For some, the punchline is already written – Gary Numan, despite his talent for creating chart-topping 80s hits like ‘Are Friends Electric?’ and ‘Cars’, is the object of ridicule for some music fans.
For others, the Tubeway Army frontman was and is an iconic figure, and these megafans will (in the real world) go to great lengths to emulate their hero. And this (we assume) fictional work speculates what would happen when two Numan tribute acts came up against each other in the ultimate Battle of the Bands. As you might imagine, chaos ensues as aliens and conspiracies infiltrate the plot which leads to a gripping finale.
Laugh-out-loud funny in many places, the not-so-ridiculous premise offers us a glimpse into the world of tribute acts – and no, you don’t need to be a fan of synthpop to enjoy an at-times poignant but mostly hysterically madcap romp which might just create a few new Numanoids.
This article originally appeared in the Arbroath Herald.