The GenX singer’s recent debut at Glastonbury demonstrated his enduring brilliance. But also heralded a new wave of younger fans.

Back in 2022, Gary Numan stated that he really didn’t expect his comeback to take 41 years. Maybe four, he suggested with a laugh. Of course, Numan never quite left the spotlight – the ‘comeback’ in question only refers to his return to big stadiums. And in particular a return to Wembley – something of a symbolic and anxiety-ridden journey for Numan; coming full circle after previously announcing his farewell from live shows at the capital’s stadium in 1981.

Glastonbury at last

Fast-forward again to 2025, and Numan needn’t look back now. Fresh off the back of a stellar Glastonbury debut aged 67, he’ll be embarking on both a US and UK tour starting in the autumn.

But this – amazingly first ever – Glasto appearance wasn’t just a novelty because of how late in his life it happened. In fact, the turnout at the Park Stage to see the new-wave singer points towards a prevalence and relevance that can never fade.

Gothic icon?

At any of his new shows, you’ll find a crowd plenty full of silver hair, but balanced equally with plenty of young heads. Who, in fitting fashion, might also still have a deliberate silverish look in their hair.

Numan’s place as a goth artist has always been a touchy subject in the goth community. He came from humble, working-class roots, and his handling of fame was almost punk-like.

But his popularity amongst the masses and the unapologetic pop-appeal of tracks like Cars left him on the gothic side-lines for many years, in spite of his undeniable role in pioneering dark, electronic sounds. Even in a forum from 1999, Google users still bickered over the subject.

As a pretty avid Numan fan, I could dispute this by simply referencing the fact that he tried to sign gothic icons Depeche Mode after seeing them in 1979, as told to Amoeba in 2013. But now, to the kids of today, his status is totally undisputed anyway.

One TikTok video by silver dance creator Lunie Moon depicts her dancing expressively and enigmatically to Numan’s M.E. One young user in the comments stated: ‘I see my future and it’s bright.’

@luniemoon Post punk dystopia Sunday vibes. #garynuman #danceimprovisation #kitchendance #80smusic #dancelife #fitcheck ♬ M.E. – Gary Numan

Numanoids: the Numanites and Numanarti

The fairly recent introduction of TikTok and Instagram reels has been pivotal in younger people discovering his music. During the pandemic, the shared boredom of lockdown saw younger users form communities and shared meaning after becoming inspired by the lives, oral histories, or even just the vibe of certain older users, such as Lunie (above).

The masses of this content resulted in certain elements of goth and other subcultures becoming absorbed into an all-encompassing subculture, umbrella term, and stylised hegemony of ‘alternative’, or simply known as ‘alt’ – where it is often used as a self-describing label.

The fact that Numan has prevailed as a key alternative idol probably says enough about his relevance in goth and popular culture. Cars has been used in over 50,000 videos on TikTok, and features on 15,000 Instagram reels along with plenty more of his tracks hitting the thousands on both platforms.

Furthermore, there’s also the hugely popular samples of Numan out there, such as the use of not one – but two – samples in Basement Jaxx’ Where’s Your Head At. Such uses (honourable shoutout to the Suga Babes’ Freak Like Me) demonstrate how beloved and important his music is to all generations.

M.E’ is used in Where’s Your Head At‘s bassline and ‘This Wreckage’ for the bridge, for those interested.

On a fan level, one user calls Are Friends Electric a ‘retro banger’, whilst comments under videos of Numan posted by his daughters Raven and Persia state how much of a ‘flex’ it is to have him as a father, or call Numan an icon.

@ravennuman uh what the hellyberry #garynuman #fyp ♬ original sound – FreshOutTheCrate

 

@debussywoman Since dads song is trending rn @Gary Numan #garynuman #fypviralシ #fypシ ♬ original sound – FreshOutTheCrate

It’s clear that Numanoids are no longer just the hardcore fans that stuck with Numan throughout his live hiatus the (the -oids). They are now those who continued to be inspired by Numan, either abstractly as fans, or by creating work derivative of his gritty synth sounds (the –arti). The amount of eighties-reminiscent tracks and an ‘edgy’ wave is monumental, and truly dominates pop music at the moment.

But of course this in itself is still nothing new. Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor claimed to have listened to the track every day in the making of his band’s album Pretty Hate Machine. All roads lead back to Gary.

Even his daughters clearly find their father cool, both during and after growing up. All three have featured on stage multiple times in the past few years. Raven and Persia – his eldest and middle children – even had their own spotlight as artists during his Glastonbury show. Raven performed one of her own songs, which she co-wrote with her father, entitled Nothing’s What It Seems, while Persia contributed backing vocals to the song My Name Is Ruin.

I can tell you now, there’s not a whole host of dads out there who can wear that badge.

The new sound: he’s gone electric again

Numan’s new work brilliantly reflects both his own evolution and his absorption (or at the least recognition) of the changing world around him. His 2021 album, Intruder (which hit No.2 in the UK charts) features heavy use of guitars combined with industrial soundscapes. Whilst these sonics are distinctively him, and certainly resemble his 1980 album Telekon, it meets the ears as cinematic, eerie, and brooding. A fresh and fitting feel for the 2020s.

The future of Numan’s music will likely continue to reflect this mutual influence, where the new world and younger generations around him affect him as much as he might affect them. Speaking to BBC 6 Music, out of all his back catalogue he was most excited to play the new, unreleased song titled Nothing’s What it Seems, which he wrote with Raven.

@bbc6music Synth-pop legend @garynuman makes his Glasto debut a family affair. 💚 Listen on @bbcsounds | Watch on #bbciplayer ♬ original sound – BBC Radio 6 Music

Catch him while you can

Off the back of the US tour, and starting off with a show at the 02 Academy in Glasgow and finishing at Liverpool’s 02 this November, there’s plenty of opportunities along the way to catch Numan performing the classics with an extra chance to catch his inevitable next sound.

Find Gary Numan tour dates

For those interested, the run up to Numan’s Wembley homecoming is documented in the documentary Gary Numan: Resurrection, and you can fill in the other gaps with his 2017 autobiography ‘(R)EVOLUTION’.

Numan’s new album A Perfect Circle: Live is out now.