Even if you’ve never listened to Cabaret Voltaire, you’ve still heard them. Formed in Sheffield in 1973 by Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, the influence of ‘The Cabs’ is incalculable.  Using tape loops, home-made oscillators and synthesisers alongside clarinet, guitar, and bass they mapped out the future of electronic and experimental music, from industrial and synth-pop to techno and acid house. Their live shows were just as explosive, Dadaist-inspired acts of provocation and all-out sonic warfare. 

To celebrate 50 years since their very first concert in 1975 - which famously ended in a riot, and with Mallinder in hospital - the surviving two members will play a handful of shows that celebrate the band’s incredible legacy and pay tribute to Kirk (who passed away in 2021). Watson left the band in 1981 to pursue a storied career in field recording -  El Tren Fantasma, David Attenborough BBC documentaries, the award-winning OST for Chernobyl… - so this will be the first time he’s performed with Mallinder in over 40 years.

Armed with a setlist of tracks from the band’s early career arc - from pivotal releases on Rough Trade and Factory through to mid-career work with legendary producer Adrian Sherwood and Chicago House legend Marshall Jefferson - the pair have reconstructed them from scratch to be played live. No mere nostalgia exercise, these shows will be the last chance to experience how far ahead of their time Cabaret Voltaire still sound.