I have not seen Gary live for quite a few years, but when given the chance of a ticket and pass to the after party, I packed my bag and travelled from Cornwall to London. The Bush was packed but I had a great view from the bar area. Gary's performance was out of this world, much different from when I last saw him. The sound and lighting was first class and a great choice of songs. The Pure stuff was great and showed Gary in fine style. What a way to spend a Saturday Night, Brilliant and I got too meet the man himself (after 23 years as a fan)

A big thanks to Rob, Shane! and Boo for a great night. How about the Southwest next time! 10 out of 10.

Agent Pasty ([email protected])

Having being very disappointed with all the Nuworld revelations of recent weeks I attended this gig with a sense of dread. I was slightly disappointed with the last SBE show and thought that if the setlist was the same or nearly then I would approach future Numan gigs with care. I never considered not going, I had all my rail tickets etc.... sorted out and besides it's still a night away from Mistress.

The show blew me away!! I had drank a fair quantity of alcohol before the gig and had attempted to sober up by downing 5 pints of coke in the hour before show time - bad mistake - I had to go to the toilet during My Jesus (thanks for the offer of a bottle Jimmy, but a Prince Albert causes the Curly Wurly piss technique). The bass levels seemed as though they were on number 11 and my bladder seemed to be taking the brunt of it.

A first for me (a Numan gig goer since 1991) was the crush that occurred during My Shadow In Vain. Sorry to all those who felt my incredible bulk charging past them on my way to Numan oblivion (otherwise known as row). I went from about 10-15 rows back past Bob who was 3-4 rows ahead of me and right to row 3.

This Wreckage gave me a severe case of Creamy Pantyitis - as I'd missed out in 1981 and in 2000. M.E. sounded better than I'd ever heard it. Dark wasn't as good live as I'd always imagined it - again I'd never heard it live. Exile was rubbish - but then I prefer fast/heavy Numan songs anyway.

The miming debate - My Opinion

Numan definatley mimes during the choruses at the very least during Pure songs. I have a booty of SBE 2000 and to say he sounds rough during the choruses is to be kind to the fella, I can accept that level of miming - as long as it's not the whole show.

9/10 Second best Numan gig I've been to.

Shepherds Bush Empire is fast becoming the firm favourite venue for going to see Gary in London and Saturdays show was, in my opinion, one of his best. A great choice of older tracks, some not played for some time now, given the 'pure' treatment with the band handling the old sounds superbly.

Whether or not this was for the benefit of cameras recording for the future live DVD, I thought the lights and paricularly the stage set-up and backdrops to be the best they have been for a long time. Sound quality could not be faulted and the gig culminated in a different style of encore, with four tracks and just the one return. All in all an excellent night up to the usual high Numan standard and I look forward to seeing the DVD later in the year. Nice one Gary =)

Calum Gray ([email protected])

Having traveled all the way from Canada for this show, I was not disappointed. Great light show, good selection of old and new. Great venue.the croud was right in to it and i had a really good time.tyhanks for the good times .

DERYKE ([email protected])

This was only my 2nd time seeing Gary live. Hard to believe? I know. I bought AFE & Cars when they first came out when I was 11 but that was it. Always took an interest in his chart stuff but never bought any albums. Bought Pure last year (best album I've heard from anyone for years), went to see him at SBE last September and have been buying & listening ever since.

So, NOT speaking as one of The Fans, I'm glad he played AFE & Cars. I'm sure it must be pretty tedious to those who see him all the time: I feel the same about my favourite group who *always* finish with the same song (from 1978). But speaking as a 'new' fan, I haven't heard these songs live 100 times before! The bar staff seemed to enjoy them too as they were all dancing about to those two.

With me were 2 other new fans plus two old ones who haven't seen Gary for years.

Anyway, the gig was brilliant - better than last year. Gary has got great fans who all know how to have a good time. Only trouble is, you're all very tall and I might have to go upstairs next time! The lighting was very good and probably looked much better from the balconies. Gary has got a great stage presence and seemed to be enjoying it more than when I first saw him.

Would be a great souvenir for me if this is released on DVD.

