Strobelights flashed to herald his entrance as red spotlights scanned the crowd, checking for humanoid presence. He took to the stage with a signature attitude, posing and pouting his way to the microphone.

Gary Numan had landed. The man who merged minimalist melodies with pure rock energy to become a huge influence on electronic music was back - in the year he turns 50, no less.

The show saw him reprising the 1979 classic Replicas, as a tribute to his loyal fans, and the set was delivered with thrilling energy.

If anyone wanted to know how to perform a tribute to themselves, this was how to do it. Numan's stage presence was utterly convincing and his voice as unique as it was 30 years ago.

Down In The Park and Are Friends' Electric? were greeted with adoration but the biggest reaction was reserved for Cars, played as an add-on crowd-pleaser.

Thirty years on and Numan's influence on the progression of popular music is pretty clear. His themes of alienation and dystopia and his vision of a machine-driven world might even be more relevant today. So what if he now delivers them with a cheeky grin on his face? He has earned the right.