PLAYED AS IT WAS MADE AUTHENTICALLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY
AUSTRALIAN TOUR MAY 2011
Proudly presented by Red Ant Touring
'Gary Numan's influence on electronic music is unparalleled.' NME
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of his revolutionary album, THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE, Gary Numan will make a welcome return to Australia this May to play the album as it was made: authentically and in its entirety.
The release of THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE in 1979 was a defining moment in music history. Not only did it mark the birth of electro-pop, ushering in the new wave movement across the globe, but it also cemented Gary Numan as an innovator and pioneer in modern pop music. As Numan’s contemporary, Devo, states, “The Pleasure Principle is so original and cool and groundbreaking ... nothing sounds like that today.”
As an album, THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE abandoned tradition. Here was a rock album where guitars were largely replaced with Numans’ signature sound of synthesizers fed through guitar effects pedals; where traditional song structures were left behind altogether. The new sounds were literally music to the ears of audiences who, for years, had been flooded by the traditions of rock and disco. The first single off the album, the iconic ‘Cars’, reached #1 on the UK singles charts and reached the Top 5 here in Australia. The album itself was a commercial hit for Numan, and became his second consecutive #1 album in the UK and reached the top sellers charts around the world, including Australia where it remained in the chart for almost a year.
Creatively, not only did THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE act as a benchmark for many electro-pop artists following in Numan’s legacy including Ultravox, The Human League and Depeche Mode, but it also had a direct impact on the works of a wide and varied range of artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Basement Jaxx, Fear Factory, Afrika Bombaataa and Planet Funk. Indeed, it is largely because of THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE that Numan is regarded as "a New Romantic with a vision. And in hindsight, he was pretty darn ahead of his time." (BAM Magazine)
When considering a support act for this special occasion there was really only one option - Severed Heads - and we are pleased to announce that the band is coming out of a self-imposed retirement especially for THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE tour. Formed in Sydney in 1979, the group has been at the forefront of the electronic music scene in Australia and indeed the world ever since. Best known for their 1984 track ‘Dead Eyes Opened’, which was remixed a decade later and became a Top 10 hit, they have influenced many of today’s top electronic acts including The Presets and Cut Copy, and were one of the first Australian bands ever to be signed to an overseas label when they joined Ink in 1983. Severed Heads was also the first act to headline the now legendary Boiler Room when the stage opened at the Big Day Out in 1994. Their addition to the tour will make for a special night indeed.
