Based on the seminal 18th century Beggar’s Opera by John Gay and Brecht and Weill’s Threepenny Opera, the band present their own version of this wildly entertaining story. A huge inspiration to Martyn Jacques, The Tiger Lillies founder, the story is presented as a song cycle swarming with highwaymen, thieves, jailors, pimps and prostitutes – a world of greed, crime, poverty, inequality and outrageous comedy, where the politicians are just as corrupt as the lowlife below them.
The world of The Tiger Lillies is dark, peculiar and varied, with moments of deep sadness, cruel black humour and immense beauty. This unique, Grammy nominated, Brechtian street opera trio tour the world playing concerts and theatre shows such as The Tiger Lillies Christmas Carol, The Ancient Mariner and the West End hit Shockheaded Peter. Their songs cover all the dark aspects of life, from prostitution and drug addiction to violence and despair.
‘Martyn Jacques is a charismatic focus. Trudging between his piano and accordion like a man weighed down by supernatural dread – yet his voice is a molten cascade. The execution is impeccable throughout. Phenomenal.’
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.
Lead image: Andrey Kezzyn
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