Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast

In this episode of Electric Friends, I take a deep dive into 'Bleed', one of the standout tracks from Gary Numan's 1994 album Sacrifice — the record many fans, and Gary himself, regard as the album that saved his career. We explore what 'Bleed' might really be about: anxiety, intrusive thoughts and the terror of lying awake at night with your own mind turning against you. We look at how the song f...

In this episode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I’m joined by a very special guest — Saffron , frontwoman of Republica , lifelong Gary Numan fan, collaborator, and close friend of the Numan family. We talk through Saffron’s incredible journey in music — from her early influences and theatre work, to becoming a songwriter and eventually forming Republica in the mid-90s. She shares the s...

In this episode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I explore one of the most fascinating songs connected to Gary’s early 80s world — ‘Love Needs No Disguise’. Originally released in 1981 by Dramatis — the band formed by Chris Payne, Rrussell Bell, Denis Haines and Cedric Sharpley after Gary’s temporary retirement from touring — the track featured Gary on lead vocals and became their bigge...

In this minisode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I’m back with a Gary Numan News update for February 2026 , rounding up the biggest recent stories from Numan’s world.

I talk to Let Loose drummer Lee Murray about his pop career, his lifelong love of Gary Numan, and how Numan shaped his life and music. In this episode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I do something a little different. Instead of speaking to band members or collaborators from Gary’s world, I sit down with one of his most passionate famous fans — Lee Murray from Let Loose . Lee and I tal...

If you'd like to buy Electric Friends merch including stickers, T-shirts, mugs and more, please head to https://electric-friends.printify.me/ In this episode I dive into one of the most unexpected Gary Numan surprises of recent years — the release of Like a B-Film , a previously unheard Telekon-era demo that suddenly appeared via the 45th anniversary re-issue. I explain how the track appeared almo...

In this special episode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I pay tribute to John Webb, Gary Numan's brother, bandmate and lifelong friend, who passed away in 2025 during the Telekon 45th anniversary tour. The episode reflects on John’s incredible life — from joining Tubeway Army as a teenager to performing on stage across the world, before embarking on a second remarkable career as a prof...

Announcement! If you'd like to buy Electric Friends merch including stickers, T-shirts, mugs and more, please head to https://electric-friends.printify.me/ The story behind Gary Numan’s first ever single ‘That’s Too Bad’ — from punk beginnings to sci-fi storytelling and the birth of Tubeway Army. In this episode of Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast , I take us right back to where it all began...

Catch up on the latest from the world of Gary Numan, including new TV shows, podcasts, radio specials, tour updates and more.

This episode looks back at Gary Numan's cover of 'On Broadway', made famous by The Drifters in 1963. Gary's live version in 1979 was an inspired synthpop reworking, featuring Ultravox star Billy Currie on keyboards.

In the first of a new series of bonus minisodes - here's your latest Gary Numan news update. Please get in touch at numanpodcast@gmail.com

Taking a look back at Gary Numan's triumphant Glastonbury Festival debut on Saturday.

For the 50th episode of Electric Friends, I have another special interview - with Gary Numan's eldest daughter, Raven Numan! Raven has released six excellent tracks in recent months, including 'My Reflection' and 'Just a Number', having worked with Gary's producer Ade Fenton. In this interview, Raven opens up about having a pop icon as her dad, following his footsteps into music, how music has hel...

For this special episode of Electric Friends, I speak with Gary Numan's longtime friend, collaborator and producer - Ade Fenton. Ade has worked with Gary on all his albums since 2006's Jagged, and is currently working on Gary's latest album - with the reworks of Sacrifice, Exile and Pure coming soon. In the podcast, Ade discusses: How Numan's music first inspired him to get into the industry How h...

Taking a look at Gary Numan's third single from I, Assassin - the moody 'White Boys and Heroes' featuring Pino Palladino's fretless bass and Wham-style music video.

Looking back at the fantastic bonus track from Tubeway Army's Replicas album: eight minutes of pure synthpop brilliance, later covered by Matt Sharp and Damon Albarn.

For this special episode, I asked you to rank your favourite Gary Numan albums from worst to best. Hundreds of you voted, and here I bring you the full countdown of 24 albums, including Gary's words about each LP. What will be number one? I won't give it away here, but do you agree?

For this episode, I look back at Gary Numan's Dance album opener - the haunting 9+ minute track, Slowcar to China. From its real-life inspirations and other theories to the album's sound as a whole, it's time to head back to 1981 and for one Gary's best ever LPs.

"Take that smile off your face, wipe that tear from your eye, don't say you're sorry for me". For this episode, we look back at Paul Gardiner's solo single 'Stormtrooper in Drag', co-written with Gary Numan and with Gary on lead vocals. The underrated track about drug use and loneliness showcased the lost potential of the late Paul Gardiner, and gave Numan fans a look at what was to come on the Da...

In this latest interview special of Electric Friends, I speak to a legend in Gary Numan's music history: Rrussell Bell. In case you didn’t know - Rrussell is a prolific musician, composer and comedy writer. After graduating in Physics at London University, he joined Tubeway Army in 1979 - first appearing on record on 1980’s We Are Glass. He would then spend the next 10 years recording with Gary an...

"Lee Cooper!" For this episode of Electric Friends, I look back at one of Gary Numan's first ever projects - a TV advert jingle! Gary recorded a short track called 'Don't Be a Dummy' for Lee Cooper jeans, which became very popular in 1979, just before he found fame with 'Are Friends Electric?'. This episode delves into the making of the song, why Gary didn't record a full version, the cover single...

For this interview special, it’s with a bonafide music legend: Bill Sharpe. Bill Sharpe is a classically trained pianist and jazz rock musician, who once worked alongside John Peel at the BBC and Trevor Horn in an early band. In 1980, he co-founded the band Shakatak, who scored many big hits around the world with their brand of post-disco jazz-funk. In 1985, he teamed up with Gary Numan on what wa...

"I don't suppose you ever laughed at me" For this episode of Electric Friends, I look back at Gary Numan's 1985 album The Fury, and in particular its lead single 'Your Fascination'. Including: How Gary continued his funk/industrial style from Berserker How radio continued to ignore him despite being a funky banger How he turned to co-producers and took on a new songwriting technique for the album...

"We're in the building where they make us grow, and I'm frightened by the liquid engineers, like you." For this episode, I look back at one of Gary Numan's best-known and best-loved songs, 'Metal', from 1979's The Pleasure Principle. The track was the first song on the album with lyrics, and was inspired by the writings of Philip K Dick, about a machine with a desire to be human. The perfect synth...

For the latest interview special of Electric Friends, I speak to Gary Numan's brother John Webb, aka Donovan Silver. Donovan opens up about his close bond with older brother Gary, what it was like growing up with him and the first time he joined Tubeway Army on stage as a 12-year-old. He also speaks about joining the band full-time as a teenager and their various tours, as well as working alongsid...