GARY NUMAN – THE SECOND SAVAGE TOUR WITH NIGHTMARE AIR
September 18th, 2018 The Phoenix Concert Theatre was overrun by fans of all ages when Nightmare air, and headliner, Gary Numan toured through Toronto.
I had never heard of Nightmare Air, and my experience with Gary Numan prior to seeing him live was limited to ‘Cars’ thanks to many movie soundtracks and commercials. I anticipated calm sets and a relaxed crowd because there was no media barricades set up in place. However, what was delivered to me over that next two hours happened to be the complete opposite.
Finding a safe spot up by the stage, I started setting up my equipment and chatted to a couple of fans who had been waiting outside the venue for a few hours to make sure they got a nice spot right up close. When these two men found out that I had never seen Gary, nor really even heard of him before, they exchanged grins and said, “Oh, you’re in for a treat! Get ready for a loud night.”
The lights dimmed as the opening band, Nightmare Air took the stage. This band from Los Angeles consisting of Swaan Miller (bass and vocals), Dave Dupuis (guitar and vocals), and Jimmy Lucido (Drums) is an alternative rock trio with a unique indie-pop sound that makes people feel playfully powerful. With a variation of tones and tempos, Nightmare Air had very eclectic range of creativity and smooth vocal work during their entire set. The first song, ‘Way We Fall’ and last song,’Icy Daggers’ performed were my personal favourites and had the crowd going as Dave jammed across the stage. Aside from fantastic stage presence, they were funny and personable too, throwing jokes and side stories in between songs. They made me smile, laugh, dance and left leaving me wanting more. Judging by the reaction from the crowd, I wasn’t alone. Nightmare Air put on a fantastic set that night!
View a teaser LIVE SNEAK PEEK video of Nightmare Air here
View more photos of Nightmare Air here
The intermission between sets was quick and painless; before I knew it the lights were dimming down, the fog machine was working overtime, and the crowd was whistling for Gary Numan to come out. “Are you ready to have your mind blown?” One of the guys I had been talking to previously turned around to ask me. I nodded happily, but, at the time, I wasn’t quite so sure. Like I previously mentioned, my experience with Gary was limited, and being more of a hard rock and metal person myself, I didn’t think the set would be that wild. Wow, was I ever wrong! Just call me Jon Snow, because I know nothing. I apologize to Gary Numan and Gary Numan’s hardcore fans for my serious ignorance these last years. I was obviously under a rock in the dark for so long, now I’ve seen the light.
It was easy to tell from the first song ‘Everything Comes Down To This’, that Gary Numan is just as impressive now as he was when he first broke through into the industry in the late seventies. Playing more recent songs for the new fans and some older hits for the long-time fans, Gary Numan checked off all the boxes for his Toronto fans, I enjoyed every single song from his setlist. He managed to take up every inch on that stage; there was dancing, jumping and intense expression. It felt more like a grand act, like some award-winning mystical Broadway performance rather than a concert. There was so much art in everything; from the dramatic stage lighting, the styling, facial expressions and body language… it was phenomenal. Gary gave us all a show that we will not be forgetting anytime soon.
View a teaser LIVE SNEAK PEEK video of Gary Numan here
View more Photos of Gary Numan here.
This concert went above and beyond my expectations. I never imagined I would have had that great of a time and never thought I would have been so mesmerized. Thank you for blowing my mind. Both Nightmare Air and Gary Numan put on fantastic, artistic performances and everyone should get out to show some love and support for future shows. Good news, they’re touring together now and will be playing many shows until the end of this year! Check out this link here to see if they are playing in your city!
Keep up to date with all things Nightmare Air on their website, facebook, instagram, spotify and youtube! See their newest released music video below.
Keep up to date with all things Gary Numan on their website, facebook, instagram, spotify and youtube! See their newest released music video below.