Gary Numan @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – Thursday 6th December 2012
The weather is rotten, freezing cold and hammering down but shortly after I arrive at the Wulfrun, Officers take to the stage, and are very impressive. Electro-industrial is a poor attempt to pigeonhole them, but they recently worked with Gary Numan and they are a real find. Having never heard of them before I find myself engrossed and wish their set was longer. Their CD, ‘On The Twelve Thrones’, is a bargain at £10 and hasn’t been out of the cd player since. Discovering a new band is always welcome and makes getting soaked worthwhile.
Gary Numan is someone I’ve never really followed and my limited view of him stems from his hits in the late seventies and early eighties, and I was expecting an evening of synth pop. How wrong could I be?
Gary Numan blew me away; with two synth players, a drummer, guitarist and bass he commanded the stage and provided a stunning show. Opening with ‘Films’, the sound is heavy, direct and at 100db, very loud. Gary Numan looks great, sounds brilliant and really has evolved, and I’m gutted I haven’t seen him live before, as I have really missed out.
The set is simple yet effective, a backing screen providing images and two large racks of strobes across the length of the stage, almost engulfing the drummer. The half-full venue is treated to a selection of tracks from his whole back catalogue, together with a couple of new songs from his ‘soon to be released’ Splinter album and for the song ‘Petals’, the Officers are brought back on stage to re-enact the track (which appears on their aforementioned album).
Throughout the gig there are shouts of “Noooooooooman” and Gary doesn’t say much at all, the odd ‘thanks’, but his energy is solely on the music. ‘Haunted’ must get special mention, a stunning track, which was heavier than most of the artists I saw at this year’s Download. After an hour and a half, the set was concluded with ‘Are Friends Electric’, slightly re-worked, before an encore of ‘Down in the park’, ‘Cars’ and ‘I die, you die’. Sadly that was it. I would quite happily have stayed there for another two hours, I was mesmerised and annoyed. Mesmerised at a superb set and sound. Annoyed I’ve missed this music until now. That has changed, his back catalogue has been bought and I shall be first in line for tickets for the next tour.
The only thing that puzzles me is why Depeche Mode are globally selling out aircraft hangars, while Gary Numan is half-filling the Wulfren. Selfishly I’d sooner experience the gig in the smaller venue, but success-wise he should be there right alongside them. If you only see one artist in the next couple of years, go see Gary Numan, you’ll be the better for it and your ears will thank you. Spread the word…..
Setlist:
Films
Pure
When the sky bleeds, he will come
Haunted
For you
Metal
Everything comes down to this
A prayer for the unborn
I am dust
The fall
Petals (with Officers)
Jagged
We’re the unforgiven
Dead sun rising
Halo
Are friends electric
Down in the park
Cars
I die, you die
Review by Glenn Raybone
Photographs by John Bentley