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.
Archive for the ‘Shock’ Category
30 Dec
Gary Numan Farewell concert Wembley Arena 27th April 1981
31 Jul
Classix Nouveaux, Theatre of Hate Newcastle Mayfair 1981
Classix Nouveaux, Theatre of Hate, Fad Gadget & Shock
Newcastle Mayfair 26th March
This tour was billed as The 2002 Review, and was a package tour of bands under the “new romantic” banner. I guess 2002 was chosen as a “futuristic’ date. It certainly seemed a long way in the future at the time! “During the early part of 1981 the band (Classix Nouveaux) established their following with two major UK tours. The first was the much publicised 2002 Review which sprang from Sal Solo’s idea of combining a number of promising new bands in one package. This gave national exposure to Kirk Brandon’s Theatre of Hate and Shock” (from ChemistryDaily.com). Classix Nouveaux were formed from the ashes of X-Ray Spex plus shaven headed singer Sal Solo (great name). Theatre of Hate were fronted by Kirk Brandon, later of Spear of Destiny, and were much punkier that the headliner. Fad Gadget (Francis John (Frank) Tovey) was a synth-based musician and early proponent of industrial music. I don’t recall anything about the band Shock. I remember enjoying Theatre of Hate who delivered a very powerful set with great passion from Kirk Brandon. I was also impressed by Classix Nouveaux, whose set was quite dramatic, and Sal Solo a great, charismatic frontman. Great value; all for £3!
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