I have an ambivalent relation to cabaret music. When I start thinking that some piece of music is theatrical, that is usually, for me, saying that I don't like it. Maybe I never got that thing about Weimar Germany & Marlene Dietrich & Brecht. But, as with everything else, there are exceptions. The Tiger Lillies are about as theatrical you can get, from one perspective. Their songs are about freak shows, prostitutes and sailors. What sets The Tiger Lillies apart from other bands who have taken a liking to "the grotesque" or "the sentimental", is that their music has a warmth to it. I thought about these things yesterday as I was seeing them perform in Helsinki. The show material was a mix of merry, humorous songs about various anal and non-anal themes, along with lullaby-like tunes in the falsetto or Tom Waits growl of Martyn Jacques. The crowd was larger than I expected. There were culture jocks along with goth kids. We were seated by a gang of gentlemen in suits. After the course of two beers, the roaring lads attempted to become anothing instrument, next to the accordion, the piano, the double bass, percussion - and the lovely theremin (I haven't seen one before, so that was fun). That was annoying as hell, I can tell you. Later on, my sister and I engaged in an analysis of what, exactly, in the music of Tiger Lillies attracted these guys. At its best, The Tiger Lillies deconstruct masculinity and violence. The response of the macho crowd was the total opposite of this.
Read about the band here. The only album I've really listened to is The Sea. It's great.
1 comment:
Fuck you their best is Farmyard Filth and you're an idiot
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