Review: Gary Numan, Colston Hall

Let’s not concern ourselves with the critics’ opinions of Gary Numan; let’s not fuss about what he’s done outside of rock n roll or his politics; and let’s not dig in to his private life, religious views (or lack thereof) or relationships. Shall we just focus on his show at the Colston Hall instead?

The set was loud yet clear; the massive sound equalled by the shock and awe of a retina searing lightshow, backed with an array of video screens, and the band was totally engaged with the material – tight and precise and locked into an android groove. The mighty Numan himself was thoroughly immersed in his performance throughout, no time (or indeed need) for banter: wrenching and contorting himself into non-rock star shapes and totally inhabiting the songs. In fact no song introductions, no band introductions, just a seamless run through a career spanning set of machine tooled electro/metal pieces.

Set opener Ghost Nation (its ghostly, throbbing opening greeted with strobe blasted rapture by the packed room) thundered in to Metal: despite the nigh on four decade gap between them the opening pair sounded totally in synch – robotic disco synth almost out-riffing the guitar. The new recording Savage (Songs from a Broken World) was well represented (nearly half the main set), its cuts slotting in with the older material and greeted with as much pleasure. Naturally the older songs were welcomed as old friends, Down in the Park, greeted with a roar and Cars with euphoria. The latter one of the few tunes to actually get the curiously static crowd moving (no one expected a wall of death or circle pits, but surely a bit of disjointed dystopian robo-dancing was to be expected?).

The past few years have seen belated acknowledgement for Numan’s influence on music from the gatekeepers of fashion, and credit to Numan he has also absorbed from his peers and progeny, especially live. No doubt the industrial metal scene has drawn from his work and whilst his own material might be in the same county as, say, Rammstein or Rob Zombie it’s not in the same postcode. The balance of synth and guitar is nuanced and he avoids the sturm and drang that can overwhelm in the wrong hands. The tunes are certainly as powerful as the best of Ministry but more considered, more measured and less gonzo. And whilst the two way Nine Inch Nails thing is accepted Numan has less of the desperate nihilism of Reznor, his material still has a bleak warmth the latter lacks.

The band were an assertive presence on stage, thundering drums and throbbing bass bullying the synth and guitar onwards to continually powerful effect – the band and Numan all in their post-apocalyptic Bedouin gear – and  whilst studious and focused, clearly enjoying the effect on the crowd. My Name is Ruin pulsated, Dead Sun Rising a welcome brooding respite whilst closing the set with a Prayer for the Unborn was an astute move, slower paced yet powerful, an epic song hidden away in a subtle slow building tune.

An old school two song encore led to a euphoric response – M.E. and Are “Friends” Electric?, the latter easily harvesting the biggest crowd response, Numan orchestrating a singalong and a fitting ending to the show. Shedding his total performance skin, Numan made a simple statement “Thank you very much Bristol you have no idea what this means to me”. Heartfelt words and more meaningful than any amount of fake rock n roll bonhomie, departing with a grin he left the room to a final chorus of “Nuuuuumannnnnn”.

Pix by Shona Cutt

Gary Numan: Colston Hall, Thursday 5th October 2017