The Tiger Lillies were formed by Martyn Jacquesa in 1989. This charismatic and unique trio (Adrian Stout and Jonas Golland are the other two members) is the trailblazer of dark cabaret. Via avant-garde approach to music, they are combining music and circus, performance and comedy, which makes them one of the most authentic bands in the music world.
Under the influence of Berthold Brecht and pre-war Berlin, The Tiger Lillies have managed to bring us the amalgam of street theater and music more than 30 times (that’s how many albums they have released). The performances of the trio are like a small theater shows both by the concept and by the execution. Such a dedication has even allowed them to perform at Sydney Opera House.
Martyn Jacques spent his twenties living above the brothel in London’s Soho, so his writing is woven in deviant themes such as prostitution, blasphemy and perversion. Dark humor and word plays make these songs exuberant and desperate at the same time. As Jacques himself has said, these songs are about everything except beautiful girls and boys having a picnic on a sunny day.
The sound is congruent to the narrative – dark but playful. The key word is theatrical, since every album of The Tiger Lilly serves as a structured proposal for the play. Stories are turned into music. The band releases one or two albums per year, and this year we have got Madame Piaf (Songs from the Gutter), a story about the life of Edit Piaf. Well, it is not actually a story. It is more a history of Piaf’s walks down the obscure streets of Paris.
Jacques says he met many girls that resemble Edit Piaf. He claims many of them have personality disorders. Many are alcoholics or prostitutes. What’s interesting is that he is tentative to showcase a different side of a national icon. He wants to deconstruct the life of Edit Piaf from a different perspective.
The songs are predominantly about brothels, alcohol, love, prostitution, sin and pleasure. Aberrant behaviors are showed in a relatable manner. From the opening track Blind in a Brothel to the very last one Hymne a l’Amour, the album brings an amusing retrospective of the above mentioned themes. There are also six covers of Piaf’s classics. In Another Glass of Wine, the addiction issue is presented through a social perspective, while Lovers for a Day is a story about the relationship between two alcoholics.
Madame Piaf starts with the line:
Madam Piaf is a troubled soul, she sees black, she can’t see gold.
You can pretty much anticipate the rest of it from here.
