Dark cabaret

Last updated

Dark cabaret is a musical genre that draws on the aesthetics of burlesque, vaudeville and Weimar-era cabaret, with live performances that borrow from the stylings of goth and punk.

Contents

History

Precursors

In a 2019 article for The New York Times writer Christopher R. Weingarten stated that "Any journey into cabaret-punk begins with the work of Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill". The pair's work merged Weimar-era cabaret with elements of the country's pop music, American jazz music and socialist themes. Weingarten specifically cited the "Alabama Song" (1930), as performed by Lotte Lenya, as a notable precursor, as well as its 1967 cover by rock band the Doors. Furthermore, the 1972 film Cabaret's dark and cynical take on cabaret performance anticipated dark cabaret. [2]

Origins (1970s–1990s)

In his book The Music Sound, academic Nicolae Sfetcu traced the origins of dark cabaret to German musician Nico's 1974 album The End... and its songs "You Forgot to Answer" and "Secret Side". [3] Dave Thompson's review for AllMusic also cited Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1973 album The Human Menagerie as dark cabaret. [4] and The Psychomodo . [5] In the following years, this style was also adopted by Marc Almond, the Virgin Prunes and Nina Hagen. [3] Sex Gang Children, too, incorporated elements of cabaret into their macabre, early 1980s gothic rock sound. [6]

One of the earliest bands to play mainly or exclusively in a style which might now be described as dark cabaret were the Tiger Lillies, formed in London in 1989. In the 1980s satirical cabaret had been revived and popularised by London-based bands such as Fascinating Aïda and Kit and The Widow but the Tiger Lillies incorporated themes of blasphemy, prostitution and bestiality in their songs, sung by Martyn Jacques in a menacing style with a falsetto voice. [7] A collaboration between Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone – both former members of Christian Death, entitled Dream Home Heartache (1995) – was described by reviewers as "cabaret noir" [8] or "glam cabaret". [9]

Mainstream success (2000s)

The Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer Amanda Palmer, Auckland, 2.jpg
The Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer

The late 1990s saw the rise of Neo-Burlesque, which revived interest in cabaret. Appearance of performers such as the Chicago burlesque orchestra Apartment (1997–2005) and the emergence of gothic bellydance. Collaboration with burlesque performers was given by Brian Viglione as the inspiration for the Dresden Dolls' look. [10] By the 2000s, burlesque was receiving a revived mainstream interest, with the films Moulin Rouge! (2001), Big Fish (2003) and A Series Of Unfortunate Events gaining significant attention, the high profile public persona of burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese and the medium being incorporated into music videos released by musical artists including Big Brovaz, the Killers and Modest Mouse. [11]

Dark cabaret as a distinct musical movement began to solidify around the mid-2000s, notably represented by Projekt Records's 2005 compilation album Projekt Presents: A Dark Cabaret, which largely popularised the genre. [12] [13] The album included "Flowers" from Dream Home Heartache sung by Rozz Williams together with, among others, "Evil Night Together" by Jill Tracy, "Sometimes, Sunshine" by Revue Noir, and "Coin-Operated Boy" by the Dresden Dolls. Formed by Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione in 2000, The Dresden Dolls described their music as "Brechtian punk cabaret", a term coined by Amanda Palmer in early 2003 in part to preclude being labelled by the media as goths. [14] Nevertheless, with their musical style and appearance in white face makeup and reduced period clothing, the Dresden Dolls and their fans quickly became the most readily identified with the newly evident dark cabaret genre, garnering the most mainstream attention. [15] The band's popularity led to an increased interest in prior acts in the genre namely the Tiger Lillies and the World/Inferno Friendship Society, [2] and bands began categorising themselves and their performance as dark cabaret, such as Katzenjammer Kabarett in France, or Ray Childish in Austria. [16] At this time, elements of dark cabaret also began to be embraced by practitioners of emo pop music, including My Chemical Romance and Panic! at the Disco. [2]

Record labels

See also

Related Research Articles

Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.

Deathrock is a rock music subgenre incorporating horror elements and gothic theatrics. It emerged from punk rock on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1980s and overlaps with the gothic rock and horror punk genres. Notable deathrock acts include Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave, and Super Heroines.

Dark wave is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as being dark, romantic and bleak, with an undertone of sorrow. The genre embraces a range of styles including cold wave, ethereal wave, gothic rock, neoclassical dark wave and neofolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horror punk</span> Music genre

Horror punk is a music genre that mixes punk rock and 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics which are often influenced by horror films and science fiction B-movies. The genre was pioneered by the Misfits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Subsequent bands formed in the Misfits' wake like Mourning Noise, the Undead and Samhain, solidifying horror punk's first wave. In the late 1990s and early 2000s the genre gained attention through the reunion of the Misfits and success of groups like AFI, Son of Sam and the Murderdolls. This popularity continued to the modern day with Blitzkid, Calabrese and Creeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Tape for a Blue Girl</span> American dark wave band

Black Tape for a Blue Girl is an American neoclassical dark wave band formed in 1986 by keyboardist/songwriter Sam Rosenthal, the founder of Projekt Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tiger Lillies</span> British macabre musical trio

The Tiger Lillies are a British musical trio formed in 1989 by singer-songwriter Martyn Jacques. Described as the forefathers of Brechtian Punk Cabaret, the Tiger Lillies are known for their unique sound and style which merges "the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin with the savage edge of punk".

