Gary Numan // The Waterfront // 25.6.14

Support came from British band Roman Remains, a name that belied their energy and stage presence. Although it is lazy to compare singers to other singers there was no escaping the fact that frontwoman Liela Moss had a passing resemblance to Bjork, in more ways than one. From her elfin features to her ethereal vocals, with more than a touch of punk attitude, Moss grabbed the audiences’ attention from the beginning. Numan attracts a dedicated following, who are usually keen to get the support slots over with in order to see the man himself, but the crowd warmed to and were eventually won over by the London-based duo (or trio when playing live). The bass was so heavy that internal organs could be identified through vibrations alone, and each track was decent dark, electro punk. It was easy to see why they had been asked on the tour. 

Then Numan entered the stage bathed in coloured lights and smoke. The packed audience, most sporting tour t-shirts from anywhere in the last year to two decades ago, erupted with applause and familiar, almost traditional, chants of ‘Nooman! Nooman!’. The sound in The Waterfront was impeccable, his distinctive vocals so clear he could of almost been miming (assuredly he was not). As expected the set varied from classic tracks to his more aggressive and industrial-sounding material from recent years. However, what used to be radio-friendly songs like ‘Are Friends Electric’ and ‘Cars’ were given a heavier overhaul, making them fresh to listen to and, quite clearly, a rush to play. Numan had never been quite so animated on stage as he was tonight, and there was even a rare smile glimpsed between tracks. It was obvious that, despite his recent move to the US and advancing years, Gary Numan is still more than capable of blowing UK fans away with his live shows and it will be a long time before anyone is tired of seeing him perform.