Gary Numan | L.A. | Review | Pics
By Team JamBase Nov 30, 2010 • 1:56 pm PST

Gary Numan :: 11.03.10 :: El Rey Theatre :: Los Angeles, CA
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Numan has revealed in recent interviews that he has suffered from a mild form of Asperger syndrome since he was a teenager. A form of autism, it has always made personal interaction difficult for him, which helped fuel his aloof, mysterious persona. But at the El Rey on November 3rd, the veteran god of synth had no trouble connecting with the crowd of adulate fans packed in the tiny venue like sardines in a can.
The first set featured, as promised, The Pleasure Principle played in its entirety. The presentation was an eloquent rendition of the retro sound that Numan invented. His band of accomplished musicians featured Ade Fenton and David Brooks on backing keyboards, Richard Beasly on drums, Steve Harris on guitar and Tim Muddiman on bass. The group played the classic tracks competently, although not very passionately, providing rich textures to the music. The musical style that most remember as the classic 80s soundtrack, of course, sounded dated, but it was the perfect opening to the band’s second set, which featured Numan’s newest material. It was like a living history lesson allowing the audience to view the evolution of Numan’s, music firsthand. The band, as well as the man himself, came alive when they began to play the new music with a much more ferocious and renewed sense of passion and intensity. To be sure, the music itself was much more intense, in the vain of industrial metal like Nine Inch Nails.
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Numan has produced a huge volume of work over the last 30 years, much of it flying under the radar of pop radio. His experimentation included jazz-laced albums in the 80s, and he has been experimenting with the industrial metal sound as far back as 1994 with his album Sacrifice. The Los Angeles audience responded enthusiastically to the material in his second set, including songs from his yet-to-be-released new album Splinters.
Numanoids across the globe can rejoice in the rebirth of this masterful musician who may be poised to gain a whole new generation of fans. Los Angeles fans, many of who had waited years to see Numan perform live, may not have to wait so long for the next show. Mr. Numan is trying to relocate his family to the City of Angels permanently and will certainly have an avid audience panting for another performance soon.
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