After a year's hiatus, here are the answers Gary has provided to February's questions. I will be skipping March as only one question was recieved and Gary did not answer February's till earlier this week.
Instructions on how to submit questions for Gary are at the end of this feature.
I'd like to know if there is anything that YOU would like to do while touring the US that WE, your fans, can help you achieve? For example, I know you enjoy racing. So, if you just happened to be in or near Indiana at the end of May you might wish to take in the Indianapolis 500 and some fan could assist in the arrangements and possibly tag along for the day. You would get to experience a little more of America and fulfill a fan (or two's) dream. I understand schedules are tight during touring, but there are always possibilities.
Touring is not the gentle working holiday that some people seem to think unfortunately. Virtually every minute is accounted for. I start work soon after waking up, interviews normally. They take me up to soundcheck time which can take 30 minutes to an hour. After soundcheck I usually have a few more interviews which often last until 30 to 45 minutes before show time. It then takes me about that long to get ready. After the show, in Europe anyway, we were on the sleeper bus within 30 minutes of the last song finishing and usually travelled through the night to the next city. It's hard enough to eat properly let alone be able to get out and see anything. On rare occasions, if anything is cancelled at the last minute, I sometimes get an hour or two to myself but that's about as good as it gets. The only way I can truly achieve what I want to achieve is to work my arse off for the next two years. If things go well I can then spend some time doing things outside music. It's a nice idea but unlikely to ever be possible.
How many copies of "Exile" were sold in the UK, and have you any information concerning European sales figures?
Afraid not. I don't follow sales figures anymore and I'm not too sure I would talk openly about them even if I did. As this year progresses I will probably check to see if all the touring is having any effect on sales but it can often be a bit depressing and demoralising if things aren't going too well. At the moment I'm thinking positive and assuming things will be much better than they were before I signed to Eagle.
Hi Gary,
Ever since I can remember, it has been commonly known that you have a love
for American cars, and quite understandably I might add! Apparently, a UK
TV station recently interviewed you regarding the two American cars you
own.
What are these, and have you made any modifications to them?
I have a Corvette and a CJ-7 Jeep. Both are black and completely unmodified. To be honest I love a number of cars, most of them European. Ferrari, Lambourghini, Porsche, Jaguar, Bentley, Caterham, Aston Martin, Lotus to name but a few. I'm not quite the car fanatic that some people assume actually. The idea of talking about American muscle cars is way beyond me. I don't know a split diff from a leaky radiator. I have virtually no idea how they work, I just like being in them from time to time.
I am also an American car lover and currently drive a black 1989 GTA Trans
Am, (if you know your cars, you will be aware that this is the Corvette
based Trans Am). I will be at the Numan convention in March as I live in
Milton Keynes, and will be bringing this car to the event. If you are
interested we could meet and talk American muscle, if possible I would like
to get a photograph of you beside my car.
Finally, a good friend of mine runs a freight forwarding company in
Heathrow, Middx. His partner went to school with you and tells me that you
re-wrote a David Bowie set for a school play.
What was this and do you remember it? (My informant tells me that your
creative skills were absolutely amazing, he just remember thinking,
"This guy is a genius"!).
Wasn't me. I avoided school plays like the plague.
Hi
How did you find meeting John Foxx after all these years after the last
Shepherd's Bush gig last year and was that the first time you'd met since
the period of your initial success?
He was much more fun this time. Easy to talk to and not at all somber and overly serious which is how I remember him from before. I only met him once though so my memory of him then is likely to be a little foggy. I wish him well with his new album and tour.
Have you had chance to catch one of his live shows in the last few months, and if so what did you think?
No but he's touring again this April, with Ade Oranges band 'Dig' as support, so I will probably see him soon.
Did anyone again suggest you two work together on something?
Not yet. I doubt I would have the time this year even if they did. I also don't know what kind of music John is making at the moment and that would have some bearing on any possible collaboration.
In light of the new movie "Dark City", and the song "Dark" appearing on the CD of music from and "inspired" by the movie how did the producers go about asking you to supply a song for it?
I was asked by TVT Records if I would like to have 'Dark' featured in the film (if possible) and on the soundtrack album. None of the songs suggested for the film were used although they all appeared on the soundtrack album. I think the film suffers for not using any of the tracks offered. Mine would have worked well and the Course Of Empire track is excellent.
