Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the decadent cabaret of The Tiger Lillies! New songs in new arrangements will be presented by Martyn Jaques (vocals, accordion, piano and ukulele), Adrian Stout (contrabass, musical saw, theremin, vocals) and Jonas Golland (drums).
“A decadence that touches on the divine!”
Charles Spenser, The Telegraph
The Tiger Lillies were formed in 1989 and as the decades go by their sound remains one of the most unique and original things one could come across. Martyn Jacques, the band's front man, songwriter and founder, spent most of his twenties in a flat above a brothel in London's Soho, peeping through his window at the buzz of Soho’s lowlife. It took him a good ten years to turn that strange world into art, while training as a singer and songwriter. In 1989 he got his first accordion and The Tiger Lillies were formed shortly after.
The world of The Tiger Lillies is dark, peculiar and varied, with moments of deep sadness, cruel black humour and immense beauty. This unique "anarchic Brechtian street opera trio" tours the world playing songs about “anything that doesn’t involve beautiful blonde girls and boys running at the meadow” to quote their founder Martyn Jacques. Hence, their songs cover all the dark aspects of life, from prostitution and drug addiction to violence and despair. Always with a touch of twisted humor and sharp irony The Tiger Lillies “point an implicit accusing finger back at us: what on Earth are we doing, laughing at this stuff?”. Their music is a mixture of pre-war Berlin cabaret, anarchic opera and gypsy music, echoing the voices of Bertolt Brecht and Jacques Brel. The Tiger Lillies shock, amuse and entertain in a postmodern vaudeville way, with their inimitable in-yer-face shows, where no limit should be taken for granted.
“Devilish but Delicious!”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
“There is nothing else like them. Any description of them is an injustice –
they are completely peerless!”
Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand
“This delicious dark cabaret is Kurt Weill as scripted by Aleister Crowley, and the execution is impeccable throughout. Phenomenal.”
Ian Gitins, The Guardian
“Just brilliant and utterly fantastic!! You'll never hear more perverse and twisted as well as haunting and sorrowful songs”
Marc Almond
