Concert Review: Gary Numan at The Mohawk, Austin-Electronic pioneer brought the cool on a sweltering night.
★★★★★
It was an overcast evening last Friday, but it was still oppressively hot. But not even the unrelenting humidity could stop the enthusiasm of the black-clad crowd at The Mohawk. They were there to welcome the return of Gary Numan, making his second Austin stop in support of his 2017 release Savage (Songs From A Broken World).
After an energetic opening set by L.A. indie trio Nightmare Air, he took the stage, clad in a long white trench coat. But he (and his backing band) seemed unfazed by the temperature, launching into the industrial crunch of Everything Comes Down To This.
Numan, whose mix of synths and guitars made him a progenitor of synth-pop, industrial and electronica is best known for his hit Cars off 1979’s The Pleasure Principal, but he fearlessly dropped it mid-set (it sounded amazing), knowing his faithful flock’s respect for his entire body of work would keep them under his spell from start to finish.
Thus he planned his set list accordingly, varying from revered deep cuts to newer fare. The clanging Metal (which was covered by Nine Inch Nails in the mid-90s) lived up to its name, causing hip shakes and head banging in equal measure, with its infectious guitar/synth stomp.
Much of the set pulled from Savage, and the concept album’s middle-eastern tinged arrangements translated perfectly to the stage, with songs like When The World Falls Apart, Mercy, and Pray For The Pain You Serve achieving a wide-screen dystopian grandeur, his vocals crystalline and soaring throughout.
The singer also unleashed classic Tubeway Army-era classics including the glacial goth of Down In The Park, the pulsating Me! I Disconnect From You, and the new wave staple Are “Friends” Electric?, the latter revamped for a more muscular delivery, with the singer harmonizing with the ascending synth figures to dynamic effect.
Other highlights included the slinky grind of Love Hurt Bleed (off 2013’s Splinter: Songs From a Broken Mind), and set closer Prayer For The Unborn, which brought things to a fittingly melodramatic conclusion.
Aside from a few grins and thank you’s, there was little crowd interaction. The notably shy musician was content to let the music do the talking, and the smiling faces exiting post-show proved that was more than enough.
Setlist:
Everything Comes Down to This
Metal
Halo
Films
Bed of Thorns
Down in the Park
Pray for the Pain You Serve
My Name Is Ruin
Here in the Black
Cars
Mercy
Love Hurt Bleed
Me! I Disconnect From You
When the World Comes Apart
Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
Encore:
Ghost Nation
A Prayer for the Unborn