CABARET VOLTAIRE REDUX
STEPHEN MALLINDER & CHRIS WATSON
MARK 50 YEARS OF CABARET VOLTAIRE LIVE WITH AN EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE AT FORGE WAREHOUSE, SHEFFIELD FOR SENSORIA FESTIVAL
25 OCTOBER 2025
Stephen ‘Mal’ Mallinder and Chris Watson will mark 50 years of Cabaret Voltaire live with an event at FORGE Warehouse in Sheffield for Sensoria Festival on 25 October 2025.
The announcement today marks 50 years since Cabaret Voltaire first performed at the Sheffield Students Union Refectory on 13 May 1975. The performance, which was greeted with violence by some factions in the audience, is the catalyst for the event in October to celebrate Cabaret Voltaire, one of Britain’s most influential and pioneering electronic bands.
In the current climate of social turmoil and political manipulation the work of Cabaret Voltaire continues to be prescient and necessary. The sounds, words, images and films of the band resonate loudly, continuing to challenge the status quo.
The intention for the performance in Sheffield is to curate this essential work and to acknowledge the timeless energy and to mark the continuing significance and power of what Cabaret Voltaire achieved. Original members Chris Watson and Stephen Mallinder are committed to stay true to the enduring vision of Cabaret Voltaire. The performance will cover the arc of their formidable output - from early experiments, and the first Rough Trade / Factory releases, through the band's Doublevision video label and into the work with renowned producers such as Adrian Sherwood and Marshall Jefferson.
Stephen Mallinder explains, “The live set is built from scratch but faithful to the original tracks. Everything has been painstakingly reconstructed with the original technology and processes to build the tracks. But as with all Cabs live shows there is an element of unpredictable, the new. Chance meets causality.”
Chris Watson goes on to say, “I’m delighted and totally thrilled to make a contribution to the band’s 50th anniversary. To share a stage once more with Mal and to honour Cabaret Voltaire's legacy will be a unique privilege, whilst remembering that in the current times – as back then - the Dadaist interventions of Cabaret Voltaire remain essential.”
Tonight, 13 May, Sensoria Festival will mark the anniversary of their first performance with CV50, a special event at Gut Level in Sheffield featuring performances by aya, alongside emerging Sheffield artists, MYNA and Alex.Aubyn.
Events marking the momentous anniversary continue on with 50 Years of Sonic Shock – A Celebration of Cabaret Voltaire, who present a show on 16 May with Russell Haswell, Prangers and Synth Club live, plus special talks on the night, and an exhibition running from 15-18 May. Stephen Mallinder will be in conversation with Jamie Taylor and Travis Elborough on 14 May, at the launch of Taylor’s book, Studio Electrophonique.
CABARET VOLTAIRE
25 October – FORGE Warehouse, Sheffield (Sensoria Festival)
Tickets onsale from 12pm midday on Weds 14 May from See Tickets and RA
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