46. Growing up with U2

I first saw U2 34 years ago, in October 1981. I was 16 and it was one of my first live music experiences.  I was there with my gig buddies - my big brother and two others. It was in a small venue in Glasgow called Tiffany's ballroom.

All four of us were buzzing on the way home. We knew we'd seen something very special. What we didn't realise at the time was that Bono et al. would grow up to be the best band in the world. And not for nothing.  With great recorded output and a live show that I'd describe as peerless, they deserve to be at the very top of the musical tree.

They're back in Glasgow, as part of their 5 or 6 yearly world tour and for the first time in over 30 years, I missed the rush for tickets.   My chums don't come around that often and I feel sad that I won't see them.  Genuinely sad.  It's hard to explain,  but we've grown together, U2 and me.  Our journey has been different, but probably also very similar in large parts. And we've got history.  Over 30 years of history. 

Ofcourse, now I can experience them whenever I want, thanks to the miracle of the internet.  I've always believed Bono and U2 are way ahead of the curve, merging music and technology in really innovative ways.  But all the while, staying true to their roots as a first class rock band.  Their current outing is called the Experience World Tour.  Ofcourse it is....  And even although I missed out on a ticket, I can still be part of the experience.  Say what you want about them giving their last album away for free.  I thought it was a masterstroke and very much in keeping with who they are.  Generous, talented and innovative.  

Few bands divide opinion like U2 and it seems to be pretty unfashionable to love them. But a squillion people can't be wrong. And I've never cared much for fashion anyway.

All hail King Bono and his band of brothers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY75dw64sqI&feature=youtu.be

The New Gary Numan

I thought Muse were the new Gary Numan, the natural successors to his throne.  Until recently that is.   Little did I know, Gary Numan is the new Gary Numan.

I made my way to my first Gary Numan gig with caution.   Being in my mid 40s, I’ve seen a few old heroes in recent years whose music just doesn’t sound relevant or exciting anymore.  And I left those gigs feeling a bit sad.  I’ve always thought the point in experiencing music live was to be excited by it.  Otherwise, why not listen at home?  I was aware that he had become darker and more industrial sounding in the years following his biggest commercial success, but that had largely slipped under my radar.  I also wondered how my old favourites -Down in the Park, We are Glass, Are Friends Electric?- would sound. With a mixture of excitement and trepidation I opened the door to catch my first glimpse and make sense of the pulsating beats I had heard as I climbed the stairs.

Dressed in black from head to toe, naturally and with a magnificent stage presence, Gary Numan live was already a sight to behold.  I admit to letting out a little scream, my initial reaction being much more powerful than I had expected.   I watched, at times mesmerised. He was graceful, lithe and feline, in turns reminding me of Bono and Dave Gahan.  Even although I found it difficult to take my eyes from him, I couldn’t help but notice the band.  Young, gifted and dressed in black would sum them up in a sentence.   For me, they were so much more; two keyboard players straddled the drummer, as usual, making up the rear guard.  It thrilled me to see one of the keyboard players so engrossed, I could feel his excitement as he gyrated, waiting for his intro.  The bassist, stage right of course, was a vision.  Tall, black skinny jeans & cravat, replica Numan hair and radiating cool; that young man plucked and slapped his bass like it was a lover.  I suspect you only get that good, that young,   if you’ve spent your formative years locked in your bedroom caressing your guitar.  In my head, he learned his craft listening to Numan records.  Collectively, they sounded exceptional.

Whether by accident or design, the sound levels were perfect for me.  I believe the technical team knew just how to hit the musical nail right on the head for our 40-something ears.  And Numan bravely kept his microphone loud enough to ensure he was the main event.  I wanted to hear him, really hear him, and I wasn’t’ disappointed.  His dramatic, emotional, strong voice sounded as good as it did on vinyl some 30 years ago.   The overall effect was a wall of sound so sophisticated I could pick up every note. 

But what really blew me away was the way he has evolved his sound to construct live music that you only get to hear on really special occasions.  I wondered how his softer, synthesiser-driven early stuff would translate next to the meatier, ‘down and dirty’ newer creations.   What Numan and his band delivered was a blistering set of songs, with only us old fans being able to distinguish the old from the new.   They have turned Down in the Park, Cars &  We are Glass into brand new songs with a sound I would describe as  Kraftwerk meets The Foo Fighters.  And then, in a masterstroke, they closed with Are Friends Electric?  What started with a very slow, quiet, electronic intro unleashed into a frenzied but precise chorus of heavy, bass driven, thumping noise that made me and I suspect just about everyone else, gasp.  He smiled, waved an accomplished salute and was gone.   Sometimes, just sometimes, you’re lucky enough to experience music in a way that is so powerful you can feel it inside.   Gary Numan, I salute you right back. 

I would bet my last bottle of black nail varnish that Matt Bellamy fantasises about being Gary Numan.    Why wouldn’t he….?

GaryNumanoutof10?   10!

here's what all the fuss is about.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn-I_3s8A4w&feature=related