After what seems a hiatus here are the last months Q & A's with Gary. I was about a week late in getting them to him, he took a few days to answer, and I have taken 3 days to get them formatted and posted. Not a single month has been missed so far since August 1995.

Past Q & A sessions are at Joey Lindstrom's World Wide Webb site in the Confession section.

Instructions to ask Gary a question are at the end of the Q&As.

Q1a. I'm glad to see that your schedule for the upcoming year is looking
     as full as last year's.  I'm wondering, however, if there's been any
     further development on something that was announced last year: that
     Gary Numan was going to be working with a video game company to
     develop soundtracks for new PC games and such.  Is this still in the
     cards, and if so, when do you think we might be able to run down to
     the software store and buy a copy of "Doom 3: This Time With Good
     Music".  :-)

Brian Hammond from Denver, Colorado, USA asks a similar question:

Q1b. Can you divulge any new information concerning your deal to write music
     for a software maker?  You had announced this some time ago and I haven't
     heard anything new about it since.

A1a/b. I was supposed to be working on the music for a new game from
     Microprose, that's their British company name anyway, but it's all gone
     very quiet. My last contact with them would have been at the start of last
     summer. I imagine that this is no longer happening but I don't know for
     sure. This is the way of these things. Ideas are floated and talked about,
     some come to something but many, in fact the majority, don't. This game
     project may still see the light of day, in one form or another, so I just
     get on with a million other things while I'm waiting to find out.

and then asks:

Q2.  How goes the acting lessons?  My gut feel is that you'll be better at
     this kind of thing than you think.

A2.  The acting lessons are going fine but I'm still not convinced that
     I will ever be an actor.


Q3.  Who owns the rights to the music recorded for IRS during that time?  I'm
     pretty certain that the material released officially belongs to them,
     but are there any demos, live shows, or other odds and ends that they
     might have?

A3.  IRS own the rights for a given period. No demo's etc that I'm aware
     of exist but they made a few remixes without me knowing so I guess they
     could have some stuff in a cupboard somewhere.


Q4.  If you are successful in landing an American deal, what are the odds that
     you might move to the states?

A4.  To move permanently is unlikely but spending a great deal of time
     there is almost essential I would say.


Q5.  Is there any reasonable hope that your camp and the Sisters Of Mercy camp
     might be able to mend bridges and get together in some fashion?
     Personally, at this stage in your career, and given the type of music
     you're currently writing, I can't think of a better, more enticing touring
     duo than you and the Sisters.

A5.  There are no broken bridges to mend. I have no problem with the
     Sisters and I'm sure they have none with me. My argument was with a middle
     man. I don't believe that he worked for the Sisters any more than he worked
     for me so there is NO friction between us whatsoever. Far from it actually
     as I'm going to see them soon.

Q6.  Did you get any exciting gifts for Christmas?

A6.  Lots of things that I wanted but nothing that I would categorise as
     exciting. I was going to get a flexiwing kite that lifts you off the ground
     and carries you along for a while but I think that may be coming later in
     the year now.


Q7.  What might be your top goals for 1997?

A7.  I want a record deal. That's the main one but I also want to do a
     world tour although I need to achieve the first goal to make the second one
     viable. Actually pretty much everything I want is tied up with getting a
     deal.

Q8.  Forgive me if this has been asked before, but have any pilots of your
     acquaintance ever mentioned seeing any UFO's over Britain? Do you believe
     that the British government would suppress such information to avoid
     public hysteria?

A8.  No pilots that I know have ever talked about seeing such things which
     doesn't mean they haven't of course. I couldn't tell you whether the
     British Government would suppress the info. I can't imagine the British
     getting hysterical about UFO's at all actually. Most people, those that
     have any interest at all, seem to find them quite exciting, if a little
     scary, but not the stuff of hysteria. I think a government admitting that
     unknown machines or objects had been spotted isn't really enough to cause
     hysteria anyway. A bloody great alien ripping the legs off of your pet cat
     would probably have a bad effect though. I think we would need something
     far more sinister than lights in the sky to really terrify us so I don't
     fully understand this 'protect the public from themselves' official stance.

