🇺🇦 Side-Line stands with Ukraine - Show your Support

Cabaret Voltaire have shared a live version of “Yashar” ahead of “But What Time Is It Really?“, a new live album set for release via Memetune on April 24, 2026. The album will be available on CD and digitally, with the vinyl edition following on May 22. “Yashar” first appeared on “2×45” in May 1982, the last studio album to feature co-founder Chris Watson. The new live set was recorded on the 2025 UK tour, which marked 50 years since the group’s first live performance at Sheffield Students Union Refectory on May 13, 1975.

The live album documents Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson joined by Eric Random and Oliver Harrap and was engineered and mixed by Benge, recorded by Joe Peat, mastered by James Trevascus, and given artwork by Dan Conway and Paul Burgess based on Conway’s live visuals.

Chris Watson says the record “captures the powerful essence of contemporary live performance and establishes a visceral connection to the history of the band.”

Below is the full tracklist of the live album.

Cabaret Voltaire final tour dates 2026

The North American dates will feature support from I Speak Machine, with Tara Busch standing in for Watson on synths and samples, while Gazelle Twin is confirmed for the UK and Ireland dates.

North America

May 4 – Seattle, Moore Theatre
May 6 – Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom
May 8 – Portland, Roseland Theater
May 10 – Denver, Summit
May 12 – Los Angeles, The Bellwether
May 15 – San Francisco, The Warfield
September 11 – Dallas, Granada Theater
September 15 – Chicago, Metro
September 16 – Chicago, Metro
September 18 – Toronto, Phoenix Concert Theatre
September 19 – Montreal, SAT
September 21 – Boston, The Wilbur
September 25 – New York, Knockdown Center
September 26 – Philadelphia, Underground Arts

Europe

May 29 – Malmö, Plan B
May 30 – Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan
May 31 – Oslo, Søn
June 2 – Berlin, Betonhalle
June 5 – Paris, Elysée Montmartre
June 10 – Warsaw, Ephemera Festival
June 12 – Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
June 13 – Amsterdam, Paradiso
June 18 – Barcelona, Sónar
June 19 – Lausanne, Docks
June 26 – Zagreb, Tvornica Kulture

UK and Ireland

October 7 – Dublin, The Academy
October 8 – Belfast, Limelight
October 10 – Birmingham, Town Hall
October 11 – Liverpool, Arts Club
October 13 – Nottingham, The Palais
October 14 – Cardiff, The Globe
October 15 – Bath, Forum
October 17 – Newcastle, Boiler Shop
October 18 – Glasgow, Barrowland
October 19 – Manchester, Albert Hall
October 21 – Brighton, Chalk
October 22 – London, Roundhouse
October 25 – Sheffield, Octagon

About Cabaret Voltaire

Cabaret Voltaire were formed in Sheffield in late 1973 by Richard H. Kirk, Chris Watson, and Stephen Mallinder. Their early work grew out of tape experiments, homemade electronics, and Dada-influenced performance methods. The group’s first live appearance took place at Sheffield Students Union Refectory on May 13, 1975. In 1978 they signed to Rough Trade, which released early records including “Extended Play”, “Nag Nag Nag”, “Mix-Up” in 1979, “Three Mantras” and “The Voice of America” in 1980, and “Red Mecca” in 1981. “2×45” followed in 1982 and marked Watson’s final studio appearance with the band.

After Watson’s departure, Mallinder and Kirk continued as a duo. They moved through the Some Bizzare and Virgin period with “The Crackdown” in 1983, “Micro-Phonies” in 1984, and “The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord” in 1985, before later releases including “Code” in 1987. Mallinder was also involved in the launch of Doublevision in 1982, described as the UK’s first independent video label, while the band expanded into house, techno, and dance-floor work, with the Marshall Jefferson-linked “Groovy, Laidback and Nasty” in 1990. The 1990s offered “Body and Soul” in 1991, “Plasticity” in 1992, “International Language” in 1993, and “The Conversation” in 1994.

Richard H. Kirk later revived Cabaret Voltaire as a solo project, returning to the stage at Berlin Atonal in 2014 and issuing the release “Shadow Of Fear” in 2020, followed by “BN9Drone” and “Dekadrone” in 2021. Kirk died in September 2021.

Mallinder and Watson returned for the 50th-anniversary live dates in 2025 and have stated that there will be no new recordings under the Cabaret Voltaire name.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.