Publications > Scream City > Scream City Issue #4 > FAC-2 Cabaret Voltaire by Michael Eastwood

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Cabaret Voltaire
by Michael Eastwood
Post-punk 'noise terrorists' Cabaret Voltaire - the Sheffield trio of Steven 'Mal' Mallinder, Richard Kirk and Chris Watson - made regular appearances at the early Russell Club Factory nights, so their inclusion on the first Factory vinyl release was obvious, and gained them the distinction of being the only band to feature on FACs 1, 2 and 3.
Lips Of Sulphur - side four of FAC-2 - represents only their second commercial release and comprises the abstract cut-up piece Baader-Meinhoff and the sweeping brute chug of Sex In Secret.
CV taught us that spoken text was a perfectly viable alternative to melodic vocals; that sounds could be found as well as created; that eq did not have to remain flat and unmoving; that studio effects could become instruments in their own right and that acoustic and electronic instruments did not necessarily have to be used in the way nature intended.
Although never a Factory band - their next five years of seminal output achieved via Rough Trade and Some Bizarre - CV collaborated with the Factory video wing IKON, were (arguably) the first act to play live at The Haçienda, and later released the pre-house club anthem Yashar first on Benelux and, later, Factory proper.
CV developed in parallel to Factory via their enlisting of the graphic artist Neville Brody for their design brief and explored the new video medium with their own video wing: 'Doublevision'.
Richard Kirk still operates their 'Western Works' studio. Chris Watson left CV in 1981 "to pursue a career in television sound recording", whilst Stephen Mallinder - interviewed here via an exchange of emails - is now a university Art Project Manager.
1. How did the relationship with Wilson and/or Factory come about?
Through mutual contacts as I recall. Jon Savage had been very important in championing us and he had put Geoff Travis is on to us which resulted in Extended Play coming out on Rough Trade, we had also been in touch with Richard Boon just after Spiral Scratch and ended up doing a big Lyceum Buzzcocks gig with the Slits and John Cooper Clarke.
We were just pushing our heads up and all these people helped. Tony got in touch and put us on the first Factory gigs – I think we played the third week with Durutti. So we'd been on FAC 1 and I guess it made sense to be on the first record
2. How were you approached to be included on FAC-2?
A natural evolution from the gigs and really being a rather unconventional set up it fitted in with Tony and Alan's ethos. There was no pressure they just asked us to give them a couple of tracks.
3. Did you submit pre-recorded work or create something 'original'?
Both, we had already done Baader Meinhoff and wanted to get it out but it didn't really fit on Extended Play so it was a good opportunity but Sex in Secret was done specifically for FAC2
4. Were Baader Meinhoff and Sex In Secret specifically chosen for FAC-2, if so why?
I think both tracks, and specifically the titles, which were intended to provoke a response, seemed to fit with Factory and especially Tony's sensibilities, I think he wore his situationist heart on his sleeve.
5. What was 'Western Works' at that time?
Appropriately Western Works was not only an old industrial building, made up of a warren of workshops, but also our part of the building was the old headquarters of the Young Socialists and a hang out for the Socialist Workers Party.
If you look at photos of us at that time you can usually see their old posters on the wall. Strangely enough it was attached to the house in which Mr. Plimsoll was born – the guy who invented the Plimsoll line that all boats have marked on them to avoid overloading and sinking.
I always thought that was bizarre, and we were down the road from the Henderson's Relish Factory – Jarvis Cocker's mum worked there.
6. Were you given a budget?
I don't think so, but I apologise to all concerned if Tony bunged us a few quid to cover the cost of the tape.
7. The accompanying sticker photomontage is credited in the latest Saville book as "Collage by members of Cabaret Voltaire". Who, what, why?
I'm not sure myself. I'll have to look at the book. It could have been Richard's handy work but at that time we took it in turns to do the sleeves so it could have been any of us.
8. Your 'side' is entitled Lips Of Sulphur. Why?
I've got the feeling it might have been a line from Sex in Secret, but as all the sides have a tag line it might be a Wilsonism.
9. Were you sent test pressings (a "pre-release" double 7" version in white paper sleeve and a small- scale mock-up of the final Peter Saville artwork)?
Yes we were and they had little stickers – it was very much a sticker culture at that time – a pioneering form of viral marketing that required a lot of time in pub toilets. My copy went missing, but fortunately someone gave me another copy as a present.
10. What did you think of the finished product - both aural and physical (i.e. packaging)?
Wonderful – both at the time and today, even if all the music wasn't to my taste I respected its diversity. It said a lot about Factory and everyone involved, I think it allowed them to move forward and concentrate on their artists but at the time it was a statement of intent.
