The Tiger Lillies

The legendary post-punk, death oompah band and cult cabaret superstars **The Tiger Lillies** make their long-awaited return to Australia with a new concert celebrating the weird, macabre and those that society has abandoned.  
  
Olivier award-winning and Grammy nominated, The Tiger Lillies have toured the world for over 35 years and released scores of critically acclaimed albums. They have starred in many unforgettable theatre productions from their West End smash Shockheaded Peter to 2025’s A Macbeth Song which ran from three months in Barcelona.  
  
Armed with songs from their new album, Serenade from the Sewer tells the stories of those on the margins of society, the band will also perform fan favourites from their long and illustrious career.  
  
This concert is very autobiographical in content. Martyn Jacques spent the 80’s living in Soho, London.  
He writes _“It was very different back then. Before it was gentrified. Gangsters, prostitutes, show girls, drugs dealers, thieves, eccentrics, artists, drag bars and dive bars. It was colourful. Every night you ended up talking to different characters in this underworld pageant. So, when it came to writing songs about all the people, I knew I had a rich and varied source for inspiration. Some of the stories are tragic some shocking or strange but together they are a fitting Serenade from the Sewer.”_  
  
With an international reputation for being one of the foremost avant-garde bands in the world, The Tiger Lillies never ceases to surprise, shock, and entertain with their inimitable musical style, conjuring up the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin and fusing it with the savage edge of punk.  
  
Vocals, Accordion, Piano, Guitar / [Martyn Jaques](https://www.tigerlillies.com/martyn-jaques)  
Double Bass, Musical Saw, Theremin, Vocals / [Adrian Stout](https://www.tigerlillies.com/adrian-stout-1)  
Drums, Budi Butenop  
  
**Content warning**: Adult themes and language, suitable for ages 16+.  
  
The Tiger Lillies gained critical acclaim with the stage production **"Shockheaded Peter"**, winning **two Olivier Awards** for **Best Entertainment** and **Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical**. In 2003, they were also **nominated for a Grammy Award** for their album **"The Gorey End"**, a collaboration with the Kronos Quartet.  
Most recently, \*_The Tiger Lillies performed the soundtrack for the film "Modi: Three Days on Wings of Madness," directed by Johnny Depp_, further cementing their place in the artistic world.  
The Tiger Lillies have released **over 40 albums**, with a prolific discography that includes collaborations with artists across various media such as film, theatre, and visual arts. Their music has been featured in films and on stage, making them one of the most distinctive and unconventional acts in modern performance.  
Over the years, the Tiger Lillies interpreted well-known works including The Little Matchgirl, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Hamlet (both 2012), and collaborated with artists ranging from the Symphony Orchestra of Norrlandsoperan to photographer Nan Goldin (on 2011's The Ballad of Sexual Dependency).   
  
**The Guardian** calls them "**a provocative mix of anarchic opera and gypsy street theatre**," praising their ability to blur the boundaries between art forms.  
**The Independent** describes their performances as "**a brilliant marriage of music hall, punk rock, and Brechtian cabaret**."  
**The New York Times** hailed them as "**one of the most unique and subversive acts in contemporary performance,**" noting their dark and surreal themes.  
**Time Out** labeled them "**an extraordinary fusion of styles and sounds, creating a world both grotesque and beautiful**."  
  
  
Olivier award-winning and Grammy nominated, The Tiger Lillies have toured?the world for over 35 years and released scores of critically acclaimed albums. They have starred in some unforgettable theatre productions from their West End smash _Shockheaded Peter_ to this year’s _A Macbeth Song_ which ran from three months in Barcelona.  
  
The world of The Tiger Lillies is dark, peculiar and varied, with moments of deep sadness, cruel black humour and immense beauty. This unique "anarchic Brechtian street opera trio" tours the world playing songs about “anything that doesn’t involve beautiful blonde girls and boys running at the meadow” to quote their founder Martyn Jacques.   
  
Themes of junkies, prostitutes and all forms of vice continue to make up the majority of their work, while frontman Martyn Jacques has a knack for finding beauty in the macabre and grotesque, like Poe, Lovecraft and Edward Gorey before him. The band have performed all over the world, making their way from humble beginnings busking in the streets and playing bar-rooms to performing in massive concert halls and opera houses. They’ve also shared bills with St. Vincent, John Cale, Patti Smith, David Byrne and many others, and have built a legion of devoted fans including film director Terry Gilliam, the late Robin Williams and Simpsons creator Matt Groening.  
  
**Press Quotes:**  
  
'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.’ ????? Guardian  
  
'It's not surprising that their cult following is worldwide - a Tiger Lillies gig is a journey into wild emotion which passes right through melodrama and out the other side into bizarre beauty’. London Evening Standard  
  
‘In an ideal world, The Tiger Lillies would represent Britain in the Eurovision song contest.’ The Times  
  
‘Bigger, prouder and fleshily engorged with the pustule throb of the garishly gaudy and gloriously obscene’. - Time Out  
‘One of the most unique and subversive acts in contemporary performance’. The New York Times  
  
  
‘They create a truly extraordinary atmosphere on stage – a sort of dark gypsy cabaret shimmering with menace. The music is also gorgeously beautiful, tender and delicate – although the sweetness is almost always followed by outrageously funny or horrible twist. It is hard to do justice to the dark, poetic brilliance of The Tiger Lillies, so the best thing I can advise is that you seek out a ticket for this glorious show’. - The Scotsman, (Edinburgh Festival).  
  
**Videos:**  
Heroin: [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_XhlZrL64Q)  
Disease: [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQDlhX1N3AI)  
  
**Socials:**  
Facebook: [The Tiger Lillies](https://www.facebook.com/TheTigerLillies)  
Instagram: [@thetigerlillies](https://www.instagram.com/thetigerlillies/)  
Youtube: [The Tiger Lillies Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsY2f9W3LS1MBa9PbcxyEA)  
Bandsintown: [Tour Dates](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/49131-the-tiger-lillies)  
  
[www.tigerlillies.com](http://www.tigerlillies.com)  
  
  
We look forward to welcoming you to the Theatre Royal.  
  
**Bar** open from **4pm**  
  
**Kitchen** opens from **5pm** - [**menu**](https://www.theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au/pizza) (we offer a delicious, fast-paced pizza menu with plenty of indoor/outdoor seating available)  
  
All shows have a small amount of unallocated balcony seating, but are set up as standing room and general admission, unless specifically promoted as a “fully seated show”.  
  
Make sure to visit our **Beer Garden** (open in the warmer months).  
  
Please note that trains to Melbourne / Kyneton / Bendigo etc usually run post event.  Check the [Vline schedule](https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/50979d5d-2b0a-4155-bb32-8017552e5794/Bendigo-Melbourne-(Heat-timetable-36)) for specific show date

The Tiger Lillies

Event Description

The Tiger Lillies (Uk) - Serenade From The Sewer Tour - Matinee Show

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