Gary Numan @ The Catalyst 2022.04.03

[thatguy]

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10...&source=48

We'll, that was quite a night...


So, Robert, my late-sister's partner is now living in Carmel and pinged me the other day saying that he had 2 spare tickets to the show. My daughter is visiting and Shannon had no interest, so I brought my daughter. I also pinged my son and said I'd buy him a ticket if he wanted to join, but he didn't respond. When we got to the venue, he and his GF were right next to where we parked, so I got them tix. We got there after the opener had finished, but before Mr. Numan started. Got beverages and staked out a spot to watch from and then the show started. Great lights, heavy sound, bassy. I've never liked the sound in that venue, but I wasn't complaining. I only know a little Numan material



And Cars, and one other that I don't know the name of

All the newer stuff sounded a bit like Nine Inch Nails to me. 

My daughter and my son haven't talked to each other in about a year over some spat, but were chatting during the show which was great to see. 

I ran into a friend from work (a big fan, so I expected him to be there) and we chatted a lot. 

At the end of the show, he (re)-introduced me to his friend Dave Walker. 
I've met him before, but I don't know him well. Nice guy...in addition to music that he posts on YouTube, he also posts some instructional videos on music tools, including looping. 



while we were talking, I saw across the room Santa Cruz music scene fixture Rick Walker, who's been running the international looping festival for ~40 years. I don't really know Rick, but I met home once at the Rush Inn in downtown Santa Cruz and chatted a bit about music. I remember talking about looping and suggesting that he give lessons (he's a percussionist and gives drum lessons)



I said hey, there's Rick Walker, do you know him? He didn't, so I said you guys should meet and walked him over and introduced them and the Walkers hit it off. Now DB Walker may be joining the next looping fest in Oct. 

After that, Robert's GF wanted to hang out by the bus to get something signed by the band, so we walked over to Pizza My Fart for a late night slice. When we got back to the bus, they were still loading and the band wasn't out yet, so we munched on pizza and chatted, then the band came out. I didn't talk to Mr. Numan, but another guy, Steve (the guitar player - https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2014/...man-s-band ?) came over and said hi and thanks for coming to the show. Then we chatted a bit. Super nice guy. We talked about having adult kids and just general chit chat. I think he was jazzed to talk to fans. 

All in all a crazy night of reunions and connections. That totally cheered me up...



--tg

[thatguy]

More...

The other song I knew/know is called "Down in the Park"

Down in the park
Where the mach-men meet the machines
And play 'kill-by-numbers'
Down in the park with a friend called five
I was in a car crash
Or was it the war
But I've never been quite the same
Little white lies like I was there
Come to "Zom-Zom's", a place to eat
Like it was built in one day
You can watch the humans
Trying to run
Oh look there's a rape machine
I'd go outside if he'd look the other way
You wouldn't believe
The things they do
Down in the park
Where the chant is "death, death, death"
Until the sun cries morning
Down in the park with friends of mine
We are not lovers
We are not romantics
We are here to serve you
A different face but the words never change

All 3 of the tracks I knew came out in '79. I was in my early teens. I distinctly remember in Boy Scouts on a 50 mile canoe trip down the American River, at a stop in Tahama (or Colusa?). I think we were camping at a KOA campground. Pete Donahue, probably KB, tho I can't recall, me, and several others were hanging out in the playground at dusk, on some kind of jungle gym. I remember Cars came on the radio and it was a really really striking song. So different.

--tg

[Drunk Monk]

Nice to see that Cat is still bumpin.

Have they mopped the dancehall floors yet? I don't think they've mopped up that place since when I lived in the Cruz previously (and that was in '88)

[thatguy]

So, about that show...stupidly, I wasn't wearing a mask while inside consistently and was there for quite a while. A few days later, I felt a little crummy, but thought it was allergies, then one of the people I was with told me they had tested positive after also feeling crummy. Then I found out that Mr Newman himself had tested positive about a week before the show at the catalyst. 

I took an at home test which came up negative. I tested again a few days later and was still negative. I had to skip a work function because I had been near someone that tested positive within the 10 day window. I went to CVS and took a test there. Got the results back 2days later. Also negative. I took another at home test 10 days after I learned my friend tested positive, and still came up negative. But, I've been feeling crummy. The headache's and light headedness ended after about a week. But the coughing and the runny nose are annoying. It's been almost a month and I'm still snotty. 

--tg

[El Dingo]

I was there too! I'm a huge Gary Numan fan and have seen him many times. We convinced my niece and her husband to go to the S.F. show in March. They enjoyed it so much they wanted to see him again in Santa Cruz.It was our first 'No Vaccine/No Mask' requirement show. Needless to say we masked up the whole time.

It was kind of weird because they blocked off the side with bars as it was an all-ages show. No alcohol was allowed on the 'under 21' side. This meant the huge contingent of young Gary Numan fans could check him out. Both of them.

Anyway - Nine Inch Nails is an acceptable comparison to his new post-apocolyptic nomad persona. I posit that his music is much more melodic than NIN and deserves a listen via studio work. Check out "My Name is Ruin" on you tube for a taste.

If you see a Scion XA with a Gary Numan bumper sticker, that's me!

[Drunk Monk]

Woah

An ED post!

[thatguy]

He's coming to Bimbo's in October (I think). Does he live around here or something?

--tg
(Welcome back ED!)

[El Dingo]

He lives in L.A.

Pretty fascinating story about him marrying his #1 fan who has guided his career: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...reasts.htm

[Drunk Monk]

What? Two ED posts!? 

I’m thinking now that tg hacked ED’s account and is having a conversation with himself…

[Greg]

Didn't Numan give it all up for a while to fly planes?

[thatguy]

What? Two ED posts!? 

I’m thinking now that tg hacked ED’s account and is having a conversation with himself…

Perhaps it's the multi-verse tg...
--tg (or is it?)