On March 21, 2026, a line of fans formed well before the doors opened at the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY. 'Numanoids' (a term coined long ago for fans of the pioneer of the electronic/industrial music genre) showed up in force. It was great to see a mix of longtime listeners and newer fans lining up to see Gary Numan, who first gained success in 1979 with the song "Are 'Friends' Electric?" with his first band, Tubeway Army, and international fame as a solo artist with his hit "Cars" in 1980. With a playlist that spans over 45 years, much of his music remains relevant today. Tonight's show marks the halfway point of his 29-date North American spring tour, The Cruel Sea Tour—North America 2026.
Tremours
At 8:00 PM, the house lights faded, and the audience cheered as the opener took to the stage, bathed in dim light. Kicking off the show was the Los Angeles-based alternative band Tremours. The duo performed an 8-song set of original music that fans enjoyed, setting the mood for the evening. It had a perfect vibe, warming up the fans for the headliner!
Tremours are:
Lauren Andino - guitar/vocals
Glenn Fryatt - drums
Setlist: On The Wall (The Jesus & Mary Chain cover), Affectations, Postcards, Landing In Rome, Port Children, Dark Glasses, Tracers, Circulation Sound
Gary Numan
The near-capacity audience buzzed with excitement as the house lights dropped at 9:00 PM. Heavy fog filled the stage while dim blue lights created an eerie mood. As the band walked on stage, blinding white strobes and a wall of sound set the tone for the show. Fans are cheering loudly as the band starts to play "Halo." From the very start of the show, the now 68-year-old Numan appears ageless. He loses himself in the music and methodically moves around the stage, seemingly effortlessly, with theatrical poses and arm movements timed to the music. He truly owns the stage, maintaining a high level of showmanship to the very end. Now with a more seasoned voice, he still sounds great and delivers a vocal performance that doesn't disappoint! The band, equally impressive, creates a wall of synth-driven sound, seamlessly blended with guitar, bass, and drums. The set continues with a mix of songs: "Metal" (1979), "Haunted" (2003), "Everything Comes Down To This" (2017), "Films" (1979), "Is This World Not Enough" (2000), "Down In The Park (Tubeway Army song)" (1979), and "ME" (1979). At the end of "ME," there was a pause in the show; a fan gave Gary a gift—it's a Fuggler (Funny Ugly Monster) plush animal. He opens the box and takes out the Fuggler and hoists it into the air as fans cheer. He pauses, stepping up to the microphone to thank the gift-giver and fans, while random shouts of "We love you, Gary" echo through the audience. In his only spoken words of the show, he explains, "I was hoping, intended to have some new songs, you know, to play tonight, but things were a bit, umm." He is visibly getting choked up. "My wife Gemma got really sick a while ago, and it's just, you know, the last thing you think about is writing fucking creative songs...really frightened and scared about what's coming, so I haven't much." Before he can finish, the room erupts in cheer. More shouts of "we love you" come from fans. He pauses to say, "On the positive side, she actually is doing quite well." Fans again cheer loudly! He is visibly emotional in the response from fans within the venue. It was a really powerful humanizing moment as the performer bares his soul and fans respond with a blanket of appreciation, like a virtual warm hug! After several minutes, the cheers subside, and he continues, lightening up the mood a bit. "Anyhow, a while ago, I was wandering around the house, at home, and my children play music all the time. Yeah, that's where I hear most of the new music. Anyway, there was a song playing in one of their bedrooms, and I thought, you know, that's GOOD! And I said to one of them, 'Who is this?' This is amazing. Who is it? When she said it's me! So I thought I saw a stone there and used it for this. I think you might like this. This is "Nothing's What it Seems," this is Raven. Fans shout out "Raven, Raven" as the father and daughter start playing her original song.
The set continues with "Dead Son Rising" (2011), "Love Hurt Bleed" (2013), and the monster hit song, "Cars" (1979/80). Fans were so excited for this song; you could feel the energy in the air as it played. It's refreshing that this song wasn't saved for last. The band concluded the set with "The Fall" (2013), "The Chosen" (2017), and my personal favorite, "A Prayer For The Unborn" (1997). The set ended with the song that started it all, and the audience loved it: "Are Friends Electric" (Tubeway Army song, 1979)! The night wasn't over just yet as the band came back for an encore performance, playing "The Gift" (1981), and "My Name is Ruin" from 2017. It was 10:30 PM as the last note faded away, and the band left the stage. Fans slowly exited, seemingly hoping the band would come back for more; it was that good of a show. This show had it all: some nostalgia, a phenomenal sound-and-light show, and, more importantly, the ageless performance of a living legend: Gary Numan!
Gary Numan - vocals, guitar, keys
Steve Harris - guitar
Tim Slade - bass
James Vincent Lucido - drums
David M Brooks - keyboards
Setlist: Halo, Metal, Haunted, Everything Comes Down To This, Films, Is This World Not Enough, Down In The Park (Tubeway Army song), ME, Nothing's What It Seems (Raven Numan song), Dead Son Rising, Love Hurt Bleed, Cars, The Fall, The Chosen, A Prayer For The Unborn, Are 'Friends' Electric? (Tubeway Army song)
Encore: The Gift, My Name is Ruin
