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Original poster

Any fans of Gary Numan and Tubeway Army ?

32 replies

WildRosie · 07/11/2021 19:13

I was never a Numanoid back in the day but he did write and perform some classics. Are Friends Electric? is my favourite; the B-side - We Are So Fragile - is excellent. My other big favourite is We Are Glass.

Apparently, David Bowie and Kraftwerk were among his major influences.

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 07/11/2021 19:14

Not me but my DB and his mate were big fans. He still goes to see him in concert.

Gotaprettypup · 07/11/2021 19:15

Yep...I have tracks on my spotify playlist in the car..

HerBigChance · 07/11/2021 19:18

He is still marvellous. Love his early stuff noted above, as well as Warriors and similar period tracks. Recent stuff is excellent.

Kraftwerk are also amazing, I can see how they were an influence (as well as Bowie, which goes without saying).

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Music
2catsandhappy · 07/11/2021 19:19

Yes. On my playlist.

TopTabby · 07/11/2021 19:20

The opening bars on Are Friends Electric takes me right back to the summer of 1979. I loved it then & still do now.
I remember reading the words to We Are Glass in my Smash Hits magazine. He was so unusual & the next step on from New Wave.
My ultimate favourites were Squeeze in those days, still love them now too.

Itsjustnotcricketisit · 07/11/2021 21:17

Love both Gary Numan and Squeeze.

HerBigChance · 07/11/2021 21:19

@TopTabby

The opening bars on Are Friends Electric takes me right back to the summer of 1979. I loved it then & still do now. I remember reading the words to We Are Glass in my Smash Hits magazine. He was so unusual & the next step on from New Wave. My ultimate favourites were Squeeze in those days, still love them now too.
Agree with all of this. I bloody loved Smash Hits.

Difford and Tilbrook (Squeeze) are superb too.

Kezzie200 · 07/11/2021 22:00

Yes!

Loved Cars and Are Friends Electric?

slavetothekittens · 07/11/2021 22:33

Yes.

I think he gets better with age too...loved the early songs but numbers like Intruder, My Name Is Ruin and Betrayed are simply something else. Fantastic live performer ....wish I knew where he gets his energy from!

EishetChayil · 07/11/2021 22:34

Are Friends Electric is one of my all-time favourite songs.

Laiste · 07/11/2021 22:36

Are Friends Electric.

Oh i used to belt that out with my school mate. Happy days. Sort of.

Wouldn't want to go back to being a teen again to be honest. AFE always makes me feel a big mix of emotions.

Annabelle69 · 07/11/2021 22:40

Gary Numan is the Over Lord of Synth Pop. Simply brilliant. I saw a tonne of bands back in the 80s onwards, but never Gary. I think his best (one of the best electronica) albums is The Pleasure Principle (1979). Finally saw him in 2009 on the Pleasure Principle Tour where he performed the whole album. Terrific.

Lovesabadboy · 07/11/2021 22:44

Was a fan in the early 80's when he was very robotic and just stood and sang at the mic or his synth, but my tastes changed and I didn't listen to him for years.
Then, about 5 years ago, friends asked if I wanted to go and see him in London. I went, purely out of curiosity, and was absolutely blown away by the 'new' (It wasn't new, as it has been his sound for years, but it was new to me) industrial rock/goth sound that he created and at the amazing energy (and sexiness) that he generated! Polar opposite from his previous 80s persona.
Since then, I have seen him about another half a dozen times and love his sound...and the fact that he is incredibly fit for a man in his 60s!

Davros · 07/11/2021 22:49

I saw them a few times supporting The Lurkers

larkstar · 07/11/2021 22:49

The early TA singles were great but I was more of a John Foxx/Ultravox fan but a friend introduced me to his 2017 album Savage (Songs from a broken World) and I blown away - it's excellent - an album Iistened to it a lot that year.

LubaLuca · 07/11/2021 22:55

I saw Gary Numan in 1996. I wasn't much of a fan, but he was surprisingly good live and I've listened to his music a lot more since then.

Snoopfroggyfrogg · 07/11/2021 23:04

I really like his recent single, Intruder

Snoopfroggyfrogg · 07/11/2021 23:05

Think it might just be solo Gary though, not the TA

MajorNeville · 07/11/2021 23:22

My dh first saw him in 1979 as has been a massive fan ever since. I've been with dh for 23 years so have seen him loads, even been to see him in conversation. He's a really nice fella. I really like him live but don't listen to him out of choice as I hear him enough just in passing with dh putting him on.

MajorNeville · 07/11/2021 23:24

I'd also recommend reading his recent autobiography, it's a great read.

TheUnquestionedAnswer · 07/11/2021 23:35

Saw him a few years back at a festival. He was brilliant.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 07/11/2021 23:37

best ever version of Cars

Gary Numan and Nine Inch Nails

DramaAlpaca · 07/11/2021 23:39

I remember seeing Gary & TA and Are Friends Electric the first time they appeared on TOTP. I tell you, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck it was so amazing. I still listen to it now and again.

I loved Squeeze too, amazing songwriters.

DownInThePark · 08/11/2021 00:44

Yes! Been a massive fan since 1979.

iklboogiemaninthecloset · 08/11/2021 00:56

Apparently BIL1 was a massive fan. He painted his bedroom black with red lines. Unfortunately, the Noddy wallpaper was still visible under the paint 😄

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