50 Years Of Sonic Shock - A Celebration of Cabaret Voltaire

In May 1975 Cabaret Voltaire played their first ever gig in Sheffield Students Union Refectory.

Despite sustaining injuries from the unimpressed audience throwing projectiles at them, the band would go on to become one of Sheffield’s most celebrated and influential bands of the 20th century. This fan-led event will celebrate the history of this deeply cerebral band and their impact on the history of experimental and electronic music.

The Drama Studio will host a free exhibition and an evening of performances.

In true Cabaret Voltaire fashion, expect shock, experimentation and sonic terror.

MAIN EVENT – 16th May – 7pm Doors

Please note this event is a mix of standing and seated, with 77 seats available in the balcony area for those who wish to sit down.

A wheelchair accessible viewing area will be available on the ground floor for those who require it.

Featuring:

Russell Haswell (Live)

Russell Haswell is a restlessly forward-thinking, multi-disciplinary artist, performer and curator. With a background steeped in computer music, black metal, noise, techno and solo improvisation, his practice is renowned for broaching the extremities of visual and sonic arts. He’s performed in noted live and HDJ [hard disc jockey] actions with Aphex Twin, Gescom, Pan Sonic and Masami Akita (Merzbow), among others, and worked with Florian Hecker on Iannis Xenakis’ UPIC system in their Haswell & Hecker duo, whose Blackest Ever Black LP is widely considered a milestone of modern electronic music composition. (Cafe OTO)

https://russellhaswell.bandcamp.com/

2 Very Special Guests in Conversation with Daniel Dylan Wray.

Prangers (Live)

Rochdale-based assembled field recordings, spoken word and found percussion create an industrial dubby mashup with a dark, heavy tone. Live performances involve audio and visual aspects contributing to an atmospheric spectacle. 

Prangers released a tape on Tesla Tapes which the Quietus described as a “hauntology-laced dispatch of prime strangeness” and part of what they refer to as “New Weird Britain”.

https://prangers.bandcamp.com/

Synth Club (Live)

A new trio – improvised modular synthesis and electronic music from three incredible musicians who have been operating in Sheffield’s experimental electronic scene since the time of Cabaret Voltaire – Bob Baker (Clock DVA), Ron Wright (Hula), Nort (Hula), Ruth Joy (Krush).

Do It Thissen Records (DJ)

Legendary Sheffield DIY and Lathe Cut record label – Jon Downing is a dedicated archivist and driver of local DIY music. Alongside other collectors he will be contributing to the exhibition that will run alongside this event. Jon was a co-organiser of the ‘No Lectures from Western Works’ event in 2014 that resurrected the Cabs’ studio for one night only alongside our own Music Programme Producer, Nick Potter, who was working as a student intern at the time!

Incredibly, that fateful event happened 11 years ago to the exact day of this new celebration.

For this gig Jon will be playing a range of Cabaret Voltaire and Western Works related music in a vinyl only set.

https://doitthissenrecords.bandcamp.com/

Tickets are limited and are selling fast.

Link to buy here -

Gigantic Tickets

EXHIBITION – 15 – 18th May – Theatre Workshop, Shearwood Road

10-1pm & 2-5pm Daily – Free Entry

This 4 day special exhibition will present an extensive collection of items celebrating the history of Cabaret Voltaire – posters, tickets and other memorabilia, and twice daily screenings of the very hard to find film noir short Johnny YesNo (22 minutes – screening at Midday and 3pm daily).

Please reserve tickets online for the exhibition – they are free.

Gigantic Tickets