Gary Numan Reveals Why He Moved to America

Gary Numan spent an hour on stage in a conversation with Electronic Musician's Geary Yelton as part of Mountain Oasis, the October 2013 electronic music festival in Asheville, North Carolina. During this segment, Gary shares humorous stories about leaving England and moving to California, the difference between English and American attitudes, and why he prefers insincere pleasantness to sincere misery.

[@pangeapiercing]

to the people talking trash on Gary's reasons- the man is real, real good at spotting trends YEARS before they are mainstream. He's definitely not a stupid man.

[@meeegashie]

Gary has some great stories. I could listen to him for hours.

[@chrisrus1965]

I need my treatment it's tomorrow they send me singing "I am an American". Did you?

[@carcarjinks1430]

"i'd rather have insincere pleasantness, than sincere misery." QUOTE OF THE YEAR

[@gindrops1219]

This is hilarious!! Never knew Gary was so funny. Knew he was genuine and lovely but this is new to me! 😆

[@simonyoxall]

Great gentleman and amazing artist, very down to earth as well. Met him in person twice and he was great both times, seen him in concert several times. Met him in Disneyland CA watching the New Years Eve fireworks with his family. He asked my wife to take the family picture (we didn't bother him for an autograph or photo).

[@onlyme219]

I've watch a lot and I mean a lot of Gary's interviews and he is clearly a decent honest man

[@omnipop4936]

This was a delightful interview - everyone should check out the full video.

[@Darkwave1965]

Gary has such a great personality. So talented.

[@MidnightBanshi]

This is the FUNNIEST bit I've ever seen from Gary Numan! Love it!

[@arthurs4964]

"I rather have insincere pleasantness than sincere misery."

[@marpsr]

Talented AND funny. Love Gary.

[@LFOVCF]

He was on fire. Never seen his sense of humour before. Very witty.

[@michaelrmonk]

Well Gary is a "say it like he sees it" type of guy. There's obviously aspects of living in the US that he has yet to discover. When asked why he left the UK, he gives an honest answer (and I should know, I'm English too) he's hardly gonna say " well it was so good in England I moved to America" Some of the offended English on here should give that some thought. There are plenty that have moved back! I wish him well though...saw him in Worthing recently and he was phenomenal.. really connects well with the audience.. his daughter was onstage too.. both really amazing.

[@cynthiashumock4758]

I love Gary Numan and I love his style his music too💋❤

[@Crezelltree4261]

I wish him all the best. Many parts of LA is a dump.

[@Moved2NewPh0ne]

He is so cool 😎😊

[@sgrimm7346]

The audio is horrible...what was his reason for leaving UK?

[@Zakkarath]

Very funny... Gary has some great insight into the music business and being an artist

[@numannut8539]

Superb interview 😂😂

[@SuperCanuck777]

I think Gary to some extent has lived in some sort of bubble in England since he hit the big time in 79. money and fame allowed him to live somewhere better and quieter than joe average. He is not "one of the lads" and never will be and that is a compliment... he is a sensitive person and has always shied away from trouble., meanwhile England went steadily downhill or rather the masses did and he noticed this more and more. I am 2 years younger than gary and came to live in England from Canada when I was eight. I have seen the personal morals of the English go steadily downhill since around the 80's.some English people are still great but on the whole the country is one big toilet now. I don't believe gary has turned his back on England but hates the miserable aggressive pond lifer attitude of so many now.

[@jamisbillson4872]

Bill Shatner apart from your thinking you know GN’s inner thoughts...I couldn’t agree with you more. The more stupid we Brits are becoming the more we shout “Let’s put the Great back into Britain”. When the same people voted for Brexit don’t understand that the “Great” is because we are a union more than one nation. A Greater number. Ignorance is bliss I guess...I hate cliches.

[@SuperCanuck777]

I suppose to some extent i have some idea how he feels. i can really associate with a lot of what he says. first felt this when he explained once on telly how he came to be inspired to write his hit "Cars".

[@chrisrus1965]

It's tomorrow they send me singing "i am an American" Did you?

[@OtelliSandrina]

I'm looking for America I'm looking for you...

[@taniaearle5008]

Awww Gary & Gemma are a lovely couple 💑

[@JimHancock]

People have been leaving England and moving to America for over 500 years..... so much that we made a country together..... very few of us are interested in moving back..... LOL...

[@2000fooz]

.........Gary does very good stand up!!! Lol

[@WengStansWorld]

He leaves england to get away from thugs and bullish behavior.... And moves to LOS ANGELES?!?!? Yeah, he thought that one through....

[@lachietod3918]

Well, if he had told any lies, that would give rise to displeasure. But, he didn't. He was true and honest throughout, so you can't blame him. Los Angeles is sooooo big, us Brits cannot comprehend it's size - I've been - he has moved probably 20 miles from the LA we all think off, a good distance away. He is correct about if asking for directions, because the 'helpful youngsters' DID send me completely the wrong way (it was after that I decided to buy a sat-nav), so, if he had told lies, then slag him off - it's his observations, which kind of equal everybody else's.

[@Lichfeldian--Suttonian]

“Water is spelled with a ‘t’.” Brilliant!

[@Shyann1]

Genius dude :)

[@chrishack6825]

I live a few miles from where gary use to live in a sleepy Sussex and he is correct there are a few of the younger generation that belong to the Pond Life Society that just can't integrate with everone else.

