Gary Numan Digest Thu, 25 Nov 99 Volume 1 : Issue 593 Today's Topics: Academy reviewer speaks Andy paints Gary Fwd: FW: VIRUS ALERT - please read and forward Gary Numan Digest V1 #592 Gary on UKTV I bet that'll get 'em goin!!....said Gary Joey Lindstrom's post Non-fans Numan and Bowie Press coverage(?)and "Numan-Hollow" the tape is circle but who really cares? (2 msgs) Tik & Tok & Academy (again!) what is a "whinger"? Who Wants to be a Millionaire You Lucky Bastards ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 21:00:32 +0100 (BST) From: "Jon Garland" Subject: Academy reviewer speaks To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Well, what a controversial figure I've suddenly become. I went to a Gary Numan gig; I didn't enjoy it very much; I said so. I was then called a 'usual whinger' by Gary himself & told to 'become a fan of someone else'. Then the abuse from fellow fans occurred, coupled with lots of support - what a week it's truly been. As a loyal Numan for 20 years who has stood up for him on too many occasions to count, been to dozens of gigs & bought shedloads of records, memorabilia etc it did come as a small surprise to be told by Gary to go & 'be a fan of someone else'. This was especially surpising seeing as I was referred to as being a 'usual whinger', when in fact I'd never posted a negative Numan review before. Indeed, my reviews have always been a tad glowing (check the Rock City reviews on AFE if you don't believe me). It was also disappointing to be referred to in this way when, a few years ago, I produced the 'Whisper of Truth' fanzine (with the help of fellow Digesters Matt, Andy & Phil) primarily because I was annoyed at the Numan fanzines that were around at that time, that seemed to do nothing but criticise him. I deliberately made the 'zine supportive of Gary, and indeed a few years later re-reading it I still think that it was very positively pro-Numan. Then came the fateful Manchester gig and my negative review. I didn't enjoy the gig very much, and indeed felt very let down by it. I posted an honest review, my first ever negative one. What was I supposed to do instead - tell porkies? Not post it at all? Yet, isn't Gary praised for his honesty - isn't it supposed to be one of his more endearing characteristics? Yet, when a fan is honest, all hell breaks loose. By way of contrast, I went to see Elvis Costello a week after I saw Gary. It was everything the Numan show wasn't - it was innovative, varied, different, and tinged with wit. It reminded me that my initial reviews of the Manchester Academy show were correct, and that I was glad I had posted them. Anyway, perhaps it is time, after two decades, to go and 'become a fan of someone else'. After much thought, I've come up with a shortlist of likely candidates: i) Westlife ii) Boyzone iii) TV Funnyman Michael Barrymore iv) Joanne Guest v) Doncaster Rovers FC Any suggestions as to which I should pick will be gratefully received. Jon ********************************************* Jon Garland Research Fellow Scarman Centre, University of Leicester Email: jgd@le.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)116 252 5701 Internet: http://www.le.ac.uk/scarman/ ********************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 21:24:31 -0800 From: awa Subject: Andy paints Gary To: numan@cs.uwp.edu As a kid in the '80s, my fave band wasn't Ultravox (at least not without Foxx) but XTC. And my favorite non-band was Gary. Well, I forgot about XTC over the last 15 years and have rediscovered them. I was reading an interview with Andy Partridge on amazon.com and kept thinking that some of the things he said seemed sort of able to address certain Gary Numan situations people seem hung up on lately. One concern is the issue of Gary playing all the old hits at live shows. It gets Vegas, it gets jukebox, lifeless, pointless to some. It seems to me he's said somewhere on his website--or in a Digest asks Gary Q&A--in an interview that he'd much rather not perform all the old hits but feels bound to do so. It could only feel like being a performing beast sometimes. Gary loves playing live obviously but probably resents the construct every now and then. Partridge on why the band stopped touring: Amazon.com: Still no plans to tour? Partridge: No. The thrill of doing that is gone, and it has just become terrifying for me. In the past we were on the road so much that I felt absolutely trapped, and that's given me very intense stage fright. We never saw a penny from any of those shows we played back then, and we felt like monkeys playing in a cage. Anyway, I think our music got a hell of a lot better when we stopped touring, because we were able to focus on what we like to do best. Another thing is that we all seem to be questioning is WHY Gary does records the way he does, sound the way he does even lyrics the way he does. At some point in the dialogue, we all finally decide that he's going to do what he wants to do anyway and that's part of why we're fans to begin with. Again, I bet that Numan thinks like Partridge does on this one. Amazon.com: Is there some perverse part of you that wants to piss people off? Partridge: No. I don't