I had the pleasure of seeing Gary Numan at the Observatory in Santa Ana for the first time in 2024. Now, almost two years to the day, he is back at the Observatory again for a headlining show on his North American Spring Tour 2026. Doors were at 7 p.m., and the line of cars to get into the parking lot was already backed up around three blocks with fans eager to get into the venue. Within moments of the doors opening, fans stuffed themselves into the room, ready for one of the pioneers of electronic music.

Opening the night was a Los Angeles-based alternative-shoegaze band known as Tremours, fronted by guitarist and vocalist Lauren Andino. Lauren crafted droning guitar lines filled with fuzzy tones, while her voice carried a dreamlike presence. Drummer Glenn Fryatt played his kit with melody and rhythm to add texture to the songs, even taking time to change his hi-hat to get a different tone out of the kit. With their music, Tremours was taking us to a different plane of existence. It felt as though we were being serenaded by the hookah-smoking caterpillar Absolem from Alice in Wonderland, with songs like “On the Wall,” “Affectations,” “Postcards,” “Landing in Rome,” “Dark Glasses,” “Tracers,” and ending with “Circulation Sound.” Tremours created an atmosphere at the Observatory that felt like we were in a drug-induced blissful experience, ready to take on whatever was to come next.

As we awaited our headliner, the sold-out Observatory was packed in like sardines. I have never experienced this venue as full as it was for Gary Numan, showing just how beloved he is, with people wanting to see his show at this smaller type of venue. Opening his set with “Halo,” Numan was already an unhinged madman on stage. His movements and stage personality don’t read like a human; instead, he dances like a man losing control of his body: arms flailing around the place, grabbing and manipulating the mic stand almost like it’s what tethers him to reality, and frequently in a controlled stumble around the stage. The man is in a manic mess but never misses his timing with his singing.

Gary Numan is a pioneer of the electronic sound, and his music has evolved over the decades with aspects of synth-wave, new wave, gothic rock, and post-punk. But live, Numan’s sound is much heavier and more bombastic, leaning more into industrial territory. This is helped by his band, featuring Steve Harris on guitar, Tim Slade on bass, David Brooks on keyboards, and Jimmy Lucido on drums. These four men help make Gary Numan’s sound feel so big that it overtakes the Observatory. You aren’t just watching a band perform; you are feeling every melody and rhythm course through your body.

Even being pressed in together shoulder to shoulder, fans found any little bit of wiggle room to dance and move to Gary Numan’s songs like “Metal,” “Haunted,” “Everything Comes Down to This,” “Films,” “Is This World Not Enough,” “Down in the Park,” “M.E.,” “Nothing’s What It Seems” (which featured a guest appearance by Numan’s daughter Raven on vocals), “Ghost Nation,” “Love Hurt Bleed,” “Cars,” “The Fall,” “The Chosen,” “A Prayer for the Unborn,” “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?,” “The Gift,” and ending with “My Name Is Ruin.”

This was my second time seeing Gary Numan, and now, having a better idea of what to expect, this was an even more thrilling show than the last. With Tremours opening this time, they got to put their music in front of a whole new audience. Their performance felt like an out-of-body experience with the mysticism of their sound, while Gary Numan gave a performance that exceeds most modern rock bands in today’s music scene. The man deserves to be more well known for his music in the general public, but it truly is his stage performance that can’t be beat. He is 68 years old and still moves on stage like a 20-year-old. Whether you know the music or not, you must see his performance live one day. You would regret not experiencing this master of the electronic arts.