Cabaret Voltaire | I Am Fya

Gorilla, Manchester
18th November 2025

The groundbreaking electronic soundscapes of Cabaret Voltaire always sounded like the future, and now that the future has finally arrived, they reformed for their final tour that was more than a lap of honour. Their dystopian mind bending dark magus that you can dance to still leaves venues spellbound.

Christmas came early for this fan with the Cabs playing Manc. This was the hot ticket and we were more than ready and we would not be disappointed. Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson sadly missing the third original member Richard H Kirk are joined on stage by new personnel and South Manchester sound shaman Eric Random (who spookily never ages), adding his tuneful spirituality to the sonic tsunami.

From the first distorted vocal we were in, monstrous beats sequenced synths and vocoders from the gods. We were blessed, I could barely breathe and this time around the Sheffield born noiseware megadozer of the Cabs come with the intricacies of a Swiss watch.

Four tunes in and they shifted to a more retro vibe , allowing the mainly older crowd to reoxygenate but not for long, though as the energy was persistent and they finished up by encoring the hits before the last tram.

Throughout the night the sound was superb and the visuals were captivating creating everything you would expect from a national treasure. These experimentalist avant garde multi media gold medalists are fifty years in the making and have evolved to unbelievable heights (and the new tech helps to further their sonic adventures). They were so much more than we could have imagined and it was a privilege to witness.

You have to be pretty special to open for Cabaret Voltaire and local Mancunian multimedia solo artist I Am Fya was more than up to the task. She hit the boards all in white with magnificent headwear, and we were captivated from the get-go. Her music concrete with big beats and live vocals with strong messages behind the music, called out wrongs and confirmed why this act was on the bill. Utilising family video sound clips, edited and sequenced in compelling ways with a crystal clear sound, combining with the vivid visuals that were absolutely top quality, made for a personal connection that was inescapable.
This well-rounded show was a credit to I Am Fya and was entertaining and informative and the crowd appreciated her sincerity and the joy to the performance that made for a brilliant support set that fitted perfectly in the ethos of the evening.

The night underlined that music can still move forward from all generations and the sense of adventure from both acts was fully apparent and reminded me of Richard Boon’s legendary late seventies Manchester based  “Beach Club” or Plan K in Belgium where the impossible was not a closed door but an invitation to a future now.