Disc 2:
She’s Got Claws—-The crowd remains very amped after the long first set, and Numan continues to roll out song after song. This, he announces as the new single…the song is by now familiar and just as alien in sound as the rest of the show. When Numan sings of being “Dreams in cold storage”, my heart literally propels from my chest with streams of understanding and relation to my own emotions. Still wonderful…same as it ever was!!!
Cars—-The crowd literally goes wild for a moment as the song begins…they seem to settle down and take in the phenomena as Numan delivers a dead on impersonation of the original. A bit more faster paced than the original, Numan still manages to find relish and enthusiasm in the crowd’s reaction .
I Dream Of Wires—-Another full blown tale of alienation and the lack of connection, this song, taken from the Telekon release [the first Numan I ever owned] still speaks to me of the cold and distant alienation Numan felt to those around him. This is magnificent…the crowd sings along with Numan, letting him know he is not alone with his feelings. This is a pure joyful moment. Brilliant!!!
I’m An Agent—-The sound of the track is remarkable in its likeness of the recorded version….Numan seems to be singing in an even higher register and the result is fantastic. There are some in and out sound problems with the track, but overall it is excellent.
The Joy Circuit—-Continuing the heavy attention on the at the time new release [Telekon], this is another great selection from it. The crowd loves the song and you can feel their enthusiasm and excitement as they clap along. The instrumentation is wonderful!!! Numan seems even more distant and aloof in voice…the cold and calculated delivery is fantastic. The audience reacts to the ebbs and flows of the music with loud exclamations and excitement. This is great!!!
I Die; You Die—-As the song is introduced, the crowd goes nuts!!! Thew music rises above and stands at the apex of the arena in a huge and calculated way. Numan is at his deadpan best…the slight whine of the voice is enduring as hell and when Numan actually does sing it is fantastic.
Cry The Clock Said—-The song is a nice segue from the previous with little if any silence between the two. The song begins in an oft way…lots of little noises and sounds but no real music to speak of for the first minute or so. The song is a nice instrumental interlude that shows the atmosphere of the band and the ability to play it out in a live setting. The end of the song when Numan does enter the fray is haunting and sad.
Tracks—-Again, you notice the crowd reaction to the opening strains of the song….mid way through the first bar, the audience takes over vocal duties and it is the thing that goose bumps are made of. The tempo of the song seems faster, the cold steel feel is still very much in effect. This is wonderful despite some vocal problems on the sound board.
Down In The Park—-Of course, the arena reacts as you would expect upon hearing the piano based strains of this classic. The song comes alive with added synth and the crowd again erupts. The swirling feel of the recording is incredible….the vocal of Numan is not loud enough, but it serves the purpose. The whine and slight strain makes the song so human. This is really wonderful.
My Shadow In Vain—-I have always liked the more aggressive and punk feel of this song. In the beginning with Tubeway Army, Numan turned out some great classic New Wave/Punk material. It is nice to hear this live…it is even faster and more aggressive….very nice!!
Please Push No More—-Oddly enough, Numan follows up the previous track with a slow and plodding release. The sound of the song is morose and unhappy. Numan talks of technology and lack of control. The song is intense and almost still from a musical standpoint. When Numan allows so, the crowd delivers the chorus on their own to a wonderful effect. Numan seems to be giving a farewell speech through the song…it is incredible.
Are ‘friends’ Electric?—-A fantastic song in its own right, Numan sings of alienation and disappointment….isolation and paranoia……fear and loathing in a wonderful and endearing way that melds into a great pop song. Long a favorite of mine, the live version[s] are way better than the recorded original because of the crowd reaction everytime it is played. This is no exception….this crowd goes nuts!!! The song is oddly stripped down for the first bar, but comes alive and Numan does not disappoint. A definite high point of the show!!!
We Are Glass/Outro—-As the show comes to a close, the sound seems to get even worse…the band sounds muted and distant. The vocal is in and out in an odd messy way….disappointing, but all in all the recording is a nice piece of history in a stellar career.
***1/2 out of 5
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