Dying Scene Photos and Notes: Cabaret Voltaire and I Speak Machine at The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC (09/23/2026).

Cabaret Voltaire was kind enough to select Washington, DC as one of the few North American cities on their Final USA + Canada Tour. Founding members of the England-based band Stephen Mallinder (vocals, bass, keyboards, and sampling) and Chris Watson (keyboards and tapes) reprised Cabaret Voltaire to celebrate the group’s 50^th anniversary and say farewell to their fans across the pond. And, while Watson is only appearing on a few, select European dates, Mallinder assembled a team to celebrate these songs in real life on North American soil one last time.

Sadly, Richard H. Kirk, who along with Mallinder and Watson formed Cabaret Voltaire, passed away in 2021 and isn’t around to help pay tribute to this band and their songs one last time. Mallinder, Watson, and Richard H. Kirk started their band in Sheffield, England in the early 1970s and forged their own path by incorporating electronic music, samples, and visual accompaniments with their songs and performances, setting an example for other genres such as industrial music, post-punk, and more.

I Speak Machine hit the stage at 8:00 p.m. sharp and plowed through a non-stop 30-minute set. Busch delivered a compelling vocal performance along with an energetic dance performance set before stunning videos of her on the backdrop. Busch co-founded I Speak Machine in 2013 with filmmaker Maf Lewis whose work makes up for the lack of live music performance through film work that accentuates Busch’s theatric talents. Busch wrapped up her performance at 08:30 p.m.

Busch commanded the stage with a killer set.

Cabaret Voltaire hit the stage at 09:00 p.m. and played for nearly 90 minutes, wrapping up their set around 10:30 p.m. Mallinder was in top form, singing, playing bass and keys, and dancing to the rhythm of Cabaret Voltaire’s exquisite songs. Mallinder and crew delivered a career-spanning setlist that should have had something for fans of any era of the band or electronic music in general.

Also released earlier this year, the live album, But What Time Is It Really? is available via the band’s website and on the upcoming tour. Be sure to check it out.

While he may have been the only original member, Mallinder’s sharing of these songs made it clear that they are a record of a band whose legacy ought to be documented, remembered, and appreciated. Were it not for Mallinder, Watson, and Kirk getting together 50 years ago and putting making the music we might not very well have had bands like Big Black, Ministry, or Godflesh. Hats off to Mallinder for making this a tour to remember.

Merch at the CV show.