Gary Numan Farewell concert. Wembley Arena 27th April 1981.
It was 1981, and after a short two year career, and massive success, Gary Numan took us all by surprise by announcing his retirement from live performance. A massive farewell concert was scheduled to take place at Wembley Arena in April. I was due to speak at a conference in London around the same time; in fact Gary’s farewell concert was set to take place the night before the conference was due to begin. So I extended my stay, booked a room in a small B&B in Wembley, and bought a ticket for the show. The concert was initially scheduled for one night, but extended to three to satisfy the demand from fans to see Gary Numan one more time. The show was a big spectacular event, with the lavish sort of stage show that I had come to expect from Gary Numan. The stage set took two months to construct and cost Numan around £150,000. Wembley Arena was full of Numanoid lookalikes who gave him a great send-off. 
Fans were crying and throwing red roses and teddy bears on stage for Gary. The concert featured all the hits and well known songs, and was an emotional event for everyone present. Support came from Nash the Slash and Shock, a music/mime/dance/pop group featuring Tim Dry, Barbie Wilde , Robert Pereno, LA Richards, Sean Crawford and Carole Caplin. Shock were very much part of the new romantic scene, performing at The Haçienda and The Blitz Club. When they broke up Tim and Sean became the double act Tik and Tok and Carole famously went on to become a lifestyle advisor to Cherie Blair.
Setlist: This Wreckage; Remind Me to Smile; Moral; Me! I Disconnect From You; Conversation; The Aircrash Bureau; Airlane; M.E.; Everyday I Die; Films; Remember I Was Vapour; Trois Gymnopédies (First Movement); She’s Got Claws; Cars; I Dream of Wires; I’m an Agent; The Joy Circuit; I Die: You Die; Cry the Clock Said; Tracks; Down in the Park; My Shadow in Vain; Please Push No More; Are ‘Friends’ Electric?; We Are Glass.
At the end of the show Numan said “this has been the greatest two years I’ve ever had, thank you”, and then he was gone. But, like all of the best retirements 🙂 it didn’t last for long, and a couple of years later he was touring again.
30 Dec
Vintagerock's Weblog. 
Posted by David Timewarp on February 14, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Remember it well. Me and my friend were stuck on St Pancras station all night after the gig as the last train back home left before midninght and we never got to the station on time
Posted by Mark on April 30, 2023 at 10:08 pm
I was there and got programme
Posted by vintagerock on May 1, 2023 at 10:35 am
A great concert Mark 🙂 happy days Peter