Gary Numan
Currently celebrating 30 years in the music biz, Numan kick-started his career by submitting a batch of ‘punk’ demos to the hip new label Beggars Banquet in 1978. His band Tubeway Army were not punk but that was what labels were signing at the time and Gary saw his chance. It paid off. Within a year he’d had a couple of minor indie chart hits and released his first album which portrayed his love of futurism and alienation, subjects which have remained at the core of his songwriting. At these early recording sessions he was introduced to the power of the synthesizer, which would significantly shape his style and sound.
The big hits came in 1979; ‘Are Friends Electric’ and ‘Cars’ got him onto Top of the Pops and into major concert venues around the globe. Dropping the Tubeway Army moniker his next few solo albums laid down the electro blueprint that persists to this day. Huge hits like ‘We Are Glass’ and ‘I Die You Die’ brought Numan a fanatical and loyal fan base that remain with him.
By the late 90s the world was waking up to his original, innovative style. Rock celeb endorsements, an ambitious new wife, plus the Sugarbabes ‘Freak Like Me’ all helped to rehabilitate Numan who is now rated by many as a pioneer for much current electronic music. His new work is heavier and bleaker than ever, the questioning of God’s existence being a recurring theme, though at the same time he has found great happiness in his family and his career.
Recent tours have seen him revisit his greatest musical triumphs, something he has previously avoided as he has no love of nostalgia.
Expect crunching electronica and a few roaring synth anthems.
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www.myspace.com/garynuman
www.numan.co.uk