really want to anger people, but I do want to surprise them. The first thing I want to do is surprise myself and delight myself. If I can't do that, it's really pointless making any art. If you can't surprise yourself and bring joy to yourself, you can't possibly hope to bring that to other people. But it's tough digging deep enough to find something that's going to delight you the first thousand times you hear it. I think good art is made from something that's considered to be very bad in society, which is selfishness. You have to totally and utterly do it your way to get any satisfaction at all. Thank you all and g'day. As the Teletubbies say, "Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuug." al ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 11:38:22 +0000 From: Simon Mark Joseph Subject: Fwd: FW: VIRUS ALERT - please read and forward To: Cornflake , Heidi Dean , This is a forwarded message From: Alex Joseph (Core Design Ltd) To: 's.joseph@virgin.net' Date: Wednesday, November 24, 1999, 10:38:35 AM Subject: FW: VIRUS ALERT - please read and forward ===8<==============Original message text=============== > -----Original Message----- > From: Paschal McGuire (Core Design Ltd) > Sent: 24 November 1999 10:36 > To: {All Core Design} > Subject: FW: VIRUS ALERT - please read and forward > Importance: High > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Simons [mailto:Paul_Simon@email.msn.com] > Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 1999 6:27 AM > To: Paul_Simon@email.msn.com > Subject: FW: VIRUS ALERT - please read and forward > Importance: High > > > > > > Subject: Fw: Virus Alert - please read and forward > > New Virus > > We have been informed of a new virus - WOBBLER. It will arrive on e-mail > titled "How to Give a Cat a Colonic." CALIFORNIA IBM and AOL have > announced that it is very powerful, more so than Melissa, there is no > remedy. It will eat all your information on the hard > drive and also destroys Netscape Navigator and Microsoft > Internet Explorer. > > Do not open anything with this title and please pass this message on to > all your contacts and anyone who uses your e-mail facility. > > Not many people seem to know about this yet so propagate it > as fast as possible. This information was announced yesterday morning > by IBM; > please share it with everyone in your address book so that the spreading > of the virus may be stopped. This is a very dangerous virus and there is > no remedy for it at this time. Please practice cautionary measures and > forward this to all your online friends ASAP. > > You can read about it at > ===8<===========End of original message text=========== Best regards, Simon mailto:s.joseph@virgin.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 07:30:19 -0700 From: Pat Weber Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #592 To: Gary Numan Can't stand it anymore: > But Numan really does mention god a lot, you know? Uh, maybe he's just fascinated by all the facets of the existence of belief systems, particularly the one involving the Christian god? One does *not* have to believe in something to be fascinated by it. For instance, I find the "belief" that the world really exists on the back of a turtle fascinating but, c'mon on, I don't *believe* it really does! (I kinda like the thought we're all dancing on the head of a pin, too.) While not atheist, neither am I Christian. I, too, find the "what-if" scenarios regarding the Christian belief system intriguing. > Y'all remember the various debates we've had in the past, about > overly-critical fans not being "real" fans? I fell out of my chair > laughing after reading this quote on NuWorld, written by The Man > hisself: > > "I did notice that the same old whingers have turned up on the same old > web sites with the same old complaints about the gig. I'd be really > grateful if you irritating little handful became fans of someone else > as you're getting on my nerves" Right on! And thanks, Gary, for saying it so well. > > I know that this is not going to be the most ingratiating thing Gary's > ever said, and indeed it may cost him some fans. Nevertheless, I'm > sure as hell glad he said it - and I heartily endorse it. Yeah, ditto. I've gotten to the point I just scroll past the negative shite. There *are* folks in this world who just aren't happy till they're not happy. *I* don't have to live with 'em. > Firstly I'd like to remind certain list members how f*cking lucky they are > by being able to see Gary live. It's not that easy when you live 12,000 > miles away. And, thank you, too. > I know alot of people around me who were not Numan fans over the years > have casually asserted they thought Gary was gay. Is it totally UN-Politicaly Correct > of me to admit that it worried me too? I admit that that line in 'Rhythm of the > Evening' pleased me. It gave me evidence that Gary was straight. > His marriage a while ago helped out in that regard as well. And, that was the post that pushed my mouse to the "reply" button . . . WHAT THE HELL does it matter what Gary's sexual orientation is? If someone produces music you like, does that mean that person's sexual orientation would immediately and irrevocably determine YOURS? It must, else why should you CARE? I've always been stunned when someone, after finding out who I'm listening to, states, in a tone both damning and sympathetic: "He's gay, you know." Geez. I just don't get it -- nor do I want to. Although I, too, am guilty of desiring as much information as I can get on an artist / musician I deeply respect, sometimes I think it's better we just don't know. Then, perhaps we could get on with enjoying what drew us to that person -- his or her art. