While we were away. —Ed.
The elegant Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC hosted Gary Numan on March 15, where Numanoids young and old, goth and bureaucrat, gathered to greet the electronic pioneer during this stop on the Intruder tour. After four decades, he demonstrates he is still as creative and fascinating as ever.
Along for the tour is Tara Busch, performing as I Speak Machine, an experimental music and audio-visual project. I Speak Machine is due to release a new album in April (War) which is described as visceral and honest. As an example, the single “The Metal Of My Hell,” examines Busch’s battle with addiction. On stage, Busch managed to command the audience with her presence and charisma during her 30-minute set, an impressive feat given her minimal stage setup of computers and synths.
Taking the neon lit stage shortly after 9PM, Gary Numan and his fellow musicians dressed and sounded like a house band from a Bartertown bar, which felt fitting given our modern times. Long gone is the “android” look from yesteryear; it is a visual signal of his ability to evolve as an artist. After all, he is known for not only influencing younger bands like Nine Inch Nails, he also is open minded enough be influenced by those musicians in return.
This tour is in support of Numan’s latest album Intruder, which Numan has characterized as something of a companion piece to 2017’s Savage (Songs from a Broken World); both albums address themes of the Earth’s pending climate disaster. The set list was sprinkled with songs from Intruder, including the title track. While it’s exciting to hear Numan perform his early songs like “Cars,” “Films,” and “Down in the Park,” in concert his more recent work more than holds its own. The song I was the most stoked to hear, “My Name is Ruin,” is from Savage (Songs from a Broken World) and happens to be one of my favorite songs of the last ten years by any artist.
Live, Gary Numan is riveting to watch and he has surrounded himself with an excellent band. This isn’t news to the Numanoids of Earth but it’s long past time for everyone else to know it too. The US leg of the Intruder tour wraps up in Ventura, CA on April 5 before heading to the U.K. and Europe at the end of April.
I SPEAK MACHINE
Gary Numan Setlist
Intruder
Metal
The Promise
The Gift
Halo
Films
Ghost Nation-
Love Hurt Bleed
Pray for the Pain You Serve
Bed of Thorns
Down in the Park
Cars
Here in the Black
My Name is Ruin
The Chosen
A Prayer for the Unborn
Encore
The Fall
Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
