issue 1- january 1977
QUIETLY FLOWS THE DON Gunrubber 1
What's happening in Sheffield, That's what I am asking?
We have heard of new ideas coming from London, Manchester and even Evesham (where?). In London a band like The Gorillas or Eater play a couple of gigs at some hip club and WHAM NME give them full page coverage.
Play loud and spit on the audience in Chelsea and all you're likely to get is a condescending mention in the 'Star', and yet under the surface things aren't quite as bleak as they seem.
'CABARET VOLTAIRE' are a Sheffield group based around synthesiser /new wave music. However they really defy categorisation. All you can say is they involve elements of humour, electronics, film and theatre. What's more they are a good bunch of artists. Cabaret Voltaire have only played a few times, but they have been around for nearly two years. They used ideas that the Pistols/ Punk clan made famous. Needless to say when they played Sheffield polytechnic the students or the management didn't like what they saw. Anyway Cabaret Voltaire are still moving and I'm sure by the next time we see them they will have changed their act completely. So keep your eyes peeled for Cabaret Voltaire.
Another band, which have split up, but were great fun and lots of laughs were a bizarre theatrical band called Musical Vomit. These boys seemed specialised in unturned, loud, raucous music. They played at the University Drama Studio in 1975, where they started the show by the lead singer vomiting on top of a 20ft. high scaffolding, then launched into their first number 'Vomit down the Toilet' The only other two songs I can remember were a song about masturbation called 'Self abuse' and one called 'I was a teenage necrophiliac'. These boys took the piss out of everybody (Hawkwind, Quo etc.) including themselves.
Their moment of 'Glory' was when they played on a bill at Bath Arts festival eith Aleberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias. They were booed of stage and showered in abuse and beer cans by the be-denimed audience. It is said that they may be back with a new even more revolting show.
Anyway there must be enough people and new wave bands in Sheffield to join together to hire a hall for a night of music and excitement. Who knows the 'Daisy'?
might start hiring real bands instead of those imitations, who have ruined more Saturday nights than I can remember. So if you have got a band or are interested in contacting other people with new ideas contact me at The Gunrubber.
RONNY CLOCKS (Paul Bower)

issue 2 - february 1977

Interview with Cabaret Voltaire by Paul Bower alias Ronny Clocks
A note arrived through our letterbox on Friday which read:
17/2/77 My Place
Loved Gunrubber,
This is what we need! Hope you get a venue for the bands. Please, please an article on Cabaret Voltaire in your next ish. We love them
Luv Sally and friends
Well. Sally and friends, I really wished you put your address in so we could have sent you a letter, but anyway here is an article as promised..
I met Malcolm (guitar and vocals) and Richard (clarinet, bass and sax) by accident in the subway last Saturday.
Malcolm arrived late so Richard and I waited around and talked for a while.
ME: You look pretty shattered.
RICH: Yeah. We really goy pissed last night. We went to a pub in Baslow and had
very strong cider, after 2 pints you don't know what you are doing.
ME: Sounds good. How many did you have?
RICH: Four or five I think.
Malcolm arrived later with wonderfully bloodshot eyes that matched his open necked shirt exactly. He wore sporting grey pleated flannels and a pair of superb snakeskin shoes. His shirt was a red Hawaiian thing, which he wore with the collar turned up. Over this he wore an ex USAF suede surfer. The whole effect was set off stylishly by his gold-rimmed glasses, which he perched on the end of his nose. After saying Hello Malcolm's first words were:
MALC: I could do with a drink. Where shall we go?
I suggested we go to the Old Brewery Tap where we continued to talk over
three pints of bitter.
RICH: Nice pint. This place reminds me of an undertakers.
MALC: Yeah. All pine panelling and tiles, but not a bad place for lurking in.
ME: How's the group going? Any news?
MALC: Well yeah, Chris has just bought a new synthesiser and a new rhythm unit
so we don't need a drummer. Mainly we have been rehearsing a lot and making tapes.
ME: Don't you ever fancy getting a real drummer and doing live gigs every week?
RICH: Well yeah and no. You see, most drummers we've ever used have been thick
as tarmac and really boring. They drag the whole thing down and they usually fancy themselves as Carl Palmer. You know - drum solos and that kind of rubbish.
MALC: Yeah. They can never keep a steady beat. They usually end up sounding like
an elephant falling downstairs. You never have trouble with a rhythm generator.
ME: How about more live concerts though?
MALC: Last time we played a concert was four weeks ago in Bury.
ME: How did it go?
MALC: (chuckles) Pretty good, I suppose. It was lots of fun, you see it was at a large
comprehensive school and so we caused a bit of a stir. I don't think the teachers
appreciated it.
RICH: Yeah. The teachers looked very worried, but the kids seemed to have enjoyed it.
They'd never seen anything like it. It was different.
ME: Did you make any money out of it?
MALC: You are joking. The creeps managed to avoid paying us. We couldn't even pay the
bloke that drove us over there any petrol money. We have always been let down
by people. But then again, we are not in it for money, that will come later.
ME: Don't you ever think it would be a good idea to get a group of new wave bands
together to hire halls and play, splitting the costs and profits? You know a new
wave co-op.
RICH: Yeah I suppose in theory that would be a good idea. But events have made me
sceptical.
MALC: Rich is right. It sounds good in theory, if everybody is honest. Yeah. We were
involved with a new music co-op before and that ended up with them nicking our
ideas, films and some of our tapes. Besides which, they were a real set of
intellectual wankers.
ME: What do you think of the PUNKS?
RICH: Good. I bought the Ramones album as soon as it came out. It gets most of my
playing time. Any change is good news. We saw the Damned in Leeds last week
and they were great. I was very impressed. They have improved a lot since the first
time I saw them in London. When we saw the Pistols at the Black Swan last year
we nearly got into a fight with them, but only as far as a spitting concert.
ME: What did you think of their act?
RICH: There was a lot of raw energy and Rotten is a good performer, but I don't think
much of the rest of the band. Yeah I enjoyed them a lot, but really Johnny Rotten
is The Sex Pistols.
ME: What do you think Malcolm?
MALC: I like the punks a lot. The only band I haven't seen yet is The Stranglers. I like
their ideas. It's fresh and exciting. But I'm not sure. Their ability is way behind
their ideas.
We talked for another hour or so and gradually got more drunk. I like Cabaret Voltaire a lot. They sound good, they're different, and what's more, they look good. I mean they are really sharp all the time. I think looking good and being good is as important as the noise that comes out of the amps. After all, you don't talk about going to hear a band; you talk about going to see a band. On that score, Cabaret Voltaire should do well. I left Malcolm and Richard at about half past three. I was pissed and went home to sleep it off.

issue 3 - march 1977


issue4 - april 1977


issue 5 - june 1977


issue 6 - july 1977


issue 7 - december 1977