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 12:07:29 -0500 From: Matthew Roberts Subject: Gary on UKTV To: Gary Numan For those of you in the UK near a Channel 5 transmitter, Gary is going to= be playing live on a show called Tom Binns' Munchies. Tom Binns is the breakfast DJ on the excellent London radio station, XFM, on which Gary recently appeared. The TV show is being recorded Thursday 25th and is, I believe, being broadcast on Thursday 2nd December - don't take my word fo= r it, check the listings to be sure. = There's two particularly good things to report. Firstly, I believe Gary will ONLY be playing newish stuff. Secondly, I have tickets for the recording... well it's good news for me anyway! Clint Boon is also appearing and possibly Billy Bragg. Both VERY differen= t to Gary, so it should be interesting. Changing tack, it was good to see the real fans giving some pay-back in t= he Digest. I particularly agreed with Joey. There does seem to be an undercurrent on the web of "well of course, he's not really very good..."= I believe Joey suggested the obvious response to those people - why don't= you spend your time on something you DO like? Matthew Roberts ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 22:33:22 -0000 From: "Nick & Fiona" Subject: I bet that'll get 'em goin!!....said Gary To: "numan digest" Hi Folks, I was wondering what would be the next 'thing' would be on the digest. I didn't think it would be the BigG himself. I hope he feels better about it. I couldn't make the gig...first one to miss in ages. However, it sounds like the same mixed bag of comments though. I feel sorry for Philip if he had to quit the gig. I sometimes worry that I may feel that way one day. Fortunately, it hasn't happened yet (lost count of the gig total sometime in the late 80's). No doubt the budding psychologists on the digest can confirm that something happens to one's pleasure senses if over-used...something like eating your fave food every day soon leaves you relegating it from fave status. The odd bit of new spice is required every now and then. A old song brought out of the bag goes along way to achieve that. Some new 'new' ones would be even better. People should be able to 'voice' their opinions though. As is often said (albeit about the latest re-re-re-release), one doesn't have to buy the damn product. Philip exercised his ultimate right to go home. That's important. I hope that Gary actually thinks about the comments that someone like Philip made on the intro to the last D. I have voiced similar thoughts before....especially about the impact of Gary doing everything himself. I don't count myself as a whinger though. This digest should be a forum for such thoughts, but, balanced and constructive wherever possible. I agree with Joey's comment that one should bare in mind the man's feelings etc when publishing one's comments, however, if a digester can only be seen to pucker up to the big guy with their comments, then I'm not sure what the digest is for. HOWEVER, if some 'fans' actually spoke to Gary after the gig and moaned about thing's, then they deserve all his wrath as there IS a time and place for such things. Straight after a gig, when the adrenalin is high and the Man just wants to know that it went well....Is NOT it!! I think that someone must have done so, as his comments on NuWorld came out before any negatives here (I think?!). He can't please all the people all the time I hope that Gary continues to read the digest (and whatever else he mentioned). Another old saying about 'not throwing the baby out with the bathwater' springs to mind. He (& we) may well see some more interesting digest for a few more weeks. It would be pretty damned good if he dropped a few straight into the digest once in a while. Anyhow, whether you've been there and seen it, or, been up and down... have a good week # NickiNu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 09:40:55 EST From: DCGaySLP@aol.com Subject: Joey Lindstrom's post To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Hear! Hear! I heartily agree with Joey's viewpoint on the 'antifan' direction so many posts have been taking of late (that show sucked, this song sucks, etc etc). Expressing one's viewpoint is certainly justified. I personally have opinions on certain songs or set-lists NOT done at shows, but still.... I think one thing that helps me keep everything in perspective is that I like so many OTHER bands/singers and go to their shows, buy their CD's to keep everything in balance. Numan has been and always will be my #1 favorite artist and I'll be happy with whatever he chooses to record, play live....hell he can