The synthpop innovator turned industrial goth rocker tells Mark Tjhung about how his past fits into his future

With his 1979 hits Are Friends Electric and Cars, the London-born Numan arguably launched synthpop to its now ubiquitous musical status. On the end of a faint and crackling phone line, we find the influential Godfather of Electronica at an ungodly hour, probably without his trademark eyeliner, to chat about gambling, babes and his 30-year career.

Hey Gary, where you at?
I’m not even sure of the name of the place we’re in. It’s like an oasis in the middle of nowhere. It’s somewhere in Turkey anyway.

Nice. Touring or on holiday?
Holiday. I’ve got the family here, my wife and my children. It’s a quick holiday before a lot of the touring kicks in.

Beautiful. So, lying on the beach?
Later on we will be. It’s quite early, so the place is just beginning to wake up. We normally get up fairly early.

I wouldn’t have picked you as a morning person.
I used to be, when I was younger. I was one of those people, like turning a switch, ready for it. But as I got older and my children came along, the hours are so not what you’d want. But I still think of myself as a good morning person.

So, you’ve got these tours lined up. How do you take the touring side nowadays? You’re getting on a little bit!
[Laughs] I am getting on a bit. For the first two or three years that I did it, I wasn’t that keen. I was quite frightened I suppose. But once those first few years were over, I really loved it. And as I’ve got older, I’ve got more confidence. I love it. The only problem now, having kids, it’s difficult to be away from them for long periods. I’m hoping that, as time goes by, they’ll get a bit older, and I can bring them. It sounds crazy – so not rock’n’roll.

Yeah, teach them young about the way on the road.
I think they would love it. I really don’t think it could damage them in any way. I think the separation is what makes it hard.

At least you’re getting to see lots of new places, like Macau. Have you ever been out to China before?
No, I never have. Anywhere you go that you’ve not been before is always exciting. But somewhere like Macau has that extra exotic part to it.

Do you gamble?
Gamble? No.

Because Macau is the Vegas of the East.
Is it? I didn’t know that [Laughs]. I better give it a try then.

Really? You’re just going to give it a go?
Yeah, probably. While I’m there. What’s your game? Blackjack, poker? I’ll have to learn how to do it first.

Everyone can play Blackjack!
Nope, not me.

Ok, so back to the tour. I heard the tour of the States is going to be a Pleasure Principle tour.
Yeah – the album did very well there when it first came out. And now we’re having the 30th anniversary of it. Personally, I’m not massively keen on doing this retro sort of thing.

How does it feel that it’s 30 years?
It kinda makes you feel a bit old [Laughs]. On the other hand, it feels like we did it yesterday. I’m so interested in what I’m doing tomorrow rather than what I did yesterday. I guess I’m proud a bit. When I wrote it, I never had any idea that 30 years later I’d still be playing it.

Do you see any connection between your old stuff and your new stuff?
Not Pleasure Principle so much. The second album [Replicas], and that was much more guitar-based, drums, conventional musically lineup with synthesizers, an attempt to merge them together. And that’s what I’m doing again now – a much heavier, hardened direction. Pleasure Principle was much more purely electronic. When I made Pleasure Principle, I think I was trying to prove that if it had synthesizers and drums without guitars all over it, it would still sound very powerful and conventional. I think the album was a reaction to a lot of the press.

You got a lot of bad press at the start. Do you feel vindicated by how everything has come around with synthpop?
To be honest, to say ‘vindicated’ implies some kind of chip on my shoulder. All I know is that the album got absolutely totalled when it came out and for people to be speaking about it now as influential and talk about it very fondly, that’s a lovely thing. When it came out, the people that said they didn’t like it were just being honest. I’m not sitting here going ‘nah nah nah nah’. When you’re part of something that is quite radical for its time, there are going to be people that aren’t going to get it.

So, the Sugababes song Freak Like Me. Was that just a way to get down with one of the hottest pop acts at the time?
[Laughs] The first I knew of it was this phone call from someone about using the song for the Sugababes. I thought, “Ok”. I didn’t hear much until the album came out. And then they sent it to me. And I actually really liked it.

Did you really or do you just have to say that?
No, really! I was surprised, because a lot of these bands absolutely can’t sing very well at all. Just dreadful. But the Sugababes genuinely can sing. And I really like it.

Maybe you guys should do another collaboration?
[Laughs]. I wouldn’t say no. I really wouldn’t.

Gary Numan plays MIMA Rockit at the Venetian Macao on Saturday 7. Tickets: www.hkticketing.com; 3128 8288