Q9.  If a 'die hard' fan won the National Lottery and wanted to help you in
     some way what would you suggest ?

     Sponsor a single ?
     Sponsor an album ?
     Sponsor a tour ?
     Buy Radio 1 ?
     Promote you themselves independently (eg. full page ads in the music
        or poster campaign) ?
     Hand over some cash for you to use as you wish ?
     Something else and if so, what ?

No, I haven't won the lottery.  Yet. But ten million quid is a lot of money

A9. Just give the money to me thanks. I know where it needs to go.


Q10. You have successfully managed to 'keep going' despite a long running radio
     and press problem.  Looking back over your highs and lows,  what do you
     now  consider to be 'success' in the music business ?  Do you think you
     need continuous top 10 hits to feel or be considered successful ?

A10. I have no idea. Is one Number 1 hit single as successful as 30
     Number 30's? If Frank Sinatra never sang again would people then say that
     he is no longer successful or has he done enough to be always considered a
     success? I think he has but who decides when an artist has reached that
     point? I've had over 30 chart singles and 20 chart albums in the UK,
     apparently, but would I be considered a success in life if I never have
     another one? I can't say. I wanted to be Number 1, did that, so that's
     success of a kind I suppose. Achieving a level of success isn't that
     difficult when compared to keeping that success going. Just keeping in the
     public eye, with or without hit records, is a feat all of its own and must
     rank as a form of success. As you can see, I can waffle around but I can't
     really answer this question.



As I have got older I have become more cynical about the music industry.  I
find it disgusting that the latest boy/girl bands for example, are
'created' by a record company's marketing department and their songs and
image are simply engineered to appeal to a mass audience.  This gives the
kids themselves their 12 months of fame and generates huge incomes for the
'big boys' of the industry.

  (Garys bit) I know that the above isn't a question but I would like to say
  something about it. You must remember that, whatever your likes or
  dislikes, people do like these boy/girl bands. They are created because
  there is a clear and obvious demand for them and who are we to say that
  that's wrong? There is nothing wrong with kids having their 12 months of
  fame. Nothing wrong with that at all. There is nothing wrong with record
  labels making money out of these bands. Why do you think record labels
  exist? They exist to sell to the public things that the public will be
  happy to buy. Things that, whether we agree with its taste or not, a large
  section of the public gets a great deal of pleasure from. It is not
  disgusting, it is business. This is called the music business after all.
  The other thing to bear in mind is that money made from boy/girl bands is
  often ploughed back into the company promotion budgets and used on other
  bands, bands that you and I might actually like. The more money coming in
  to the business, from whatever source, is more money to spend on the
  business, by the business.


Q11. Was it like this when you started or did genuinely creative and talented
     people 'come through' naturally ?  Is the situation getting better or
     worse in your opinion ?

A11. The situation is the same now as it ever was. They have
     manufactured artists from way back, decades ago, maybe longer. They groomed
     and moulded artists to appeal to a particular style whenever a winning
     style was identified. Remember the Monkees? Auditioned and put together, a
     totally fabricated band that went on to sell millions of albums. Real
     talent has always struggled to find its way through the mass of sticky
     mediocrity and easy listening purile crap. Nothing has changed. Much of
     that mediocrity though is not of the record labels making. Few bands are
     actually 'created' by the labels. I believe that most of the blame for the
     low level of inventiveness in the music biz must lie with the radio
     stations, and the public themselves, but mainly radio stations. The vast
     majority of people don't want anything other than easy listening 'My baby
     just left me' type shit. The radio gives them little choice. You can't
     really blame someone, that only has time to listen to the radio while
     getting ready for work, if they are unaware of the new Numan single, or any
     other artist for that matter, if the radio won't play them. Radio is the
     power. Record labels will sign and push what they know, or believe, radio
     will play. Blame radio for the lack of choice, for stifling truly creative
     talent. And for boy bands.