tapdance and sing duets with Pavoratti for all care....chance are I'll find something to like about it! Hint: Accentuate the positive...opinionate the negative but don't CRUSH the poor guy for heaven's sake! Now let's all play nicely.... Rick in DC Proud member of Boys Like Us and the I Saw Kipper with Sting Club ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 10:01:57 -0600 From: hartlaub@falcon.tamucc.edu Subject: Non-fans To: numan@cs.uwp.edu I've read Gary's message to the non-fans, and I couldn't agree more. I've been on and off the digest for almost a year and a half now, and sometimes I wonder if reading and contributing to the digest is helping me be a fan. That's why I read the digest; to be able to hear others talk about his songs and his concerts. I've been a fan for 20 years and I've never had the chance to see Gary in concert, so I agree with those who say you should feel lucky you even had the chance to go to a concert. If you're not a fan, get off the digest and find some other way to express yourself. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 13:08:26 -0600 From: "Don Baker" Subject: Numan and Bowie To: "Gary Numan" I've heard allusions for the past several months on the list about some incident between David Bowie and Gary Numan back in the early 1980s. Can someone fill me in on the details? Don Baker, Ph.D. Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences http://www2.arkansas.net/~wdbaker ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 05:28:01 PST From: "William Wilson" Subject: Press coverage(?)and "Numan-Hollow" To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Hi! all, In Saturdays edition of the "Daily Record"(Scotlands"Daily Mirror) there was an article with the headline "NUMAN:Holland fans were roaring you on",was this an indication that some fans from afar made a pilgrimage to Manchester?...no such luck,just a bit about Arthur Numan,Glasgow Rangers player on the Scotland/England games,but it brought a smile to me....OH!,and in an other publication a 'friend' had sent to her was an advert for "Numan-Hollow",what is this I hear you all ask,the title of the new album..NO!,another compilation cd...NO!,a bootleg copy of Manchester gig made by one of the few disgruntled fans deciding to make a few bucks because they think they are "owed something"....NO!!... I was going to give the REAL answer at the end of this article but decided to let you,the digest have a go at guessing what you think "Numan-Hollow" is.*G* I'll post the answer in a couple of digests...happy guessing William Wilson (Glasgow Crazie!) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 08:40:06 -0800 From: awa Subject: the tape is circle but who really cares? To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Re:-Chris Munroe's problem of not being able to find Exile or Sacrifice on cassette tapes up in Canada: It's nearly the end of 1999, please buy a CD player. Get a portable with head phones. There's one down the street here for $75.00 US. You'll never want to go back to kay-sets again. Why not try to find Sacrifice on vinyl? Why not have someone tape it and Exile for you? Get photo copies of each and make your own cassettes. Save those per diems. Why not skip buying illegals, potato chips, beer, porn or whatever it is for one or two months so you can save up for a CD player of some sort? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 08:40:34 -0800 From: awa Subject: the tape is circle but who really cares? To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Re:-Chris Munroe's problem of not being able to find Exile or Sacrifice on cassette tapes up in Canada: It's nearly the end of 1999, please buy a CD player. Get a portable with head phones. There's one down the street here for $75.00 US. You'll never want to go back to kay-sets again. Why not try to find Sacrifice on vinyl? Why not have someone tape it and Exile for you? Get photo copies of each and make your own cassettes. Save those per diems. Why not skip buying illegals, potato chips, beer, porn or whatever it is for one or two months so you can save up for a CD player of some sort? Alec ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 17:36:29 -0000 From: thoutby@fusiongroup.co.uk (Tim Houtby) Subject: Tik & Tok & Academy (again!) To: "'Numan Digest'" Hi - I'm hoping that someone might be able to help.... I don't suppose anyone knows if Survival Records (of Tik & Tok fame) is still in operation? I'm looking for some of the old Survival releases, and wondered if the company was still around. I'm not sure as they are, and searches on the net have come to nothing. I'd also like a full Survival release history if anyone has one.... Heres hoping.... Many thanks. PS - re Manchester Academy: Come on....give him a break. If you're really looking for so much change, then shouldn't you be looking for another artist? As they say....if it isn't broken, dont fix it. Bye. _______________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses including Melissa.W by the Star Screening System http://academy.star.co.uk/public/virustats.