OMD Reseda Country Club CA 25th March 1982

 

In my view, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark were the band that back in 1979 were most aligned with the kind of music that Numan was making/looking to make. This was a fact acknowledged (maybe) with the decision to have the band as the support act on the 'Touring Principle' dates. An early association with Numan, not to mention the exposure that a tour of the UK's biggest concert halls afforded them certainly did OMD no harm. In the following couple of years, the Liverpool band went from strength to strength producing melodic and atmospheric electronic pop. Their biggest breakthrough came with the release of 'Architecture and Morality in 1981, an album that harboured three Top 10 singles and saw the album itself peak at Number 3 in the UK albums chart. The plugged in quartet took the album to the US and Canada in March 1982, the tour from which this recording from Reseda's famous Country Club comes.

It's a great set representing the first three studio albums. I am not sure whether three weeks of endless miles covered in a tour bus across America was to blame or whether his delivery of 'Joan of Arc' was significantly impassioned on the night, but his voice sounds a bit shot!

Thanks to Mark for the share.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-wS9FLAKJLaMT3Mo0

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-vCCfyOdz0hGVNbD8

The Dome, Brighton 10th December 1984

 

I  was really pleased to get hold of this one again. Thanks to Juniper Jarro (101Guitars) for the upload and to Mark for bringing it to my attention. I did have it some years ago, but it was on an external drive that failed.

I was at this gig in Brighton on what was my second time of seeing Numan. At the time of the 'Berserker' tour I was three months shy of my sixteenth birthday, however the growth spurt common in the teenage years was late in arriving and I was a short-arse. The fact that I am only 5' 8" now suggests that rather than being late the growth spurt was just cancelled. So, when the lights dim for the much anticipated headliner (Larry Loeber did not set my world alight!) and the intro music boomed over the PA I was rather disadvantaged, in that I could see sod all as the band walked on and took up their assigned positions across the stage. I know, thought I, I'll stand on the chair (for some reason this gig at The Dome was seated even in the stalls) which I did. Unfortunately, the seat design was of the type where they fold up, so a slight adjustment of my feet caused the seat to fold, an action that very rapidly sent me backwards into the row behind... much to the amusement of bigger boys around me! I just could not style that one out!

From what I remember of the gig, it was enjoyable with a very representative set of his studio career to date (all albums represented apart from 'Dance'). Quality is so so but then again, this tour isn't documented so well in the audio fossil record (and there is always 'White Noise'). 

I have no idea whether she has ever seen this site, but this one is for Angela Feeney, a pen-friend (remember those?) from many years ago for whom this was her first Numan gig.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-NFe19H3u1N42ODhx

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-3TZOoJdpCWFy8Wvg

DeMontfort Hall Leicester 28th September 1985

 

A Happy Birthday to this one, a mere 41 years old tonight. I saw this tour at the Guildford Civic Hall with an old school friend, Lee Twyman. Sadly, Lee is no longer with us, but he was the Gary Numan fan (there were more than one - but I guess he was the most vocal in his fandom!) in our last year of primary school, 1979/1980.... when it was all happening.

The tour was good, but my enthusiasm was rather on the wain at this point in his 'first' career. He was going down with a bad case of the funk at the time! Thanks to uploader Juniper Jarro (101guitars).

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-qntq95s56nsJX3qh

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-UYyNC5QRe9EsZqJT

Das Kinn Silent Green Berlin 20th September 2026

 

Last week I was lucky enough to get to Berlin to see Anja Huwe, once of Xmal Deutschland play at Silent Green. The gig venue, the Betonhalle, was a 1990's addition to the crematorium that served the Berlin-Wedding district. The former function of this spectacular concrete venue space explains the name of the Club night that Anja was playing.... Sonic Morgue.