Q12. Apart from your existing fan base, what do you consider to be your
     (potential) target audience ?

A12. If it has two legs and a pair of ears, they're for me. I see no
     reason why my stuff couldn't reach virtually anywhere.


Q13. It is a (sad) fact that the majority of the single buying public do not
     know who you are.  What is your level of expectation with singles now?  Do
     you consider yourself an 'albums artist' ?

A13. That may be true but I did get in the top 20 again in the UK last
     year so they should have heard of me there at least. I have no expectations
     when it comes to singles. I have always thought of myself as an album
     artist first and foremost although the fun bit is singles. I think in terms
     of albums, I write albums, I do not write a selection of singles that are
     grouped together on an album.


The radio problem has always been a major source of frustration for us fans.
We notice it because we have followed your career.  Like most fans, I like
a lot of other artists.  My favourite band is Killing Joke and they don't get
any airplay either.

Q14. Do you believe that your situation is simply a 'dislike' problem with the
     radio bosses or do you think there is a calculated plan of radio
     promoting certain artists and not others including, unfortunately, you ?
     Any opinions on Killing Joke by the way ?

A14. I don't think it's a dislike thing at all, not personally or
     musically. I don't think it's a calculated plan to ignore certain acts
     either. I can only speak of the UK but, at one point, Radio One were only
     introducing 7 singles a week onto the playlist. This at a time when
     something like 200 singles a week, or more, were being released. If you
     take into account all the 'close friends' that exist between radio and
     record labels, all the favours owed and nudge nudge 'you pat my back etc'
     that must go on it doesn't take much to realise that those seven are all
     well accounted for. Someone like me, no big label, no recent success, not a
     new flavour of the month, no 'close friends', is going to have no chance.
     It's not personal, it's just a rather ruthless business. Don't really know
     any Killing Joke stuff I'm afraid.


Q15. How do you explain what a lot of fans describe as "a major return to form"
     with the 'Sacrifice' album?  Do you think you needed to go through the
     pain and struggle of 'Outland' and 'Machine and Soul' to get to
     'Sacrifice' or could you have achieved the right 'mind set' before, but
     were unable to due to external influences ?

A15. Bits of all of the above. To repair something you first have to
     recognise that it's broken. Even when you recognise that it's broken you
     have to have the skill to see what needs to be fixed and the skill to
     actually fix it. Gemma was the single most important reason for 'Sacrifice'
     and now 'Exile'. She is the only one that has ever been able to make me see
     what it was that makes me what I am creatively. She encouraged me to go
     back to working alone, to using my own skills, rediscovering my own style,
     with all its flaws, and to imagine once again. I had forgotten how to do so
     many things. I had even forgotten why I wrote songs.


Q16. You say you were too young to appreciate the fame and fortune when it
     happened and that you'd appreciate it more the second time around.  How
     would you appreciate it better if '97 proves to be what we all hope for ?

A16. You would have to live through the last 15 years of my life to
     really understand I'm afraid. It comes from knowing what you had and lost
     as much as anything. Believe me, I would appreciate it more.

Q17. How important has it been to you that your 'other half' has been a fan ?
     Would it bother you if Gemma didn't actually like your music ?  You say
     you rarely listen to your own stuff.  How about the other family members
     (close and extended) and even the band members ?

A17.  Don't want to get picky but Gemma is not my 'other half';-). Gemma
     being a fan is vitally important. It is the voice of encouragement when you
     begin to doubt what you are doing. The voice of someone who understands the
     appeal of my work far better than I do. It's confidence. It's everything.
     If Gemma didn't like what I do I would have probably ground to a halt by
     now, no 'Sacrifice', just another half arsed attempt to follow up 'Machine
     And Soul' without any idea of what I should be doing. No direction, no
     style, ho hope really. I think my career would have been over by now. I
     don't really know if my family listens to my stuff on a regular basis. My
     brother is a big Kate Bush fan and my parents are into country music.


