Gary Numan’s Warriors Tour of 1983 was a 40-date UK run supporting his fifth solo album Warriors (released 16 September 1983), his final studio release on Beggars Banquet and a more experimental, jazz-funk-tinged record co-produced with Bill Nelson. The tour, Numan’s first UK live dates since the 1981 Wembley “farewell” shows, ran from 20 September at Glasgow Apollo to 7 November at Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, covering roughly 3,700 miles across Scotland, England and Wales with multiple nights at venues including Manchester Apollo, Birmingham Odeon and four nights at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.
The band featured returning members Rrussell Bell (guitar), Cedric Sharpley (drums) and Chris Payne (keyboards), joined by John Webb (keyboards and saxophone) and Joe Hubbard (bass). Support came from the robotic mime and music duo Tik and Tok, who also joined Numan on stage for “The Iceman Comes” and appeared as ninjas during “This Prison Moon.”
Reflecting Numan’s shift towards a tougher, Mad Max-inspired image, the production marked a distinctive new chapter in his live performances. The shows were documented in a Smash Hits feature titled “The Mad Max Factor.” No official live album was released, although the BBC recorded a Hammersmith performance.
