When I saw Mr Numan last year, I went along actually not being a big Gary Numan fan. Yes, I had grown up with the big hits and pigeonholed him as a robotic type of keyboard musician, but after seeing an interview and clip of his latest stuff it piqued my interest, with the thought that he has been around for quite a bit, he must have moved on and adapted to survive in the industry, and my god he blew me away. It was one of the loudest shows I had seen for a while with loud rock, heavy guitars, and the styling was literally out of this world, and was one of the best gigs – and there were many gigs – of the year, so I couldn’t wait to see the incredible Mr Numan again, hoping it wasn’t a flash in the pan. I needn’t have worried as yet again tonight in the Institute, (should have been at the larger Academy to be honest, guessing that it was already booked), he gave us an all in the packed-out venue a night to savour.

On the slightly cramped stage at the Institute, not that it’s a small venue by any means, but with two keyboards at the front plus a duo of scary smock dressed guitarist and bass players, it didn’t leave much room for Numan, and he needs a lot of room. He doesn’t stand still, he is a dynamo, strutting, posing, snarling, using all the space he had left, occasionally going to his own keyboard at the rear. One thing about him he is full of surprises, tonight, primarily focusing on two of his big albums, ‘The Pleasure Principal’ and ‘Replicas’, bombarding the crowd with a sonic barrage and making them/us wait until the encore for the hits like ‘Cars’ and ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’, but not in the style we have been used to hearing on radio, heavy. Yet again he proved tonight just how good he still is, and I would love to see him again soon at a larger venue. Take note Mr Numan.

Photos by Geoff Griffe
Review by Jenny Griffe