Tiger Lillies show their stripes

It was the Prague spirit of 1994 that provided the Tiger Lillies with its first concert opportunity outside of England. Based on the initial encouragement from London and Prague audiences, the group has built a strong international cult following.

The band, which relies heavily on the accordion, is noticeably influenced by Central and Eastern European music. They blend Gypsy music, klezmer and maudlin blues effectively with cabaret-style theatrics. Add a few touches of the more biting social observations of Brecht while stripping Jacques Brel's bittersweet songs of their sweetness and you begin to get a taste for what the Tiger Lillies' lyrics are all about: bizarre contemporary realms of everything from political torture to drug addiction.

Don't let the band's campy attire fool you. These whimsical touches are only brief interludes that allow the audience to catch a breath before the lyrics plunge back into a dark and criminal world so bleak that you can't wait for the next accordion riff to reference a polka.

During the last decade, the band has collaborated with theater and circus acts. Recently they have been providing live accompaniment for the musical-theater production Shockheaded Peter, which is based on a series of gruesome 19th-century cautionary children's tales. The show's soundtrack has provided the Tiger Lillies with its first major-label release, as well as with a successful international theatrical tour.

Another recent show, The Tiger Lillies Variety, saw the band sharing the stage with acrobats and other circus performers. This inspired a CD that will be called Circus Songs. According to lead singer Martyn Jacques, it will be more atmospheric than the band's previous works.

Performing live as a trio, however, the group's show remains as poignant a 21st-century Threepenny Opera as one could hope to hear. Using accordion, bass, percussion and voice, the band weaves tales of a new European twilight zone with consummate skill. No wonder they have been drawing enthusiastic crowds in Prague since 1994. The Tiger Lillies' musical performances are as humorously surreal, tragic and beautiful as Prague itself.

- Darrell Jonsson

may be reached at listings@praguepost.cz

Tiger Lillies

Where: Lucerna Music Bar

When: Sept. 13 at 9

Tickets: 165 Kc, available at Ticketpro and Lucerna