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EU TOUR DATES 2006
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| Dates |
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Set List |
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Tour T-Shirt |
May
9 Amsterdam, Holland Paradiso
10 Berlin, Germany Maria Am Ostbahnhof
11 Frankfurt, Germany Nachtleben
12 Munich, Germany Kleine Eslterhalle
13 Cesena, Italy Vidia Club
14 Turin, Italy Hiroshima Mon Amour
15 Milan, Italy Transilvania Live
16 Geneva, Switzerland U'sine
17 Paris, France D-Side Party @ Locomotive
19 Affligem, Belgium Rock Affligem
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Intro
Pressure
Rip
Metal
Halo
Cars
Slave
Jagged
Down In The Park
In A Dark Place,
Pure
Haunted
Are 'Friends' Electric?
Crazier
A Prayer For The Unborn
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| Band Lineup: |
Gary Numan Vocals, Guitar
David Brooks Keyboards, Bass
Rob Holliday Bass (not at 3/18/06 & Euro tour)
Ade Orange Keyboards
Steve Harris Guitar (not at 4/19/06 - 4/29/06)
Richard Beasley Drums
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REVIEWS O,
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US/CANADA TOUR 2006
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| Dates |
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Set List |
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Tour T-Shirt |
August
July 31 Detroit, MI Majestic Theater
August 1 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
2 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
4 Toronto, ON Circa Nightclub
5 Montreal, QC Le National Cabaret
6 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
7 New York, NY Irving Plaza
8 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
13 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
14 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
15 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar
17 Boulder, CO Fox Theater
19 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
20 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues
21 San Diego, CA Belly Up Tavern
23 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues |
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| Band Lineup: |
Gary Numan Vocals, Guitar
David Brooks Keyboards, Bass
Rob Holliday Bass (not at 3/18/06 & Euro tour)
Ade Orange Keyboards
Steve Harris Guitar (not at 4/19/06 - 4/29/06)
Richard Beasley Drums
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REVIEWS O,
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REVIEWS
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| 18th LONDON. The Forum |
Whilst Mr.Numan has been peforming at least relatively regularly over the past few years, he hadn't actually released a new studio album to follow on from 2000's well-recieved 'Pure'. Various personal issues (including the birth of his first child) and label issues (having signed to Artful and split again before any new album had been released) had delayed this recording for longer than either Gary or any of his fans would have liked. But on 13th March 2006 (my 27th birthday, incidentally), 'Jagged' finally hit the shelves. Five days later came the launch party.
This wasn't intended as a 'regular' Numan show - the initial impression from Gary's own site was that only songs from the album and associated singles would be played. This plan was later refined so that three old songs would appear in the encore, if the audience called for one. Judging by the fanaticism of some Numanoids, this would initially seem to be a dead cert, but since the main part of the set would consist only of new songs, songs which we had only a few days to get to grips with, suddenly the audience reaction seemed harder to predict.
I myself had bought the album on launch day but had yet to really get into it. I only had seated tickets for the forum (the few other people I knew were all in the standing bit), so now I was sitting on my own, upstairs amongst lots of people in their own private conversations, watching a female-fronted support band called Rubicks. I'd seen them supporting Numan once before and was largely unconvinced. This performanced sounded 'rockier' than the one I remember at the Hackney Ocean in September 2002, but I'm still not getting into them. Their new-wave rock sound was passably proficient but it lacked character. They were relevant enough to tonights headliner to at least garner some audience interest, but personally I was unmoved by the whole experience.
Then it's time for the build-up to the main show. Numan fans are an excitable lot, and there were plenty of rallying cries of 'NOO-MAN! NOO-MAN!' during the half-hour remaining to the start. Finally the lights fell, the crowd response now hysterical as Gary's backing band came on stage (lacking, for once, Sulpher's Rob Holliday on bass, who was playing with the Prodigy). Gary himself appeared and set about his delivery of opening track 'Pressure' with the kind of conviction that only comes from a man who knows he's onto something good. The first test had been passed - despite their newness of tonights set, the assembled band could play their material and play it well.
They continued though 'Fold' and 'Halo', the versions performed here benefitting from additional live 'oomph', which was very much welcome to my ears, as I generally thought that the album versions didn't really have the impact the likes of 'Pure' and 'Rip' had on the previous disc. For me, the highlight of the main set was 'In A Dark Place', the 'Sometimes I Call Out For You' chorus filling every corner of the Forum's acoustic space. With Rob Holliday absent, bass guitar didn't feature much in the set, though keyboardist David Brooks provided us with a little bit of four-string action for 'Haunted' and a few other songs.
