What has been presented to the public as ‘Cabaret Voltaire’ has taken many forms, in a span of more than 50 years. The one greeted with glee by a largely middle-aged crowd in Cardiff’s Globe is the latest, and also – the two featured founder members insist – the last.
The first, formed in mid-1970s Sheffield, was a trio of Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson; the latter quit in 1981 and the remaining duo stayed intact until the 90s, evolving from abrasive industrial music to electronic dance. Much later, Kirk would revive the Cabaret Voltaire name to perform solo while also refusing to countenance ‘playing the hits’, and on account of his death five years ago is unable to comment on Mallinder and Watson having reconvened over the past 12 months to do precisely that. The lineup we get here is a four-piece, completed by synth players Benge and Eric Random.
Evidently, the purpose of this tour is for Cabaret Voltaire fans to see their faves crank out faithful versions of their best regarded songs through a loud PA, as opposed to challenging artistic sensibilities like their youthful incarnation attempted (and which 2010s-era Kirk seemed to aspire to). That purpose is fulfilled in style over some 70 minutes, with a set drawing from the group’s widely influential 1979-85 period. If 24-24 isn’t necessarily a career-defining song by the Cabs – as they’re colloquially known – it’s a savvy one to open with, in that it pinpoints their transition from dinmakers to groovers, makes use of samples and loops, and betrays a growing affinity with Black American dance culture, which they would themselves influence a few years after its 1983 release.
Watson, whose post-Cabaret Voltaire music career has specialised in field recordings and sounded quite unlike these songs, is an unshowy but pivotal presence on various modular and analogue synths. Mallinder, in a slightly ‘Britpop’-looking tan anorak, alternates between keyboards, bass and lead vocals, crisply slotted into a live mix which gives Benge’s electronic drums helpful heft and is paired with Dan Conway’s projected visuals.
A three-song encore peaks at the start with Nag Nag Nag, an early single and probably their best known song. Mallinder spits its lyrics out like the punk anthem it basically is beneath its instrumentation, before later pair I Want You and Sensoria showcase how innovatively this band triangulated postpunk, synthpop and electro in decades past.
Cabaret Voltaire, The Globe, Cardiff, Wed 14 Oct
words and photos NOEL GARDNER
