Review by Catherine McCauley for MPM
Winter is truly here on this cold and brisk December evening. As we approach the beautiful and eye catching Waterfront Hall, we observe the diversity of eager fans to see the majestic yet dark Gary Numan. Punks, Rockers and fans of New Wave, gather in sensible droves ahead of what we sense will be a very special performance. The 45th Anniversary expanded edition of Telekon was released in 2025. Tonight is the last night of the tour which sees Numan bring his daughter and her band as support. The Telekon 45 – 45th Anniversary Tour has no doubt brought mixed emotions of pride and joy for Numan having Raven alongside whilst processing his heart-breaking bereavement for his dear brother John who devastatingly passed away a number of weeks ago. Spurred on by his sister-in-law Numan pensively continued on with the tour.
Raven Numan and her band are tonight’s support. This is Raven’s first tour at the tender age of 22 and with true grit and determination she’s cutting her teeth by travelling with her band in their van not enjoying the luxury coach with her folks. Numan himself has reflected via social media on the challenges for Raven during this tour given the impact of the loss of her Uncle John and the emotional toll this has taken on her iconic daddy. Touring, one can only imagine would have its trials and tribulations, adding the loss of a loved one would leave most fans understanding if the adored Artist decided to cancel or reschedule his tour. Ironically, Raven is the same age her Dad was when he toured with ‘Telekon’.
Raven commences tonight’s proceedings with ‘Children of the Bad Revolution’, a distorted background sound echoes through the hall as white lights erratically flicker across the stage. Raven appears at the back centre stage and the crowd cheers. The song is reminiscent of influences such as Numan and Nine Inch Nails. Followed by ‘Magnolia’ with the strikingly haunting chorus, and ‘Killing me Slowly’, it’s clear to see how talented Raven is in her own right, her presence on stage is one of strength and fragility. The band are tight and clearly savouring performing in particular the drummer and bass player who remain animated throughout the setlist.
Raven creates catchy and enigmatic songs such as ‘Going Down’, and ‘Pretty When I’m Hurt’ and these are very well received by the Belfast audience. Raven proudly explains that this next song was released around two weeks ago (07.11.25) and introduces ‘In This Twilight’ a Nine Inch Nails cover. Raven possesses such maturity and Zen for only being 22yrs old and this being her first tour. Ethereal is her voice amidst the dark gothic tone of the stage.
This is a cracking cover of one of Reznor’s most poignant songs. ‘Here for Me’ is Raven and her bands final track of the night her voice rings throughout the Waterfront as she belts out her angst ridden vocals centring around the topic of addiction. Raven certainly has a bright future ahead and has no doubt made her Dad very proud. During the Interval we are entertained with the dulcet tones ofNine Inch Nails which many of the crowd are singing and nodding along to.
Numan was the frontman of New Wave band Tubeway Army which released two albums, the latter producing the number 1 hit, ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ before disbanding. Numan released his debut album ‘The Pleasure Principle’ in 1979, earning a UK number 1 position in the albums chart and generated the iconic UK number one hit ‘Cars’. Numan is considered to have pioneered the electro synth industrial rock sound and has retained a cult following and influenced many musicians across genres including Trent Reznor ‘Nine Inch Nails’ who listened to the ‘Telekon’ album daily whilst recording and producing, ‘Pretty Hate Machine’. Being a huge NIN fan myself and having seen them live in concert as recent as this year, Numan’s influence not only in musical style but in aesthetic is palpable.
We watch with abundant anticipation as the crew set up the stage and the instantly recognisable red lines appear as strategically placed lights, framing the compulsory aesthetic in honour of the Telekon album cover. The illuminating David Howard has designed (like many other Numan’s tours, including his first ever Glastonbury performance this year) the light show for the tour so there is no doubt that we shall be stunned by the visual beauty enveloping Numan’s set tonight. The Dystopian and Mysteriously dressed, all in black band members appear on stage and Numan emerges and is met with euphoric applause and adoration from his Belfast fans. ‘This Wreckage’ intro detonates accompanied with hypnotic white beams and we are instantly captivated.