It was only towards the sets conclusion that attentions began to wander - too many new songs without a big hitter to balance things out. Sure enough, the encore came however, and with it a really intriguing version of 'Are 'Friends' Electric?', featuring stretches of piano before those distinctive overbearing synths from the original version were worked into mix. Long-time 'fan favourite' 'Down In The Park' (also the first Numan song I ever heard) appeared next, going down a storm, with the set finishing on 'Metal', which wasn't as polished as it could have been, but at the end of a challenging set, by now everyone was just having a good time and not worrying about the detail.
And so to another standing ovation, Gary Numan and his band left the stage for the last time this evening, mission very much completed. It was a brave move - I've never known an album launch gig open to the public let the new material dominate to such an extent, but the crowd went for it all the same, and it's also led to me picking the disc out of the pile once more (so many things coming out at the moment!) for a fresh re-evaluation. How exactly will the album go down over time remains to be seen - it's a complex beast, not one that can be assessed briefly, although tonights performance certainly helps one appreciate the underlying talent at work. |
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REVIEWS
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| 18th LONDON. The Forum |
Apparently support band Rubicks started under the arches of Kings Cross station. That could be misconstrued as they were no mere tramps, but a female led trio who partied into the early hours of the morning in the underground vaults of the station with other like minded bohemian types. Think of a grungy Cranberries with a splash of Lush and Curve, musically a mix of Goth, electronic and Indie sensibilities. This was very much a sound stuck back in the 80s and was more than accessible for the people filling up the sold out venue. The multi tasking trio had members wearing daft headgear running around and getting the keyboard programming revved up whilst striking some jagged guitar riffs spiralling out of control like the Spacemen 3 on overdrive. I hate to use the word retro but this is exactly what Rubricks were, dragging me back to the times I used to religiously read the New Musical Express looking for the next big thing. Perhaps back then Rubricks would have been just that but getting noticed by a large audience like this at a time when it is so trendy to ride the 80s resurgence wave perhaps they may just break through to huge commercial success yet.
One could not ignore the football chants of “Numan, Numan” being roared out by an expectant throng. I almost dropped my pint in surprise as The Bull & Gate next door to the venue erupted into this chant. Yes tonight really was about one man and he was not going to disappoint with this launch show for new album Jagged. He had stated on his website that this was all going to be about the new album and if you wanted a trip back down memory lane you were best off not buying tickets. It had been more years than I can actually remember since I last saw Gary Numan live and it had been interesting listening to war stories from past rallies by some obsessive fans now approaching their 50’s in the pre pub warm up. This was not so much a gig as an event, people had travelled from all over the place for this and those missing out can be happy in the fact that the show was being filmed for future release. The pressure was intense but that was alright as Pressure was the first number and the band strode out to rapturous applause before the first note was even struck. This was only surpassed when the frontman followed with the Arabic twist of the backing music fading away. After the first soft vocals the music built up moodily at times and crushingly devastating when everything climatically exploded. What I hadn’t quite expected
from this launch was that the album was going to be played in its entirety and in order. So many bands seem to be playing decade old albums live in this fashion and getting the fans back through the doors but I can’t think of many instances that this has been done with a brand new album. Having heard Jagged countless times over the last few weeks I was really enjoying this and the electronic chill out of Fold was really hitting the spot and I waited for Gary to hit the high notes of this anthem which he inevitably did, practically lifting the roof off the venue.
It was only after I left the photo pit that I could fully appreciate the fact that despite the album having been out less than a week practically everyone here was singing along to the songs, I think the obsessive Numanoids here had all bought the album on release date. With crunching rhythms and bombastic juddering riffs by the time we were In A Dark Place I placed myself right next to the speaker and rocked out as the deafening waves of sound washed over me. It has to be said that the sound here was spot on, every note was replicated in a crystal clear fashion and with the stage lights beaming a myriad of technicolour excess this was an aural and visual nirvana. “He can still strike a pose” were words mentioned to me and sure enough he could. Numan may well be over the days of dressing up like a Mad Max extra or the iceman of old, image was no longer a necessity. However, he was certainly head banging like he was at a death metal gig and posturing himself like a crucified Christ almost challenging the God who lyrically was laughing at him on Melt. An act of contrition perhaps for the diehards, after Jagged had been done the encore had to drop in a few old
favourites. 2000 people went, "whoa, whoa" along with Are Fiends Electric and the futuristic soundscape of one of my old favourites Down In The Park hit all the right spots. Wrapping up things with a stormy updated rendition of Metal I think it is fair to say that 2006 is going to be remembered as the year that Gary Numan made a triumphant return.
www.live4metal.com
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