Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson mark 50 years of Cabaret Voltaire live in Sheffield

On 25 October 2025, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson will perform live at FORGE Warehouse in Sheffield as part of the Sensoria Festival. The event marks fifty years since the first Cabaret Voltaire performance at the Sheffield Students Union Refectory on 13 May 1975. That initial appearance ended in confrontation, with sections of the audience reacting violently. The anniversary performance intends to re-engage with the material created across the group’s early and mid-period output.

The set is being reconstructed from original technology and processes. Mallinder states that the performance remains faithful to the tracks while allowing for unpredictability, a characteristic that has long defined the group’s live actions. Watson has referred to the project as a way of acknowledging the historical role of Cabaret Voltaire in conditions that he sees as socially and politically similar to those of the band’s original context.

The setlist spans early experiments, material released on Rough Trade and Factory, and later works associated with Doublevision and collaborations with producers such as Adrian Sherwood and Marshall Jefferson.

On the night of 13 May 2025, Sensoria marked the exact date of the original performance with an event titled CV50 at Gut Level in Sheffield. Artists on the bill included aya, MYNA, and Alex.Aubyn. Related events continue with 50 Years of Sonic Shock on 16 May, featuring performances by Russell Haswell, Prangers, and Synth Club, accompanied by an exhibition running from 15 to 18 May. On 14 May, Stephen Mallinder appeared in conversation with Jamie Taylor and Travis Elborough during the launch of Taylor’s book Studio Electrophonique.

Cabaret Voltaire was formed in Sheffield in 1973 by Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson. Watson left the group in 1981. The project ceased activity in 1994, and Kirk later revived the name as a solo vehicle in 2014, continuing until his death in 2021.

Stephen Mallinder has been involved in several post-Cabaret Voltaire projects including Wrangler and Creep Show, as well as solo work. He has also been active in academia in the fields of sound and electronic music.

Chris Watson has worked extensively in the field of sound recording, with a focus on natural history and environmental sound.

Tickets for the 25 October performance at FORGE Warehouse are scheduled to go on sale at 12pm (midday) on 14 May via standard platforms.

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