
The 58-year-olds drive to play his early content is little; an on-going battle with the fans finally saw Numan ready to play the songs that made him famous today off the albums stated above.
Coventry was ready, the capacity crowd were eager and as the lights went out, shouts from the crowd, “Nuuuuumannnn” began to ring around. The crowd screamed and cheered as Numan walked on the stage, momentarily wandering around the stage observing and acknowledging all members of the crowd.
The familiar drumbeat suddenly began as Numan prepared to open with Replicas and the synth, guitars and Numan himself all crashed into life with a dramatic and incredible lighting display, something Numan has always been recognised for. A simply epic and energetic opening which would continue throughout, he just didn’t stop!
Metal, Remind Me To Smile and Me! I Disconnect From You all followed at the relentless pace, and if anything, sounding even better live.
Numan continued to throw himself around, letting loose and putting on an almighty show for members of the crowd that potentially hasn’t seen him perform for over 35 years. “I don’t like the film!” screamed out of the mouths of the now sweaty audience as the gig was in full swing, everyone knew the words, everyone was either bobbing their head or swaying from side to side, this is what gigs are all about.
Numan had so much material he could use, the previous two nights in Sheffield and Liverpool he’d changed the setlist. Coventry was no different.
The Joy Circuit, You Are In My Vision, M.E and This Wreckage all followed with the same passion and enthusiasm that Numan had displayed for the good hour that he’d now been on stage. Although he’d not spoken to the crowd once through his set, his connection with the crowd was clear, clapping along with them, the Numan faithful knew he was a man of few words, but there was good reasoning.
The end of the emphatic set drew to its conclusion, Numan obviously saving his famous and most popular material for the grand finale, but what a finale it was.
We Are Glass kicked the finale off in fine style, pumping the crowd for the songs that propelled Gary Numan to the peak of music.
Are Friends Electric? followed with the stage lighting providing a much more dramatic affect from when he performed with a very dark setting on Top Of The Pops in 1979.
Cars followed and the set was topped off with I Die: You Die.
A brilliant night, full of nostalgia for many and for some, the first and possibly last seeing Gary Numan perform a whole set of his retro material.
This review was written by Jack Williams, follow him on twitter here.
SETLIST
- Replicas
- Metal
- Remind Me to Smile
- Me! I Disconnect From You
- Films
- The Joy Circuit
- You Are in My Vision
- E.
- This Wreckage
- We Are So Fragile
- Observer
- I’m an Agent
- Down in the Park
- Tracks
- We Are Glass
- Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
- Cars
- I Die: You Die
Encore:
LFM 