Gary Numan will next month release his 22nd album Savage: Songs From A Broken World. The title certainly hints at how Hammersmith’s synth pioneer sees the planet in 2017.
Aside from sharing his musical works, Gary is also happy to contribute some information about his private life on social media. But fans expecting a reply to their messages will have a long wait.
“I’m not interactive,” Gary says. “In that sense I’m not communicating with my fans in a two-way thing, it’s very one-sided.
“I never look at feedback on Facebook or Twitter. I don’t have any interaction on the website at all. That might sound a little bit elitist and arrogant, but it’s not meant to. The world is full of nobheads. I don’t want my kids exposed to it. I don’t want to read it. I’ve been doing this my entire life. I had no ego to speak of when I started. I’ve got absolutely none now!
“I’ve been all through that big rock star stuff with people fainting a long, long time ago. I don’t need to read about me. I don’t need to read what people have said about my latest tweet. I’m nearly sixty! I could not care less.
Savage: Songs From A Broken World has a narrative that is set in an apocalyptic, post-global warming Earth in the not-too-distant future. There is no technology left and most of the planet has turned to a desolate desert wasteland. Food is scarce, water even more so and human kindness and decency are just a dim and distant memory. Western and Eastern cultures have merged, more because of the need to simply survive than any feelings of greater tolerance or understanding. It’s a harsh, savage environment, as are the survivors who still roam across it.
The album could be regarded as a tad more dramatic than some of the non-fiction friction you see on social media threads, but that’s not to say engaging in the running of social media hasn’t irked or disturbed him.
“You cannot breathe in deeply without it offending someone,” Gary says. “What a ridiculous world it has become. So I don’t want anything to do with it. It’s a one-way street and it’s all going out. Nothing is coming back to me.”
Gary Numan will embark upon a short run of UK dates next month before he hits the road in autumn for a major European tour that includes a London show at the O2 Academy Brixton. He’ll play the following shows:
September 30th – Cardiff, Tramshed
October 2nd – Bournemouth, O2 Academy 3rd – Leeds, O2 Academy 5th – Bristol, Colston Hall 6th – Oxford, O2 Academy 7th – Nottingham, Rock City 9th – Newcastle, O2 Academy 10th – Glasgow, O2 ABC 11th – Birmingham, O2 Institute 13th – Manchester, Academy 14th – London, O2 Academy Brixton 16th – Brighton, Dome 17th – Norwich, UEA 18th – Southend, Cliffs Pavilion 19th – Belgium, Leuven, Het Depot 20th – France, Paris, La Trabendo 21st – Netherlands, Amsterdam, Paradiso 24th – Slovakia, Bratislava, Majestic Music Club 25th – Germany, Cologne, Essigfabrik 26th – Germany, Berlin, Columbiatheater 27th – Poland, Łódź, Soundedit
● Savage: Songs From A Broken World is released on Sept 15. Thanks to Simon J Webb for the use of his main header photograph, captured at Standon Calling 2017.