Q18. I remember reading various interviews with you years ago where you said
     that you couldn't see yourself living past 30.  Now that you have
     successfully negotiated that hurdle how do you feel about approaching 40 ?
     Do you really think that age is a serious barrier to success in the music
     industry ?

A18. I didn't think I would survive past 30. I didn't feel I had the
     skill or maturity to live long enough and survive the dangers inherent in
     the various hobbies that I enjoyed. Aeroplanes mainly of course. I
     obviously wasn't quite as reckless as I thought I was. 40 is cool, I have
     no problems as I'm ageing reasonably well, not great but not too bad. I
     think that age is most definitely a barrier when it comes to success in the
     music industry but one that, in some situations, can be overcome. I don't
     think I've got to the point where I need to worry just yet though.

Q19. A song and lyric question.  What's 'I'm An Agent' about generally ? Who is
     "John the god", your brother perhaps ?  And what does the line "Send in
     you; Stick on pretty, aircraft nose; Nothing much to care about" all
     about?

A19. The entire 'Telekon' album is a reaction to the surprising and
     unwelcome aspects of a sudden rise to fame. I can't remember specifically
     what 'I'm An Agent' is about but it would be along those lines.
     Disenchantment, disappointment, fear, a whole range of things as your dream
     becomes reality and yet turns into a partial nightmare at the same time.
     'John the God' was John Foxx, a slightly tongue in cheek pointer for the
     press to consider in that if they got rid of me, as seemed to be their
     intent, John Foxx was waiting to take my place. The 'Send in you' line is
     simple. Ever heard the expression being 'stuck up' or having your 'nose in
     the air' or 'looking down your nose at someone'. The line refers to someone
     like that. It was an insult. 'Stick on pretty' was a reference to make-up.
     'Aircraft nose' was a reference to being stuck up or arrogant, 'Nothing
     much to care about' is a reference to a stuck up, caked on make up,
     arrogant woman of my acquaintance.


Q20. Technique question about programming drums.  I know you use sampled loops
     for a lot of the percussion in your music and add your own drum sounds as
     well using a drum patch on a keyboard.  Given that human timing isn't 100%
     accurate you can use the 'quantize' feature to tidy things up afterwards.
     Do you have a proven technique for avoiding an 'almost spot on' hand
     played drum track becoming an 'all over the place' track once its been
     quantized?

     I always try several different quantize settings but the results seem to
     get worse with each attempt !

A20. My technique is to play it well in the first place:-) Any glitches
     are nearly always cured by a 16th quantize. If not, a quick edit of
     individual errors sorts the problem out. If something is 'almost spot on'
     the quantize should not make it progressively worse. You would find it
     helped a lot if you knew where your beats were expected to fall in relation
     to bar position. Without that basic knowledge you will quickly get lost if
     the quantize does something you don't expect.


Thank you, as always, for taking the time and trouble to answer these
questions.
Wishing you great success and happiness in '97.

Q21. IMAGES 11 takes us through 1991 with your "Automatic" work with Bill
     Sharpe, "Outland" album, and "The Unborn" soundtrack work you did with
     Michael Smith.  Will you be continuing with your IMAGES series now that a
     few years have lapsed since this last one?  If so, is this a "back burner"
     type of release for you?

A21. I will continue with the 'Images' albums although they are very
     much a back burner project. Especially now that the written autobiography
     is coming out in the autumn.


I personally enjoy listening to your IMAGES music and interviews with Peter
Gilbert at the helm :-)

Q22. Although the "Stormtrooper In Drag" single is technically a Paul
     Gardiner single, did you have much to do with the song or lyrics to the
     song?

A22. I wrote the lyrics and some of the music but it was Pauls
     foundation that was the heart of the song. I added a structure,
     arrangement, some playing, parts and production but without Pauls original
     idea and guitar lines it would never have happened.