Who determines what support band is used on your tours? Is it yourself or do you rely on other peoples judgement to give a review which can be relied upon, especially as they are mainly unsigned bands. As a Numan fan I look for a synth type band running along the lines of your music. As an artist I suspect you go for the opposite to give a variation to your concerts. What is the procedure for selection.
It varies. Sometimes I choose from tapes sent to me. Sometimes they are chosen because they are supposedly popular in their local area. For the forthcoming American Tour in May Cleopatra suggested Switchblade Symphony which was fine with me. In Europe the local promoters used local support bands where they felt it was useful.
Martin Oxenham who's been a Numan fan since buying his first single - We are Glass.
When I'm composing, sometimes the lyrics are first, sometimes the music comes first, or sometimes both come simultaneously, how does it happen for you?
Music first, lyrics last. Virtually without exception. When I have a skeleton framework of the music, chords, arrangement etc, I sing a guide vocal to try out various melodies. These vocals never use lyrics. I make up noises that sound like words to make sure that the phrasing fits the music perfectly. I then make the final lyrics fit the noises on this guide vocal.
How was your honeymoon in St Lucia? Where did you stay on the island? What did you do (that you can tell us about)? Did you go for a "day trip" on the Brig Unicorn? ;-)
The honeymoon was okay although I felt that the locals were too aggressive and rather arrogant. We didn't do anything unusual really. Snorkelling, Wet Bikes, banana rides, doughnut rides, Para-sailing that kind of thing. We went with another couple who are good friends of ours. They were married in the same place as our wedding about two weeks after us. They were more unlucky. He (Andi) scraped himself raw when a big wave dragged him along some rocks and she (Claudia) fell off a horse and broke her back. Claudia is now okay but it dampened the honeymoon somewhat for all of us. We did go for a sunset cruise on the Brig Unicorn which was beautiful.
Are you thinking of making any videos from "Exile", other than "Dominion Day"? If so, what other "Exile" tracks would you like to do videos for?
The word from Eagle is to wait and see how things go. I would like to make a video for 'Absolution' personally. Or 'Dead Heaven'.
Many thanks as always for your time, Gary!
Hello Gary....
On your next tour in the U.K. what about a Live/cover version of
Palmer's "Addicted To Love"........and do you think that it's possible (via
Nuworld).....to request Numan songs for you to play ?????????
I don't want to play other peoples songs, I have more than enough of my own and I always struggle to choose what to play. Adding cover versions would make that process even more difficult. It's possible for people to send in ideas for songs but I doubt I'll take much notice. People usually come up with very obscure stuff that only means something to them or the more obvious songs that are impossible to keep on doing year after year. I did try this once via the fan club and it was a complete disaster.
Dear Gary,
Any chance you will play some of the extended mixes of "Exile" on your
upcoming tour? On your last London concert I felt a song like "Dead
Heaven" would benefit from an extended length...
Not really. I think playing 8 or 9 minute songs in a concert is a little self indulgent, especially when you are playing to an unknown audience. In Europe I had no idea what the audience would comprise of. Older fans coming to remember their youth? New people who had never heard of Are Friends Electric? It was difficult coming up with a powerful and interesting set list that would sound as though it belonged in 1998 and yet still include many of the older songs. I don't think that playing long versions of the newer songs would have been a sensible move. The same problem will apply in America in May. Anyway I get bored of a song after about 5 minutes when I'm on stage. I think in general that people would prefer several songs of 4 to 5 minutes than a few extended tracks.
I'll be on your shows in Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg. Do you already know where your after-show-parties will take place? :)
Oops. A bit late with this answer although I couldn't have told you anyway as I didn't know until long after the tour was underway. The only after-show party was in Hamburg and that was organised by Eagle and Public Propaganda. We were told about it when we were in Stockholm. It was a good night, especially as the Hamburg audience was one of the best on the tour.
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Derek
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Derek Langsford Ph.D.
Environmental Management Specialist
County of San Diego, Dept. of Planning and Land Use
5201 Ruffin Road, Ste. B
San Diego, CA 92123
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