The Tiger Lillies are a cult British musical trio formed in 1989 by singer-songwriter Martyn Jacques. Often described as the forefathers of Brechtian Punk Cabaret, the Tiger Lillies are well known for their unique sound and style which merges the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin with the savage edge of punk.
The band's name is rumoured to have been inspired by a murdered Soho prostitute called Lillie who used to dress up in animal print. Jacques, however, has stated that he named the band after a painting he had on his wall. The band formed in 1989 when Martyn Jacques placed an ad on Loot looking for a drummer and a bass player for a new band. Adrian Huge and Phil Butcher (the band's first bassist who was succeeded by Adrian Stout in 1995) were the only musicians that got in touch with him and therefore became the original Tiger Lillies' drummer and bassist respectively.
In Spring 2012 Adrian Huge decided to take a leave of absence and was replaced by drummer Mike Pickering who toured with the Tiger Lillies from 2012. In early 2015 Pickering was in turn replaced by band's current drummer, Jonas Golland.
The Independent has described The Tiger Lillies as "a provocative and avant- garde three-piece band that combines cabaret, vaudeville, music-hall and street theatre", while Tim Arthur of Time Out has given a more imaginative description: "Imagine Kurt Weill conjuring up images of prewar Berlin while a falsetto vocalist screams, squeaks and squawks his way through every number like some rambling madman, and you've got the picture". Notorious for singing controversial songs involving bestiality, prostitution, blasphemy and all other vice imaginable, The Tiger Lillies are undoubtedly not for the easily offended. Their musical style is mainly influenced by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's masterpiece The Threepenny Opera and pre-war Berlin cabaret but other influences such as gypsy and circus music, French chanson and British music hall tunes are also evident.
In 2002 their cult hit musical Shockheaded Peter was nominated for five Olivier Awards. The show won the Olivier for Best Entertainment and Martyn Jacques won the Olivier for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical or Entertainment.
In 2003 their album The Gorey End (in collaboration with the Kronos Quartet and writer, illustrator Edward Gorey) was nominated for Dominique de Rivaz's Luftbusiness (2008) a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album.
In 2012 their show The Tiger Lillies Perform Hamlet, produced by Copenhagen's Republique Theatre and directed by acclaimed Danish director Martin Tulinius, was nominated for a Reumert Award in the category Music Theatre/Show of the Year 2012.
Members Current
Martyn Jacques – accordion, lead vocals, piano, guitar, harmonica, ukulele, banjolele (1989–present)
Adrian Stout – double bass, backing vocals, jaw harp, musical saw, theremin (1995–present)
Jonas Golland – drums, backing vocals, percussion (2015–present)
Past
Phil Butcher – bass (1989–95)
Adrian Huge – drums (1989–2012)
Mike Pickering – drums (2012–15)
Albums
Births Marriages And Deaths 4 versions Misery Guts Music, Gee Street 1994
Spit Bucket 2 versions Misery Guts Music 1994
Ad Nauseam 3 versions Misery Guts Music 1995
The Brothel To The Cemetery 4 versions Misery Guts Music 1996
Farmyard Filth (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 4 1997
Low Life Lullabies 2 versions Misery Guts Music 1998
Shockheaded Peter 4 versions Not On Label 1999
Bad Blood + Blasphemy 7 versions Misery Guts Music 1999
Circus Songs 3 versions Misery Guts Music 2000
Two Penny Opera 2 versions Misery Guts Music 2001
The Sea 2 versions Misery Guts Music 2002
Live In Russia 2000-2001 (CD, Album) BAd TaStE BTP-03 2002
The Tiger Lillies With Kronos Quartet - The Gorey End 4 versions EMI, EMI 2003
Punch And Judy (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 013 2004
Death And The Bible (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 014 2004
Группировка Ленинград & The Tiger Lillies - H...ya 4 versions Шнур'ОК, Мистерия Звука, BAd TaStE 2005
The Little Matchgirl (CD, Album) Homebase Records CD 260301 2006
Die Weberischen (CD, Album) Homebase Records CD 260201 2006
Love & War 2 versions Misery Guts Music 2007
The Tiger Lillies And The Symphony Orchestra Of Norrlandsoperan - Urine Palace 2 versions Misery Guts Music 2007
Seven Deadly Sins 2 versions Misery Guts Music 2008
Sinderella (2xCD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 018 2009
Freakshow (2xCD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 019 2009
Cockatoo Prison (CD) Misery Guts Music Tiger 021 2010
Here I Am Human! (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music tiger 022 2010
Georg Büchner, The Tiger Lillies - Woyzeck & The Tiger Lillies (CD, Album) Homebase Records CD 211011 2011
Hamlet (2xCD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 026 2012
Either Or (CD) Misery Guts Music Tiger 027 2012
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (2xCD, Dig) Misery Guts Music Tiger 025 2012
A Dream Turns Sour (CD) Misery Guts Music tiger 029 2014
Lulu: A Murder Ballad (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music Tiger 028 2014
The Story of Franz Biberkopf (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music Tiger 030 2015
Madame Piaf (CD, Album) Not On Label (The Tiger Lillies Self-released) TIGER 032 2016
Love for Sale - A Hymn to Heroin (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music TIGER 033 2016
Goosebumps (CD, Album) Misery Guts Music Ltd. Tiger 031 2016
Cold Night In Soho (CD, Album, Dig) Misery Guts Music TIGERCD034 2017
Singles & EPs
Contrastate & The Tiger Lillies - Goodbye Great Nation (CD, EP) Black Rose Recordings BRCD 96-1004 1996
Special Edition EP (CD, EP) Jazz & Τζαζ 0037-2 2004
Compilations
Bouquet Of Vegetables - The Early Years (CD, Comp) Misery Guts Music Tiger 08 2000
The Tiger Lillies (CD, Comp) Ποπ + Ροκ MPH038 2006
"Spit Bucket" (Cass, Comp) Not On Label none Unknown
Videos
Shockheaded Peter And Other Songs, Live In Concert In New York 2 versions Kultur 2000
The Tiger Lillies & Alexander Hacke - Mountains Of Madness (DVD-V, Multichannel, All) Arena Berlin, Ministry Of Information none 2006
The Early Years (DVD) Misery Guts Music Tiger 020 2009
The Tiger Lillies In Prague (DVD) Misery Guts Music TIGER 023 2011
Miscellaneous
The Tiger Lillies & Nan Goldin - The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency (CD) Misery Guts Music Tiger 024 2011
http://www.tigerlillies.com/http://www.tigerlillies.ru/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tiger_Lillieshttps://www.discogs.com/artist/243092-The-Tiger-LilliesThe Tiger Lillies "JACK" Official Music Video
"Here comes the official music video for our little darling "Jack" (aka Jack the Ripper), from our new album & show "Lulu - A Murder Ballad", inspired by Frank Wedekind's "Lulu" plays."
// dark cabaret. UK
