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When Gary Numan emerged from the post-punk underground in the late 1970s with Tubeway Army, he changed the course of modern music. Blending cold electronics with themes of isolation and technology, he created a new kind of sci-fi pop star - futuristic, detached and compelling. Within just a few years, he had become one of Britain’s most recognisable musical figures, achieving chart-topping albums and ushering in the era of synthpop that would define the decade to come.
By 1979, Numan had gone solo and released The Pleasure Principle, an album that defined the sound of a generation. Built entirely around synthesisers and rhythm machines, it abandoned guitars in favour of pure electronic textures. Its lead single, ‘Cars’, became an international hit, with its precise production and minimalist hooks capturing the public imagination. The album’s fusion of technology and emotion made it both a commercial success and a landmark in electronic music.
To promote the album, Numan launched ‘The Touring Principle’, one of the most ambitious live shows of its time. The stage was filled with synthesisers, dramatic lighting and twin pyramids that moved across the vast stage by radio control - part concert, part science-fiction spectacle. The setlist spanned his work from Tubeway Army through to The Pleasure Principle, along with early performances of tracks from the forthcoming Telekon album, which would arrive later that year in September 1980.
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