The I, Assassin Tour — 1982
Gary Numan’s 1982 I, Assassin Tour was a 19-date US tour supporting his fourth solo album I, Assassin (released 10 September 1982, UK No. 8), which shifted toward a funkier, more percussive electronic sound built around Pino Palladino’s distinctive fretless bass. The tour ran exclusively in the USA from 8 October at Pasadena’s Perkins Palace to 8 November at Chicago’s Park West, covering roughly 6,900 miles and smaller-to-mid-sized venues including San Francisco’s Kabuki Theatre, Denver’s Rainbow Music Hall, Houston’s Cullen Auditorium, Atlanta’s Agora, New York’s Ritz, Washington’s Ontario Theatre and Boston’s Channel.
The entirely new band featured Palladino on bass, Chris Slade on drums, John Webb and Roger Mason on keyboards, and Rob Dean on guitar and keyboards—marking a clear break from the classic “machine” lineup of 1979–80. Setlists opened with new tracks such as “This Is My House” and “I, Assassin,” then mixed album highlights including “Music for Chameleons,” “She’s Got Claws,” “White Boys and Heroes,” “War Songs” and “We Take Mystery (To Bed)” with older favourites like “Remind Me to Smile,” “Films,” “Down in the Park,” “Cars,” “This Wreckage” and “We Are Glass.”
Coming after the commercial peak of Telekon and a period of personal re-evaluation, the shows were more modestly staged than the ambitious Touring Principle or Teletour productions, yet they presented Numan’s evolving synth-funk direction to American audiences during a time when his US profile was already beginning to recede.