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 11:16:01 -0800 From: awa Subject: what is a "whinger"? To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Being that I'm in Northern California, I don't always know ALL the current Cockney, or suburban Cockney slang. So, what is a "whinger"? Gary used the term in the News section of NuWorld. Maybe it's a term as old as the Normans. I should re-read The Pickwick Papers or This Was Stepney. Is whinger like a wanker, wank stain or a wonga? Thank you, Gary, for reminding us that it's uncool to be bitchy little shit muffins. I mean, contained rage is very dangerous to a person's life force, internal organs, nervous system, skin and brain. So, let it all out, Gary, because it's ALL you, babe. Joey Lindstrum: We may disagree about trees, Conservativism (in general) and probably most of the other things that Rush Limbaugh and his various congregations are so passionate about but I love that last posting re:- overly critical "fans" bitching about Numan's gigs, etc. At the same time, GN does credit his fans quite a bit for his "recovery" and claims to listen to what they say. That kind of open-mindedness, I suppose, can be seen as a window through which all style of rat feels free to leap through. Gary plays the oldies over and over again for his FANS, after all. Everyone from Led Zepplin to Dizzy Gillespie did that much. Luv on ya, Alec ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 20:38:03 -0800 From: awa Subject: Who Wants to be a Millionaire To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the new Jeopardy-style TV show in the U.S., is kind of Numanesque. First there's the thunderclap/electro drum echo and drone in the background, pensive melodies swirling in and out and Art Of Noise-y orchestral blasts that sound like something from Strange Charm or The Fury. And then the lighting and stage design have that Giger/Numan look. Check it out. Something about Regis Philbin in a setting that's in any way Numanesque gives me a laugh. --Alec ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 11:39:59 -0500 From: "Michael J. Damrath" Subject: You Lucky Bastards To: Gary Numan I'd like to give Ben Iglar-Mobley, Darren Hall, and Joey Lindstrom a big hand for their comments in the last Digest. To all of you lucky enough to see Gary in concert any time you damn-well-please: it makes me literally nauseous to have to read your complaints regarding concert events that I would give my left nut to have been able to overhear from a nearby alley. It made me cringe to read Gary Numan's own rubuttal to these critics on his website and quoted in this Digest. I was embarrassed to be considered part of the same collection of so-called 'fans'. I am not suggesting you have to like everything the man does. If he released a CD full of recorded bathroom noises, it would be fair to blast him. But to criticize his track selection or presentation at this stage is ludicrous! If you go to an Elton John concert, you expect him to play "Candle in the Wind", if you see U2 you expect to hear "Sunday Bloody Sunday", if you go to see Tom Jones you're gonna hear "It's Not Unusual" IF YOU GO TO A GARY NUMAN CONCERT YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR HIM PLAY HIS HIT SONGS. If you have no desire to listen to 'Cars', 'DITP', 'AFE', or 'We Are Glass', then DON'T GO TO A GARY NUMAN CONCERT. Plus, who on God's (or lack there of) green earth knows better that Gary what his songs are supposed to sound like?!? You should hand it to the man for adapting and rearranging his old standards to the level that he has! IMHO, he's a genius. You are most likely not. If you are in this group of 'fans', do the rest of us a favor: shut up, stay home, get out your 20 year old cassettes and LPs and relive the old glories. Plug in your 18 year old Wembly concert video and flick your Bic! Pretend that the world hasn't changed in two decades. Pretend that music artists need you and your criticisms to keep them straight and guide their careers. Most of all, let someone else who appreciates the experience buy that concert ticket, you don't deserve it. A thousand miles away and pissed, Mike Damrath http://home.earthlink.net/~damrat ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ****************************** _______________________________________________________________________ _____ ____ ____ _____ _____ / \ | | / \ / \ / \ / \ | |-----| |-----| | |-----| |-----| | | | G | | A | | | R | | Y | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-----| |-----| | |-----| |-----| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N | E | W | S |=====| | | | | | | | & | | | | | | | \_____/ I | N | F | O | | | | is produced and distributed by Derek Langsford dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To reply to the messages in this list, mail to: numan@cs.uwp.edu If you want to be removed, or someone wants to be added, you can mail to numan-request@cs.uwp.edu ----------------- The Gary Numan Digest is brought to you via Datta Production and Development, 905 97th Street, Kenosha, WI 53143 USA datta@cs.uwp.edu and computer resources courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Datta Production and Development. 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