It sounds suspiciously like a Gary Numan tune to me :-))

Optional - I'll understand if you'd prefer NOT to answer it:

Q23. Almost 13 years has past since Paul's untimely death.  Do you think
     about him much these days?

A23. Yes, I think about him often. I was talking about him only last
     night at an after show party in London. Even now I can't get over the waste
     of his death.


I have to admit that listening to his singles and "A Child With The Ghost"
gives me the chills sometimes.

Gary, I recall from early interviews you said David Bowie was a
formative influence on your sense of image and style, and even a hero of
sorts. I just read about the anecdotes you related on last year's "Don't
Fade Away" (nope, couldn't see that one in Georgia) about the
flourescent stick incident and the time in the TV studio.

Q24. What was the latter all about, and have you met Bowie on other occasions?

A24. I had filmed my part for a christmas TV music show and was told
     that Bowie was filming his part the following week. I was invited by the TV
     personel to come along and watch him which I did. There were several
     celebrities gathered in a small side room watching the action, I was at the
     back of this room and very much out of the way. Bowie saw me, stopped
     everything and had me taken out. I was later removed from the programme as
     well. I've not met him face to face. Couldn't care less to be honest.

On the formation of Numa back in the eighties, you stated that you didn't
want "flag-waving artists with a message" on your label. In your last to or
three albums, you seems to be increasingly obsessed with religion, to such an
extent that your own beliefs are very strongly indicated.

Q25. Do you think you've become the the sort of  flag-waving artist with a
     message that you once shunned?

A25.  No. I don't try to change peoples opinions, I don't wave flags for
     atheists or anti religious groups, I just write songs about something that
     I find fascinating. It's worth bearing in mind that, even though I don't
     believe, many of my songs that cover the God thing are written as though he
     does exist and then question why certain things can happen. I genuinely
     believe that discovering God to be real would be the most terrifying thing
     I could possibly imagine and so I write about that, not that he isn't real,
     so I'm hardly waving flags for anything and I certainly don't have a
     message. Also I think that 'Sacrifice' is the only album released that has
     an overall religious theme to it, prior to that is was just the odd song
     here and there. 'Exile' isn't out yet and so it doesn't count.

I just recently went to see Bowie at Madison Square Garden for his 50th
birthday celebration. It was really great and love his new sound.

Q26. Have you listened to his latest music?  If so what do you think of it and
     the new single, "Little Wonder" is it called?

A26. It's alright. I liked 'Hearts Filthy Lesson' a lot but that's not
     really his 'latest'. I'm not a big fan, haven't been for a long time. To be
     absolutely truthful I have thoughts about Bowie that are best kept to
     myself. Whatever I might think of him now he was a major part of my youth
     and I would like to hang on to those memories. I don't want to slag him for
     what he's done or said about me, or for his music of late, after all, we
     all have our insecurities, and lose our way, from time to time. I certainly
     did.

Record companies in the states, I've read recently, are scrambling
because sales are down and grunge is stale, so they're looking for the
"next big thing".

Q27. What do you think the next big thing might be? What's
     the big thing in the U.K. (musically)? I'm feelin' another british
     invasion coming on. (of the musical kind)

A27. My favourite band at the moment is 'Gravity Kills' so I hope the
     invasion comes from the States to us here in the UK rather than the other
     way around. To be honest though you are very welcome to some of the stuff
     we have to endure at the moment. If I knew what the next big thing was
     going to be I would make sure I was it so I can't really say. I hope that
     things get a bit heavier, a bit darker for a while.

Q28. Gary, have you ever considered a possible "reunion" set with Cedric
     and Paul etc...for old times sake?

A28. Could be a bit tricky that one. Paul died a long time ago for one
     thing. Chris has a family and lives in France, Rrussell I haven't seen or
     spoken to for years and Cedric I've also lost touch with. I never had the
     relationship with them that I have with the current band. I'm now amongst
     friends when I tour, before I was amongst people that I paid to be there.
     Although the reality was the same the feeling, vibe and friendly atmosphere
     are very different. I have no intention of ever trying to get a reunion
     together, partial or otherwise. I have no bad feelings towards any of the
     old band, I just prefer to be, and to perform, with the new one.