11. Were Cabaret Voltaire subsequently offered a 'deal' with Factory?
Well we were desperate to do an album and get loads of stuff out. At that time we'd had releases on both Rough Trade and Factory, but we needed to get a four track to do everything.
I think Geoff was able to help out, if Tony had been able to at the time it may have been different and we may have done the album for Factory. Who knows.
12. Did you know - professionally and/or socially - any of the other (FAC2) bands at all at the time? Have you met any of them in the years since?
Both Richard and myself had been going out in Manchester for a few years so we knew a few people but of the other FAC people we had just begun to get friendly with the Joy Division guys.
But we did start to play quite a lot of gigs with them; in the beginning we a night there. There were quite a few things going on – Final Solution, Erics etc. so we seemed to playing a bit anyway. The idea of a "launch" was a bit alien for the time and for us.
14. What did you think of the design of FAC-2 in relation to what was available at the time, and did it have any influence on your own future design?
I think everyone thought it was an important part of music – to present yourself properly, not leave it to chance.
We weren't really into the glossy look and we had all been doing bits of mail art, Xerox culture etc. So although we didn't feel any inclination to have a similar, Savillesque look I think it started to raise the standard.
That's why working with Neville (Brody) became important, he allowed us to work closely with him rather than go "I'm your designer". We worked with Neville from around 1979-80 for more than ten years.
15. You appeared at The Russell Club several times. How did CV go down with such a hardcore audience?
I wish I could remember, great from my recollection. It was a pretty open crowd and we did have our own following and it was very simply decided who went first by who had the furthest to travel back home after the gig, but think after a while it became obvious they might have to go on last.
The others we didn't really know and Durutti at the time was a full band not just Vinni. We became good mates with other bands, like ACR, later.
13. Was there any kind of 'launch' for FAC-2? Were there any gigs to promote it?
I can't honestly remember. We seemed to be playing the Russell Club quite regularly (well regularly for us) so it may have been on a good night out whoever was on.
16. On 20 November 1980 CV performed Voice Of America/Damage Is Done on Granada TV's Celebration arts programme. How did this come about? Do you have any recollections of the day?
It was through Tony, we weren't So It Goes material and so it was nice to do something on TV. As I remember Holly Johnson did a solo cowboy number, ha! I've no idea who else was on. I think we filmed at about 10am so it would have been a bit strange.
17. A video for No Escape was shot by the great Malcolm Whitehead and subsequently released by Factory/IKON on FAC56 A Factory Video. How did this come about? Do you have any recollections of that day?
Tony actually filmed it somewhere near Ladybower Dam, which is exactly halfway between Sheffield and Manchester. I don't whether that was meant to be significant or just convenient.
18. CV were (arguably) the first live band to play at The Haçienda. Ditto How did this come about and do you have any recollections of that day?
Yeah how funny we were the first band to actually play there. The opening party had been the night before and then we played the Saturday.
Due to draconian licensing laws at the time it was a membership only club. Hardly anyone had got a membership through for the first week (well first month or more) so there was about twenty people there – not a bad turn out for the early Haçienda - you can imagine what that sounded like.
I think history has been rewritten so that first gig isn't in the narrative.
19. Thoughts about the Haçienda? Did you frequent it?
Oh a lot – from the early days when there were just bands and it was a small group of attendees and then later a few mad memories of nights there and at the Gay Traitor Bar. Great place that really worked when there was a big night – Mondays, New Order or one of Mike Pickering's shindigs. I remember a couple of good New Year's Eves in there to boot.
Malcolm did all the editing. It was a frosty Saturday morning from memory, we must have looked real twats with guitars in the middle of the woods – like the Seeds meets the Blair Witch Project.
Richard and I appeared as VJs once – I think we got paid in cocktails, the gig was a bit hazy but I remember the van driving off and leaving me on the middle of the moors later that night.
20. Yashar was released by Factory (and Factory Benelux) on FAC 82. Who approached whom? Again, was this a pre-recorded piece or was it budgetted / commissioned?
That was John Robie who really wanted to get stuck in to that one. He's just been working with Arthur Baker and Bam on Planet Rock and Perfect Beat and Barney (New Order) hooked him up with us cos he loved the original track. We all ended up doing more stuff – for a film soundtrack and then Robie did quite a few things with Richard and I, he did Don't Argue and then got me to do a bit with Bam.
21. The obligatory: are there any plans for CV to record anything further or return to the stage?
Never say never. I still speak to Richard and it may work at some point.
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More Cabaret Voltiare at brainwashed.com/cv


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