Karen

As my friends and i left the Shepherds Bush Empire with a very lond ringing in all our ears,
my only thought was 'WOW'. My friends are not Numan fans but even they were gob-smacked.
From beginning to end, the whole gig was amazingly powerful and fresh sounding.
I can safely say it was the best Numan gig i've been to---EVER.
And I believe Gary Numan has another two fans(my friends)..

8/10 when's the next one gary??

chris taubert ([email protected])

Turned up just in time to see Gary kick the show off with 'M.E.'. The place was absolutely packed - if anything, downstairs was overfull, causing a short-arse like me a few problems actually seeing the band!

Anyway, the gig itself was excellent - best I've been to for a long while. Gary was in fine form and put loads into it, and the crowd responded well. Highlights for me were 'Exile', 'Absolution', 'Remember I was Vapour' and a stupendous version of 'This Wreckage'.

Marvellous.

Jon G ([email protected]

Can only agree with the 2 reviews already posted in saying that this was a vast improvement on last year's one-off, with much better sound (although the drums were a bit loud in the mix) and a genuine atmosphere, despite Steve Harris seemingre subdued than usual (relatively speaking, of course).

The lights were certainly the best for some time and I assume the fact it was being filmed had something to do with this. The question now is whether anything will get released - we're still waiting for promised live albums from previous shows and nothing's appeared.

The set list was pretty good overall given we knew there'd be nothing new, with obvious reworkings on ME and Vapour. Metal and Pure sounded great but I still think Voix is utter shite and can't understand why Cars was included - maybe because the band knows it and so it avoids having to learn anything new? Yet again he did 2 slow songs in a row, which really kills the flow, but I suppose it was to give him a breather.

Oh, the support band was terrible, but aren't they always?

I didn't expect much off the gig, as we knew beforehand that no new or newly arranged songs would be played. But hey, the tickets were paid, the eurotunnel was booked, so... let's go.

And then Gary struck us, with a very hard version of ME, a better light show since the last couple of years, and a good sound (though I still found Gary's voice didn't came through clear enough).

I was very happy with the playlist, and please stop complaining about Cars and AFE. I though they were brilliantly put at the end of the set. Think of it as such: a whole lot of bands/people never wrote one classic in their whole career. Gary wrote two. So... :-)

So:
Set list: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Fun: 10/10

Luc De Visscher
The Numan Factor
Belgium

Absolutely fucking fantastic. It rocked BIGTIME.

Nothing could ever beat Numan in concert. Sound was superb, band was superb, Gary was, as always AMAZING.

Anybody who criticises this gig in anyway wants to have their fucking head examined.

Su ([email protected])

This was a test.

My daughter reluctantly came along to the shepards bush gig with me this time, and to say that she injoyed the experience is a big plus for us numanoids.

She was a typical teen with the attitude of a grunger, new metal fan.
Did'nt like numan until last night, in her own words, " Numan is brilliant live, better than recorded".

That says it all i think, except from me,

I thought the light show was fantastic and a small taster of tours from the past. the sound was good and numan himself looked well and fit and well up for it.

Good show.

Darren Tullett ([email protected])

And praise god, there were more keyboards, and well to the front of the sound mix.

Some tired old favourites i.e. DITP/Voix/Cars/AFE which is okay for a regular tour where the newer fans expect to hear them, but it seems a lost opportunity for a one-off, where the audience is nearly all The Fans, and gary could try out new ideas and re-workings. Maybe next time gary will let rip and have some fun with the old stuff e.g. This Is My House.

But that is a minor, purely personal gripe.

Highlights of the gig were Pure, Exile, Vapour and Shadow In Vain.

So, almost as much fun as the first empire one off.

8 out of 10.

Geek-Linger ([email protected])

I for one was very dissapointed with the last one off at the empire,and i didnt expect to be to impressed with this one especially as there would be no new songs.
Thankfully it turned out to be far better than any of last years shows.
It was still a little short but the performance and the sound was faultless with out a doubt.
The intro was excellent and m.e had definetly been reworked!
Gary and the band gave it everything giving a really good performance with a much heavier sound.
Highlights for me were everday i die, this wreckage and a prayer for the unborn.
I wish the day would come when he would drop cars and are friends electric from the set.
It was still a fantastic gig!

simon ([email protected])