Concert Review: Psychedelic Furs, Gary Numan in Riverside, Calif.

A pair of influential music acts who emerged from London’s post-punk scene in 1977 and became synonymous with the new wave movement teamed up for a single show in Riverside, Calif.

Psychedelic Furs and Gary Numan drew a large crowd to the Fox Performing Arts Center. Singers Richard Butler and Numan let the music do all the talking during their respective sets on Wednesday night.

Originally scheduled to tour SoCal last spring, the Psych Furs had to postpone shows after co-founding bassist Tim Butler underwent triple bypass heart surgery. It was great to see him back onstage, still the epitome of cool in those trademark dark shades, often moving to both sides of the stage like his brother.

2026 is the 40th anniversary for one of The Furs’ signature tunes – “Pretty in Pink” (though it actually made a bigger impact at college/modern rock radio than pop stations). The classic film soundtrack was reissued in limited edition color variants to mark the occasion.

Before The Fox concert began, I overheard a male Furs fan describe how his custom made t-shirt sported a replica photo of a concert ticket from when he saw the band at Riverside’s Raincross Square, just a short distance away, in 1984. Toward the front of the stage, an older gentleman sporting a sparkly red lame jacket could be seen dancing to the pre-show music.

Launching the solid 75-minute set with “Love My Way” (a song that holds special resonance for the LGBTQ+ community), Psych Furs immediately had fans standing and swaying to the luxurious sound led by keyboardist Amanda Kramer.

There was a noticeably stronger sonic dynamic in play during rocking Eighties tunes like the driving “Mr. Jones” and wiry “President Gas” (with political-tinged lyrics that still hold true decades later). Much of that elevation could be attributed to drummer Frank Ferrer, recently back in the Furs fold for the first time since the 2000s, having done a long stint with Guns ‘N Roses. 

Also, Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros) joined the always sturdy Rich Good on guitar last year. The former did some impressive E-bow work on the ebullient “Heartbreak Beat” and frenetic first encore “India.”

Highlights included the simmering “House” (a #1 alt-rock radio hit in 1990), an entrancing “The Ghost in You,” and hypnotic “All of This and Nothing” (where Richard Butler played some cowbell). As for “Pretty in Pink?” Since the passing of longtime saxophonist Mars Williams in 2023, the band basically leans more toward the moodier original arrangement from 1981’s Talk Talk Talk.

Gary Numan’s opening hour-long set was mesmerizing. Shrouded in dim, shadowy lighting, the darkwave music legend cast an ominous vibe straight away with “Halo” and the slinky, Middle Eastern-influenced “The Gift.” 

Clad in black, with arms wrapped in straps, Numan and his three-piece band mostly stuck to material from the past 15 years not necessarily known to casual fans. Still, Numan threw them a bone in the form of best known 1980 hit “Cars” and the herky jerky “Metal” off #1 UK album The Pleasure Principle. Numan frequently twisted his body in various positions and gestured dramatically during the performance, totally immersed in the music.

Psychedelic Furs and Gary Numan will appear at Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach on Saturday.