Anja Huwe was brilliant, but this post isn't about her. It's about the chap above, the support for the night. As an act this electronic tinkerer, and something of a madcap from Frankfurt, goes by the name of Das Kinn. How to describe what he does. Well, from the picture below, it is evident that the act involved a combination of electronic sounds and vocals. Musically, I could hear a plethora of influences... Devo, Early Human League, elements of Numan, Kraftwerk and some of The Normal! He was very different and held my attention more than a support band has done for a long time now.

Das Kinn

Silent Green, Berlin

20th September 2026

There may be some interest here in what he does. Check 'Das Kinn' out on Spotify.

TV Archive DVD - 1980

 

This is the second instalment of the comprehensive video compilation collection. This, the second, focuses on 1980, the first full year of Gary's new life under the spotlight of international fame. I've said it before that music was so good back in 1980, so much so that even the shit stuff was kind of good! Maybe that was one of the reasons why Numan got such a hard time in the music press. In later years, with good bands being few and far between, the music journalists became less vitriolic, as the field of decent music shrank! Having said that, the reality was that the criticism levelled at Numan back then was rarely about the music, only the man.

Disc Image: https://we.tl/t-7VdmB9e0w6pe1zAJ

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-bFNZVnW2o29x4RHh

Ink 'N' Iron Festival Long Beach CA 14th June 2015

 

As I look out upon a decidedly autumnal and wet Sunday afternoon I think how much better would it be to be enjoying a Summer's evening in the late Californian sun. In the company of Gary Numan too as he put in a festival appearance at the Ink 'N' Iron 'Kustom Kulture' (did Slade prepare the Festivals promotional material?) gathering in 2015.

This recording was captured and uploader to Dime some time back by mixter_.... Many thanks for the share!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-JzV6KSRYqbcZPEvg

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-sDXFwkUHusWu6Ed1

The Diodes Mabuhay Gardens San Francisco CA 20th June 1980

 

I said in the introductory blurb when I set this site up a couple of years ago that in addition to Numan material I would make an effort to post other related bands, not necessarily limited to those with an electronic bent. Here's one such example. I was recently sent this file by a chap called Mark, a fellow enthusiast of live, unofficial material.

I am sure I have heard of The Diodes, but I would freely admit that I  knew sod all about them and I certainly had not heard them. So, it was necessary to do a bit of digging in order to figure out what they were about. What I gleaned, primarily from Wikpedia was that they were a 'new wave' band hailing from Canada who formed a little before punk first hit the shores of North America (at least if you are in the camp that punk was a UK export!)

Their musical pedigree is such that I could just as well have posted this recording on the 'punkier' Stranglers' blog site as posted it here. This recording is from the famed San Francisco punk venue, Mabuhay Gardens, it being a second home to many bands in the city's Bay area, such as the Dead Kennedys. The Diodes also played on the same bill as other renowned Californian hardcore bands such as Agent Orange and the Circle Jerks. Why then post this on a Numan orientated site you may ask... and its a good question. Well, as well as fitting in with the hardcore scene, back on home turf in Canada they were a big enough name to open for incoming British (and Irish) bands including Ultravox and U2, bands which by 1980 had long ditched punk. It just so happens that The Diodes additionally opened for Numan on two dates in Canada in the North American leg of the 'Teletour'. A search on Google would indicate that these dates were at the Max Bell Arena in Calgary in 11th November 1980 and at Kinsmen Field House in Edmonton the following night. I would imagine that with just five months between this gig and the Numan supports, there is a good chance that similar sets were played, but I cannot vouch for this. And presumably they played in addition to fellow Canadian, Nash The Slash, on these dates.

That a band like The Diodes opened for Numan is indicative of now diverse the UK and US music scene was at that time. Just think of the line up in the excellent documentary 'Urgh! A Music War' that also featured the likes of Numan and OMD alongside Dead Kennedys (on film not soundtrack), Oingo Boingo and Klaus Nomi!

So, not the normal fare but relevant no less.

Thanks again to Mark for the share.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-vRNy62Neyvg2AW90

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-X8OSVW7Xt86FLWej