Two consecutive nights in London and Brighton revealed Gary Numan at his most intense, most vulnerable, and most deeply connected to his audience. The Telekon 45th anniversary tour was always expected to carry weight — but with the loss of his younger brother only days ago, these shows became something more.
There were moments when Numan’s composure visibly wavered, and both audiences responded with empathy rather than spectacle. What unfolded across these performances was not just a tour — it was a shared act of endurance, memory, and love.
Words and pictures by: Sara-Louise Bowrey
Night 1 — Hammersmith Apollo, London (21st November)
Hammersmith had the unmistakable feel of a homecoming. Just a few miles from where Numan grew up, the Apollo buzzed with history and unspoken sentiment.
Before Numan appeared, his eldest daughter Raven opened the evening with her band — a set steeped in ghostly electro-goth atmosphere and industrial bite. The material, drawn from recent releases and new work yet to be heard publicly, felt confident and sharply defined. Her cover of the Nine Inch Nails track “In This Twilight” was spine-tightening and beautifully delivered.
From the photo pit below, Gemma watched her daughter with unmistakable pride.
And then — the switch flipped. Numan walked on and opened with “This Wreckage,” and the room shifted instantly. He spoke more than usual, something longtime fans clocked immediately. He talked about family, memory, and loss, dedicating the performance — and the entire tour — to his late brother. At one point he mentioned that this same venue was where his mother last saw him perform. The crowd held those words quietly, without interruption.
Telekon, re-wired and alive
The Telekon material landed with sharp edges and emotional weight rather than nostalgia.
- “Photograph” glowed with quiet reflection
- “Like a B Film” — long absent from live rotation — returned like it had never left
- “Please Push No More” became the most devastating moment of the night, performed with raw, trembling honesty
When the set finally closed with “Down in the Park,” the applause felt endless — not a celebration of a single performance, but of a lifetime of connection between artist and audience. This was a room full of people who have travelled decades with him, and they didn’t let him leave without feeling it.
Night 2 — Brighton Centre (22nd November)
Brighton arrived with a different energy altogether — louder, looser, more reactive. If London was reverent, Brighton was kinetic.
Numan met the crowd head-on. “I’m an Agent” and “The Joy Circuit” came out swinging, heavier and more aggressive than the night before, while “Photograph” carried a more abrasive, almost defiant edge.
As in London, “Please Push No More” was the emotional pivot of the evening. In both cities the song cut through everything — grief and resilience walking the same line.
Raven again — and a moment nobody expected
Raven also opened the second night, but Brighton witnessed something sweeter and unexpectedly moving. During her final track she glanced to the wings, spotted her parents watching like proud teenagers, and burst into laughter mid-vocal. The crowd instantly melted with her — it was human and unguarded in a way rehearsed shows rarely allow.
A small moment, but one that said more about this family, this tour, and this time in Numan’s life than any speech could.
Legacy, Family & the Artist Who Still Evolves
Across two cities and two very different atmospheres, Gary Numan proved once again why he remains one of electronic music’s most enduring figures. Telekon didn’t feel like a 45-year-old album — it felt current, sharp, and fiercely alive.
He carried grief but turned it into sound. The shows weren’t heavy so much as honest — weighted with memory, threaded with strength, and powered by a career still pushing forward rather than looking back.
And alongside him, Raven Numan showed signs of becoming a compelling artist in her own right — influenced by her lineage, yes, but already shaping her own dark and contemporary musical world.
Two nights. Two cities. One artist honouring loss while still pushing forward.
And one new voice stepping confidently into the future.
