Metal's most renowned loner rocks Knebworth
There is one question running around Knebworth. What is the 80's electro-pop legend doing at Sonisphere? And when Gary Numan walks on stage kicking the show off with new song, 'The Fall', we're all blasted back to 1981.
But what many people forget is that band such as Nine Inch Nails list Gary Numan as a huge Industrial influence. This becomes apparent when he goes into 'Haunted', 'Zulu' and 'Bleed' he starts to play more of this heavy and industrial music. Back in the eighties I would never have imagined seeing Gary Numan live at a Rock/Metal festival, bent in half and banging his head harder and faster than the front row at a Maiden concert.
The metal mood is briefly lifted by playing the unavoidable electro-pop hit, 'Cars' and most of the eighties rockers are blasted back in time once again. It is an awesome song, even at a metal concert.
Sometimes with the new songs, you can't help but wondering whether Gary influenced Nine Inch Nails or whether it is the other way around. Either way, the next two songs, 'Halo' and 'Pure' have both got very strong NIN sounds. Whilst 'A Prayer for the Unborn' is beautifully delivered with a dark and depressing early Korn sound.
The metal crowd is mesmerised and Gary's got them by their metal balls when he wraps the show up with 'Are 'Friends' Electric?'.
Electronic-Industrial-Metal and we love it.