From the first few seconds of the opening song 'Drowning', the Tiger Lillies show just why they've achieved worldwide cult following. The atmosphere generated is simply stunning; setting you up for an hour of darkly magical music with a little onstage mayhem.The Tiger Lilles, a three-piece alt-cabaret band, play a selection of classics from their 20 year catalogue. The set is a mixture of darkly moving songs, such as the tale of 'Pretty Lisa', whose "tattoos hide her bruises every time", to the absurdly Pythonesque 'Aunty Mable', not your average chick!The highlight is the beautifully sad and haunting material which is guaranteed to stay with you long after the show (the saw playing has to be heard to be believed). It's a shame that once the dark mood has been masterfully generated, the band swiftly jump back into the humorous crowd pleasing cult songs, though such is the quality of the material, you can forgive them. One of the great aspects of the Fringe is the diversity of performance spaces available. Sadly, the band are let down by the blandness of the Pleasance Courtyard , which doesn't do justice to the wonderful music they conjure. Confusingly, the house lights fade on at certain songs, presumably for the audience to join in (which never happened). I for one was happier when plunged back into darkness to let the band continue their twisted musical journey. I've now joined the band of cult followers, and look forward to seeing them again, but hopefully is a more atmospheric venue.
