Watch exclusive footage of Cabaret Voltaire preparing for their forthcoming performances in October and November
“The reason why is the big question,” Stephen Mallinder tells Abi Bliss in The Wire 499, as he reflects on Cabaret Voltaire’s forthcoming return to the stage. “I’m not entirely sure why, and maybe that’s a good thing. But I decided I wanted to do some shows, because after Richard [Kirk] dying, that didn’t seem the right place to leave it. It was an opportunity to reassess what we’ve done and recontextualise it. And my first thought was to invite Chris [Watson] to be involved.”
“There’s no more new Cabaret Voltaire,” adds Watson. “But it’s a celebration of what we were, with regards and respect to Richard and his vast contribution to what we did. And there’s a thirst for it, and it’s the 50th anniversary. God, 50 years. That’s longer than I’ve been married, it’s just incredible.”
“I was really surprised when Sensoria sold out within the hour,” Mallinder admits, “but it felt like it was a validation because we weren't forcing this on people. The love shown has been quite overwhelming.”
With subsequently announced UK live dates also all selling out rapidly, the anniversary concerts fit into a two year programme of events and reissues that prompt an assessment of Cabaret Voltaire’s musical and cultural impact. Although, as Mallinder acknowledges, “the entire collateral of the band is in the past”, the intention is to incite not nostalgia, but contemporary resonance. “What we said seems very relevant. The context may have changed, but the underlying fabric of it is still there.”
This is an extract from Cabaret Voltaire’s interview with Abi Bliss in The Wire 499. To read the full feature, pick up a copy of the issue in the online shop. Subscribers can also read it online in the digital library. Cabaret Voltaire tour the UK between 25 October-22 November, with an extra date added at London's Roundhouse on 22 October 2026