[@fraserwilson-beatnix3293]

Funny ,, right and we never loose our roots, tea I still buy here in Italy, bacon not the same as pancetta,,, u got to do a gig bro here ,,, it is some years I ask , from when your dad run the web site ,, real gent,,, just had conversations about his caravan holidays,,,,,,,,,, ah well ,,, check my sounds if time cheers

[@TheTobiasVaughn]

I think England and California are great at trading. When you get sick of one, move to the other. I was born, raised, and educated in California, and I moved to England years ago and love it here. I can totally get though why English people piss off to California or Florida. The change is dramatic and can be good for you.

[@TaSwavo]

He lived in Sussex - go to rural West Yorkshire and people are nice too. But our weather is shit! Beautifully green but, by definition, raining too much. Not all England is full of scum kids. Probably not even the place he lived. And there are places withing 3 miles of where he lives now he would not want his kids (or maybe even himself) to walk alone at night. I've travelled the world. There are great places in every town and city. Alongside crap places. Every country. Love Gary though - he signed my free pass to a concert Manchester - about 1987-8

[@erad67]

Funny, people blasting him for avoiding taxes. Look, if he's going to California to avoid taxes, where's he's from HAS to have absurd taxes! There's no reason to have taxes that high except to pay for the mismanagement of prior tax money; giving the same fools more money is just going to result in them mismanaging even more money.

[@jmjmochi]

Hi l think he funny it's fun

[@celestialteapot3310]

Builing an Empire shows initiative? Oh dear

[@WengStansWorld]

I actually heard him say that he moved to America to escape the crime back home....but he chooses Los Angeles as a safe haven for his family. Bizarre and bullshit if you ask me.

[@sal-1337]

not so much if you consider LA has much less crime than london. in a series of interviews from the 90s gary did called 'images' (its like an audiobook sort of) he spoke about the time in the earl 80s when the police ARRESTED him for carrying a baseball bat in his car on the way home from a baseball game. even though california is literally hell for owning weapons you can at least feel sure you can carry a baseball bat or a knife. in london they actually arrest people who carry butterknives. also gary is a firearms enthusiast.

[@bonusman]

Factoid by Gary..

[@donaldmilne9202]

I think it's you talking nonsense, l tell it as it is, if someone like numan who's lived here most his life as made a considerable amount of money off us Brits suddenly turns around and tells us how great America is and how miserable us Brits are, well yeah I will defend this country, you can go to parts of Britain and people are nice and welcoming, so yeah he's talking out his backside basically,

[@SuperCanuck777]

The uk has gone dowhill since 1979. there are parts of the UK where yes the people are great. but this pond lifer attitude now of hate.Adults and packs of feral kids full of hatred and taking drugs and robbing. their mostly absent biological fathers lived the same in the 80'+90s.But the situation has gone outa control.. its like the gremlins, the new batch. each incarnation of lawless brats are worse behaved. towns ,cities and even rural villages ravished by drugs. heck when Gary 1st hit the no1 spot i knew just two people that used dope but never in front of me. bloody hell its a major job now to find anyone who DOES'NT smoke weed etc etc...all the bods who voted thatcher in the 80's and thought the gravy train would never end soon deserted the Uk if they could for better shores in the mid 90's like rats deserting A sinking ship. Who can really blame them? many here now feel trapped.the police run a skeleton show and don't even bother responding to crime often. eastern european criminals come here and cause carnage. rant over.

[@donaldmilne9202]

Yeah he does have the right to live where he wants, but he talks a lot of nonsense, the thing's he rants about happen everywhere in the world, the part where he states British people are miserable, well don't tour here then if you hate Britain so mutch, I'm sure there are Americans who can tell you similar horror stories about incidents that have happened to them America, so one as to question his motives

[@jamisbillson4872]

donald milne...so Gary Numan can’t talk nonsense but you can? You sound like a Brexit voter mate. Let’s out the Great back into Britain eh! Unaware that the Great is a maths statement...we are greater than one nation...a union! Are you racist as well?

[@joeyparkinson5980]

Not in Liverpool Gary

[@lorraine1086]

Funny how they always turn their back on their roots

[@LFOVCF]

How is it 'turning their back?' If he finds Americans more agreeable, who's fault is that? How does one turn their back on their roots? what are roots, people? places? The 'roots' you speak of, shit on him, take you for instance, begrudging him his better life. Affectively he's escaping you.

[@zanyzoo6767]

a David Bowie wannabee, in a bad wig.

[@LFOVCF]

Just did it better.

[@zanyzoo6767]

Yeah course he did , lol Ultra talented David Bowie with decade spanning career, 140 million records sales , is not as good as a copy cat, who still riding on the wave of a couple of songs from the early 80s, in a bad wig ........... Perhaps he will market a Gary Numan wig, like the Beatles did in the 60s. Here in my Hair, I feel safest of all...... rofl

[@LFOVCF]

@@zanyzoo6767 reel him in 🎣🤣

[@zanyzoo6767]

@@LFOVCF keep em coming , love to read your comments while you sitting their in a bad wig, and eye liner, kissing pictures of Gary, humming cars, or should I say hairs. lol . Its like a history lesson of the 80s. bless

[@LFOVCF]

@@zanyzoo6767 So you're saying, I complete you. Bless. I'll be your little friend for the day. Everyone should have at least one friend.

[@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER]

He's talking crap!