Numan has red laces criss-crossed up both arms and another tied around his neck like a choker, all in keeping with the albums notorious red border. Numan’s band comprises of the ominous yet charming Steve Harris (lead guitar, bass) and the charismatic Tim Slade (bass, Keyboard), Jimmy Lucido (drums) and David Brooks (keyboard). The ‘Remind Me To Smile’ upbeat tempo sees Numan dancing during the intro as if he was the only one on the stage and then using his mic stand to hold onto as he sings with such animation and passion. The band are fully immersed in their performance and we clap along with the rhythm in admiration.
Harris and Slade wearing black buttoned up tailored style dresses and black ties and stand nearly in a guard type stance to the sides of Numan. Harris appears menacing at times, making gestures with his hand, and mouth and playing with his plectrums as if he is communicating with the audience – all part of his stage persona and is entertaining to watch. Slade is more demure in his stance swaying and playing his thumping basslines with swagger. ‘Remember I Was Vapour’, ‘Telekon’, and ‘Photograph’, were stand out tracks for me. Watching these extremely talented Multi-instrumentalists was indeed a spectacle. Matched with red and white pillars of fantastic and compelling lights. I catch sight of Raven watching and swaying along to her Daddy’s Music from the left side of the stage.
‘Please Push No More’ was full of sentiment and emotion which was evident in the agonising toll singing the lyrics was having on Numan yet he continued to muster on. Sensing this the crowds ear-splitting cries of ‘NU-MAN’ and heart felt cheers were expressed and his wife appears on stage in a tiger onesie to comfort her distressed beloved. Numan’s humble and transparent nature allowed us to witness and experience his emotional and raw outpour with him. Numan regains his composure and introduces us to ‘Like A B Film’ explaining that Telekon was his brothers favourite album. This particular song was a demo not on the album. Numan jokes, ‘It was shit – it was happy that’s worse than shit” and we all laugh. Numan tells us, “My brother fucking loved this song. Numan exudes raw emotion creating such an ambient atmosphere whilst performing the track.
On ‘I’m An Agent’ Beasley is a beast on the drums as the intense tempo beats in our chests. Numan on electric guitar is a powerful presence he strums his chords as he sings with dramatic flair and passion. The light display is visually stunning as Numan and the band ardently play tracks like ‘The Joy Circuit’, and ‘I Die You Die’. Numan’s presence on stage is mesmerising as he moves around whilst singing, head banging and pounding the stage floor with such exuberance. Slade, Beasley and Brooks have the music swirling around as the lights encapsulate the band as if they were security beams during ‘We Are Glass’. As the band depart the stage having executed the Telekon setlist we cry out for more.
As Numan and his band reappear for the encore Belfast exudes our appreciation. We are treated to four Tubeway Army tracks. ‘My Shadow In Vain’, ‘Friends’, ‘Listen To The Sirens’, ‘Down In The Park’. During ‘Listen To The Sirens’ Brooks appears to leave the stage momentarily and returns with Numan’s wife Gemma, Raven and her band. They all appear on stage and ecstatically jump and dance about the stage as a huge family embracing the last night of the tour. Gemma and Raven hug Gary before dancing off the stage again. Raven’s drummer is last to depart as he is caught up in the moment of playing on one of the keyboards. Tonight’s gig has been a personal and immersive experience due to the nature of Numan himself – we feel like family tonight. Numan’s stage set up is like a sensory playground one of sight, sound, emotions and engagement. Watching Numan stand at the top tier of the stage during ‘Listen To The Sirens’ and wave his arms in a poetic and almost like ballet-esque fashion and watch his ‘Numanoids’ devotedly follow suit was truly a sight to behold. Numan will embark in a North American Spring Tour in 2026. If you are stateside and reading this do not miss the opportunity to watch this modest phenomenon in action.
Photography by MPM
