Two 1980s New Wave Artists Get a 21st Century Update
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
Two veteran radio-friendly artists from the 1980s new wave era have embraced the 21st century with rabid fervor. With guitars blazing, the Psychedelic Furs have moved away from soft rock. Adopting a grittier and more industrial sound, Gary Numan has moved his music into a more aggressive darkwave. The concert at the Paramount on Long Island was not a revisit to 1980s new wave, but a celebration of its evolution.
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| Gary Numan |
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| Gary Numan |
Gary Numan will be forever remembered for his 1979 hit, “Cars,” which advanced synth-pop music from the underground into the mainstream. While the British musician has been unable to sustain chart success in the United States, he has maintained a significant cult following here. Many studio albums after his hit album, The Pleasure Principle, he embarks on cross-country concert tours every few years. The current tour does not accompany an album release, though; he released his 18th and most recent solo album, Intruder, in 2021.
At the Paramount, Numan was a sight, as he writhed his slippery body around the stage as his musicians played blasts of arresting industrial-sounding rhythms. The haunting moves of his tall and bald guitarist and bassist were like bookends to his futuristic post-apocalyptic staging. The sound was inadequately mixed, however; throughout the one-hour set, the thud of his musicians’ electronic riffs buried Numan’s distinctive vocals instead of enhancing it.
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| Gary Numan |
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| Gary Numan |
The Psychedelic Furs followed on stage with brighter lights and a brighter sound. Twenty-five musicians have played in the Psychedelic Furs since the British band formed in 1977; the two constants have been vocalist Richard Butler and his brother, bassist Tim Butler. The most recent change came with the 2023 passing of saxophonist Mars Williams, who has not been replaced. This has led to the band’s live music becoming more guitar-dominated in the past two years.
More successful in their native England than in the United States, the Psychedelic Furs peaked in 1987 after “Pretty in Pink” was used as the theme song for the film of the same name. Three years after that success, the band quietly began a hiatus that lasted 10 years. The Butler brothers reformed the Psychedelic Furs in 2000, mostly for touring purposes.
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
At the Paramount, the Butler brothers were classy, mature performers. Richard Butler, dressed in a dapper suit, roamed the stage nonchalantly with magnetic rock star swagger as he sang, sometimes gently embracing the shoulders of his band mates and sometimes grasping the outstretched hands of the front line fans below. His vocals held fast to his trademark delivery, lightly coarse yet romantically tender. Tim Butler focused on his bass lines, yet periodically came forward to work the audience. Their band mates helped electrify the songs with stinging guitar leads and hard percussive rhythms. Perhaps the dominant sax on earlier tours mellowed the music, but this sax-less performance was far more rocking.
The Psychedelic Furs’ released the most recent album, Made of Rain, in 2020, so the 2025 tour is not promoting new music. The set opened with “Heaven,” and evenly interspersed familiar songs between lesser-known tracks. The audience rose for the fan favorites, including “The Ghost in You”, “Love My Way”, “Pretty in Pink” and “Heartbreak Beat.” The set concluded with an energetic “India.” "It Goes On" was written on the evening’s setlist above "India" for the encore, but was not played.
With no new music released, the repertoire of both the Psychedelic Furs and Gary Numan has changed very little in recent years. Nevertheless, older fans saw the progression of the artists’ performances. Younger fans hoping for a glimpse of the MTV age did not get the time capsule repertoires, but they saw really good bands play really good music.
The Psychedelic Furs and Gary Numan will perform again at Brooklyn Paramount on October 19.
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
The Psychedelic Furs Setlist
- Heaven
- President Gas
- Wrong Train
- The Ghost in You
- The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll
- Mr. Jones
- My Time
- No‐One
- Love My Way
- In My Head
- Run and Run
- Until She Comes
- Pretty in Pink
- Heartbreak Beat
- Encore
- India
Related Articles
The Psychedelic Furs at the Apollo (2022)
Psychedelic Furs at the Rooftop at Pier 17 (2019)
The Psychedelic Furs at the Highline Ballroom (2015)
The Psychedelic Furs at Irving Plaza (2013)
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
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| The Psychedelic Furs |
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The Manhattan Beat regularly lists the best live music events coming to the New York City area. The twice-weekly guide also celebrates via photographs some of the musicians who have performed locally in the past few days.
Everynight Charley recommends the following 40+ concerts in the New York City area this week. Consult the web site or social media of the venue for more information about a show, including location and directions, parking, ticket availability, show times, age restrictions, and COVID compliance.
For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's October calendar.
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