Q29. How about a fan "lottery" to visit/spend a weekend with you?

A29. I used to run a monthly competition phone line so that fans could
     spend a day with me, each month, doing something fun like Karting or
     Paintball wars or whatever. After a while it ended up being the same people
     turning up month after month and so we stopped doing it. I suppose
     something could be arranged along the lines of a lottery every once in a
     while. Not for a while though and not for a weekend. I'm a very private
     person and wouldn't want people around the house. No offence intended.

I remember your appearance on the Leo Sayer show in the mid 80s
where you sang On Broadway and a earlier version of This Is New Love.

I remember reading when Berserker was due out that the tracks had been
finished, but you then decided to go back and rework them before
release (sounds familiar!:-)).  The Leo Sayer Show version
of This Is New Love was fairly different to the final album version.

Also - Tik & Tok covered A Child With The Ghost on their album - and the
backing track sounds like a less "polished" version of the one used
on Berserker.

Q30. Soooo....I was wondering if these original versions still existed
     somewhere?  Prime "Babylon" material I would've thought - surely they
     can't all be scrapped/lost?

A30. The Tik and Tok version is theirs and I have no knowledge of its,
     or their, whereabouts these days. The only possible source of the older
     version of 'This Is New Love' would be on the original quarter inch tape as
     the 2 inch master was updated with the additions to the song. That version
     probably is a good candidate for the Babylon series but no record of it can
     be found at the moment. It's quite possible that it was used for the TV
     show and then taped over as I never intended keeping that version. A search
     is underway.


Q31. Also would there be a chance of releasing that version of On
     Broadway you did with Leo Sayer?

A31. Possibly on a Babylon although it is likely to involve some
     contractual time and effort which makes it a low priority idea at the
     moment.

I was glad to read about the book that is being planned to be written by
you and Steve Malins. Wasn't it Q magazine that wrote a dreadful article
about you a few years ago, I think called 'Who the hell does Gary Numan
think he is?'. I know this is a regular feature but was badly written and
pretty scathing.

Q32. How do you feel about writing with a Q journo for the book?

A32. Very happy as the journo in question is a friend. The man that
     wrote that nasty little Q article was called Tom Hibbert and I WILL meet
     him again. The world is a surprisngly small place.



Q33. Do you think that an October release is realistic for such a project
with all the commitments you already have this year (Kinsman, Exile, Tour,
Record Deal, Airshows, etc)? I only ask because you seem to have to put
so much off that you want to do.

A33. It's very realistic and forms a very important part of this years
     attempt at improving my standing and success still further.


Q34. How will the book fit in with the Images albums? Are you going to
     attempt to make it as 'new' as possible? Obviously stuff about your past
     has been largely covered on these albums and are easily kept up to date
     with each new release, whilst a book is something else altogether.

A34. Well, I have the same life to talk about in the book as I did, and
     do, on the 'Images' albums. I believe that the book will give me the
     ability to explain things in more detail and cover more subjects than
     possible on the albums but, in the main, will be a book version of
     'Images'. It remains to be seen whether it will hold any new information
     for someone that has all the 'Images' albums. I tend to think it will have
     a great deal of new info in it. It will be impossible to keep it up to date
     once it's published but I suppose, if my career goes on for another 15 or
     20 years, that a part 2 would be possible.


Q35. Oh yeah, and who's your favourite Spice Girl? :)

A35. The 'Spice Girls' make me laugh in a fatherly kind of way. I'm sure
     they're very nice people but I prefer real women. Grown up women.

"Gary's Questions" is made possible by the kindness of Gary Numan and the hard work of Derek Langsford, whose job it is to keep Gary's email address safe from all the rabid fans on the Numan Digest.

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Have a nice day!