Gary Numan released his post-apocalyptic/concept album Savage: Songs From A Broken World in September. The concept: a future world in ruins; no technology, no food, no water; just desolation. A harsh savage environment destroyed by one man.
Numan is enjoying well-deserved success with the album, which did exceptionally well in the U.K. and received favorable to glowing reviews worldwide. His musical output from the last 10 years continues to experiment with new sounds and has gained him an exciting new fanbase with plenty of younger faces showing up at his gigs.
Numan has emphasized his principled vision many, many times in the past: his focus is solely on moving forward, experimenting with technology, and trying new things. He isn't interested in an idealized past, revisiting his impressive back catalog, or nostalgia of any sort. But Numan is constantly at battle with this because the music industry would rather he celebrate his past.
In a new interview with Noisey, Numan re-asserted his position on moving forward and shared his distaste for those who want him to live in the past:
"What they never get is, yesterday doesn't interest me. When something is 30 or 40 years in the past, I don't give a shit about it. What I care about is what I'm doing now, and what excites me is what I could be doing tomorrow.
"I never look back. If the best of me came out 40 years ago, what's the point in continuing? Why try to distill a creative life into one single moment? That kind of idea is so typical of journalists...How could anyone think that you belong to a finished era and that what you do today no longer matters? That would mean you gave your best at age 20. And after that, what – nothing? That's ridiculous."
"Frankly, all these comeback tours we're seeing from has-been 80s and 90s artists – it's ridiculous...I'd never participate in that kind of thing. When you do, it's basically admitting you have nothing new to give. And even if that were the case, I'd never accept it.
Though he's widely considered a pioneer in electronic music, Numan insists that he's not:
"Take Jean-Michel Jarre, for example. He was there years before me. Years! Now that's a pioneer, a man who did something completely different from what had come before, and not just from a conceptual or design point of view. What he was doing was radical. Even if I'm often presented as a pioneer, I don't feel it in my soul. I don't feel worthy of it. Jarre is one, though.
When I was starting out I made pretty unusual music, but more by accident than anything. I didn’t know how to write a song, and I hadn't completely mastered the electronic material that I had. So I was experimenting, trying things out. And maybe by pure luck, I ended up doing something pretty original."
The full interview is highly recommended reading. Numan discusses Savage, songwriting, synthesizers and more. Check it out over at Noisey.
Don't miss Gary Numan on the road in North America in support of Savage: Songs From A Broken World. Though Numan is focusing forward, fans can expect a few classics in the setlist. The tour plays Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit on Thursday, November 30th. Tickets are available here.
Gary Numan - North American tour
Nov 28 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Nov 29 -- Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Nov 30 -- Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall
Dec 01 -- Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Dec 02 -- Buffalo, NY @ Town Hall
Dec 04 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Dec 05 -- Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
Dec 06 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Dec 07 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Street
Dec 08 -- Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
Dec 09 -- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Dec 11 -- Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade/Heaven Stage
Dec 12 -- Nashville, TN @ Exit/IN
Dec 13 -- New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
Dec 14 -- Dallas, TX @ Trees
Dec 15 -- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
Dec 16 -- Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Dec 18 -- Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Dec 19 -- Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
Published November 28th, 2017