Cabaret Voltaire / XOYO / Birmingham
“The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord” released in late 1985 by Cabaret Voltaire was a significant milestone in my personal musica journey. So different from mainstream synth music, it introduced me to the harsh industrial beats of a whole new subversive world of experimental sound.
A trip across the midlands and to Birmingham’s XOYO was in order to catch them live, for the first time in the best part of 35 years !
First up is support is a set from Vanishing. A project from Gareth Smith. A native of Hull, who has previously worked with the likes of Lonelady and Gnod. Vanishing is an intriguing project, part chamber music, part spoken word, a fusion of electronics, ambient, and noise. There’s an air of minimalist artists such as Philip Glass in the music.
The words are delivered in a spoken word poetic form, the words honest and vulnerable, from life in Hull, personal experiences and family history. Each piece has a beautiful eerie emotional resonance. For example in Surgical the deliveyr method seems to isolate the words from the voice itself, so that the words themselves, not the delivery
Transmit a sense of intensity.
Perhaps not for everyone, I found Vanishing a thoroughly engaging experience, and set the scene for Cabaret Voltaire perfectly.
Setlist
I Dream of Circles
Surgical
Castling
Inertia, Inertia!
Maxim
Cabaret Voltaire were formed in Sheffield in 1973 Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson. Named after the Zürich nightclub that fostered the early Dada movement, the band were among the most innovative and influential electronic acts of their era.
The early work was experimental using electronics and tape recorders, along with performance art. As technology developed and after the punk era, they were early pioneers of industrial music building in elements of house, techno and synth pop.
The band broke up in 1994, and was reformed as a solo project in 2009 by Richard H Kirk, until his untimely death in 2021 at the tender age of just 65.
Cabaret Voltaire, are one of the most influential bands from the late 70’s and early 80’s with the likes of Bernard Sumner (New Order) Trent Reznor and Martin Gore (DM) all citing them as a major influence.
They released their debut album “Mix-Up” in 1979 and by the time they split in 1994 they had released 14 albums. In the 2000’s under Richard H. Kirk, they released three more, “Shadow of Fear” in 2020, “Dekadrone” and “BN9DroneI in 2021.
Now reformed by founding members Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson they’re touring in part as a tribute to their friend Richard H Kirk. XOYO is packed tonight, and there’s a real electric buzz in the air.
When I first played “The Covenant, The Sword and the Arm of the Lord” back in 1986, it felt magical, and different…… almost like the future, what music would be like in years to come. Along with the sonic soundscapes, the performance is accompanied by images projected onto the screen at the back and onto the walls, the digital graphic designs complimenting the industrial nature of the music perfectly. Cabaret Voltaire is not just a sonic, but a visual experiences too, enveloping your senses.
Before they start, the band dedicate the show to Richard in a touching moment, warmly applauded by the capacity crowd. Modern synths and laptops have added to the experience, giving even more depth to the tracks, and they are packed with layered sequenced synths, pounding techno and dance beats and distorted vocals. There is a dark dystopian feel to the experience.
The sound at XOYO is excellent, and gives the complex electronic patterns the clarity and definition they deserve and need. Highlight for me was Spies in the Wires from 1984’s “Micro-Phonies”.
The set flies by and before you can blink, we’re in to Sensoria, taken from “Micro Phonies”.
An incredible performance, which reminded those present just how influential Cabaret Voltaire were to many other bands since. And to the young lad that thought he was listening to the future when he first heard that album in 1986 ? It still does !
Setlist
24/24
Animation
Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself)
Tinsley Viaduct (Chris Watson song)
The Set Up
Landslide
Excerpt from Howl
Crackdown
Spies in the Wires
Just Fascination
Taxi Music
Yashar
Sex Money Freaks
Easy Life
Do Right
Encore:
Nag Nag Nag
Sensoria
Cabaret Voltaire have now announced a final farewell tour, planned for October 2026. This is one not to miss, and tickets for all dates are available now HERE.
