(Peavey Monitor Volume 18, Issue 2)

With luminaries including Marilyn Manson, Beck, Nine Inch Nails and the Foo Fighters paying tribute to his influence on their music, Gary Numan is attracting legions of new fans that were not even born when he enjoyed his first hits. 

He is one of the most influential yet enigmatic musicians of the last two decades. Numan's unearthly image and innovative adoption of synthesizers during the late 70's set the scene for a career embracing the twin pillars of cutting edge sounds and no-compromise rock and roll. Numan's darkly menacing synth tones and minimalist approach initially spawned a host of imitators during the early 80's, but the impressive list of contemporary musicians and producers who cheerfully admit to keeping stockpiles of Gary Numan samples is proof of his music's chameleon-like nature—a point confirmed by its ability to transpose itself onto modern dance music beats with almost casual ease.

Although the studio remains Numan's laboratory, playing live is also hugely important to him. His thunderous stage show is punctuated by a ferocious sounding backing band, hand-picked from the echelons of the UK's session elite.

Guitarist Steve Harris and drummer Richard Beasley both embody the sympathetic and supportive nature demanded by the sideman's role, tempered with a refreshing streak of individuality enabling them to impose their own unique stamp on the formidable experience which is Gary Numan live!

Steve Harris

Standing well over six feet tall and clad from head to foot in black, coaxing monolithic slabs of industrial crunch and sheets of white noise from his 5150® half-stack, Steve Harris embodies the perfect cyber-punk guitar anti-hero. Steve doesn't just play his Wolfgang® Special—he rides it! Although Gary Numan has employed several guitarists over the years, Steve Harris looks like he was born for the role and obviously relishes the challenge of adapting his natural exuberance to the demands of the Numan live show. "When I joined the band I didn't really know what to expect and just had to feel my way into the gig," Steve explains. "Gary knows exactly what he wants and he hears every detail going on around him. I very quickly learned that I had to adapt my playing to fit what he needs." 

"Gary likes a really big sound, and when I first started using the 5150, I have to admit it made a huge difference … in fact, it was almost embarrassingly loud! The way I describe it compared to other amps is that with the 5150 I feel as though I'm bathing in the sound—it's that good. It is an awesome amp, and I am very lucky to be able to use it in large venues where I can really drive it hard and bask in all that power!"

"I picked up my Wolfgang Special in Pontiac, just outside Detroit, when I was touring in America with Gary. It has a simplicity that I really like, and I was surprised at how easily I adapted to the chunky neck after playing Strats for such a long time. I have big hands, so it feels nice to play a guitar with a nice solid feel."

An accomplished guitarist who is equally adept on acoustic and complex country chicken pickin' as he is at hard rock, Steve's busy schedule includes contributing to an interesting re-arrangement of David Bowie's 'Life On Mars' for a forthcoming Bowie tribute album. "I really enjoy re-working other people's songs," confirms Steve. "In a way the hard work has already been done. I loved the idea of stripping the song down to its basic components and starting again."

Richard Beasley

Richard is one of the longest serving members of Gary Numan's live show, having hammered the tubs for the artist for almost seven years. Born in Cambridge, England and an engineer by trade, Richard played with several successful semi-professional bands before turning pro and moving to London in the early 90's.

"I had been through some fairly traumatic personal things, including a divorce, and so I just decided to make a clean break and have a go at fulfilling my lifelong aspirations to make music for a living."

Richard explains, "I also teach at Drumtech in London, which I really enjoy because it helps to keep my technique up to scratch. But the thing I enjoy the most is the satisfaction of seeing the results of my teaching. To see somebody develop from a beginner with low self-esteem into a confident player who believes in the instrument feels very rewarding and worthwhile.  Tuition is a great way of climbing over the brick walls that we all hit as musicians, I was a student at Drumtech about 12 years ago and the tuition side of things really opened up a lot for me."

Richard lists his favorite drumming influences… "John Bonham for his raw power and originality. Neil Peart too. I loved the way he would complement the lyrics with his patterns and creativity. In fact, I recently replaced some of my old vinyl Rush albums with CD's, and I still love listening to them." 

Since joining Gary, Richard has learned to adapt to playing with clicks and sequencers. "Yeah. It was pretty strange initially because I wasn't used to it, but it's worked wonders for my timekeeping! Eventually I reached a stage where it becomes second nature and I don't really focus on it so much. There's still plenty of material we do absolutely live, which is very raw and guitar-orientated. Gary's sound has evolved now to the point where it's very moody, dark and industrial."

Richard's RadialPro® 1000 kit constantly attracts comments from fellow drummers and pupils alike. "When I first started using the kit, I was amazed at the reaction it caused!" Richard smiles. "I think the look of them really grabs people's attention at first, then they hear them and are usually pretty impressed by the quality of the tone as well.

"They are very warm, very deep and just a pleasure to play. They're great kits."