<i>The Dresden Dolls</i> (album) 2003 studio album by The Dresden Dolls

The Dresden Dolls is the debut studio album by American dark cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. It was recorded by Brooklyn producer Martin Bisi and released on September 26, 2003 on 8 ft. Records, the band's personal label. Upon signing with Roadrunner Records, the album was re-released on April 27, 2004. The enhanced CD included a video for "Girl Anachronism". The album artwork was also modified to mask which record sleeves had been used in the album artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Viglione</span> American musician (born 1979)

Brian Viglione is an American drummer best known for his work with The Dresden Dolls and Violent Femmes. For a short time, he was also a member of New York City's cabaret punk orchestra The World/Inferno Friendship Society.

Glam punk is a music genre that began in the early to mid-1970s and incorporates elements of proto-punk and glam rock. The genre was pioneered by the New York Dolls, who influenced the formation of other New York City groups the Stilettos, the Brats and Ruby and the Rednecks and bands in the United Kingdom including Hollywood Brats and Jet. These bands largely began the early punk rock scene. The impact of Hanoi Rocks brought about a revived interest in the sound during the 1980s, seeing a revival with groups including the Dogs D'Amour and Soho Roses, and the pioneering of glam metal. Through the 1990s, some groups gained significant commercial success reviving the sound of glam punk, notably the Manic Street Preachers, Backyard Babies and Turbonegro.

Ethereal wave, also called ethereal darkwave, ethereal goth or simply ethereal, is a subgenre of dark wave music that is variously described as "gothic", "romantic", and "otherworldly". Developed in the early 1980s in the UK as an outgrowth of gothic rock, ethereal wave was mainly represented by 4AD bands such as Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, and early guitar-driven Dead Can Dance.

Audra is an Arizona-based post-punk band formed in 1991 in Mesa, Arizona by brothers Bret and Bart Helm. Audra broke out onto the national scene in 2000 when they signed with indie label Projekt Records. They have since released four full-length albums, with the most recent released in 2019.

The Onion Cellar was a jukebox musical featuring music by the Dresden Dolls which premiered at the American Repertory Theater's venue, the Zero Arrow Theater, in Cambridge, Massachusetts from December 9, 2006 to January 13, 2007. It combined cabaret show, rock concert and drama. It was conceived and written by Amanda Palmer, with Jonathan Marc Sherman, Marcus Stern, Christine Jones, Anthony Martignetti, and the cast. The running time was 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.

Bang Lime is an indie rock group created by Joules Scott-Key and Josh Winstead of the new wave/indie group Metric. The duo's history, which spans several bands, encompasses several acquired musical styles that are reflected in Bang Lime's music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurelio Voltaire</span> Cuban-American musician

Aurelio Voltaire Hernández, professionally known as Aurelio Voltaire or simply Voltaire, is a Cuban-American musician, singer, composer, author, and animator. Known for his gothic style of dress and music, Voltaire is considered a leading figure in the dark cabaret music genre. He has released 13 studio albums, including Riding a Black Unicorn Down the Side of an Erupting Volcano While Drinking from a Chalice Filled with the Laughter of Small Children (2011), BiTrektual (2012), and Raised by Bats (2014). He has also created songs for the Cartoon Network animated series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2001–2007).

<i>Dream Home Heartache</i> 1995 studio album by Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone

Dream Home Heartache is an experimental dark cabaret collaboration album featuring American musicians Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone, both former members of Christian Death. It was released in late 1995 by Triple X Records after being recorded between March 28 and April 5, 1995 in the Netherlands. Williams and Demone toured Europe and North America in support of the album, provoking a riot in Mexico City when fans were unable to enter the sold-out venue. The album is named after the Roxy Music song "In Every Dream Home a Heartache", a cover of which is the first and last track. The album features synthesisers, pianos and accordions, with cabaret-influenced vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dresden Dolls</span> American musical duo (formed 2000)

The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione. The two describe their style as "Brechtian punk cabaret", a phrase invented by Palmer because she was "terrified" that the press would invent a name that "would involve the word gothic". The Dresden Dolls aesthetic exemplifies dark cabaret.

<i>10 Neurotics</i> 2009 studio album by Black Tape for a Blue Girl

10 Neurotics is the tenth studio album by the darkwave/dark cabaret band Black Tape for a Blue Girl. It was released September 22, 2009 by Projekt Records in America, and September 25, 2009 by Trisol Records in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katzenjammer Kabarett</span> French dark cabaret band

Katzenjammer Kabarett is a French four-piece dark cabaret band from Paris, France. Aesthetically inspired by German Weimar-era cabarets and burlesque shows, the band's name is of German origin and literally translates to "cat's wail cabaret"; Katzenjammer also generally means "discordant sound" and is used as a synonym for a hangover. The band's other stylistic influences include Dadaism, Futurism, Symbolism and Postmodernism.

<i>Raised by Bats</i> 2014 studio album by Voltaire

Raised by Bats is the tenth studio album by Cuban American dark cabaret singer Voltaire, released in 2014. The album's production was crowdfunded by Voltaire's fans all over the world via a successful Indiegogo campaign; it would reach US$53,793, surpassing its originally intended goal of US$10,000. The album is a major departure of Voltaire's musical style; instead of his usual dark cabaret style, Raised by Bats is more deathrock- and gothic rock-oriented. According to Voltaire in his official website:

In truth, it's a tour of all of the kinds of music I loved growing up. There are songs on this album that are goth rock, deathrock, new wave, New Romantic, dark wave and dark folk. It's the album I've always wanted to make. Some of the songs were written as far back as 1984, when I was 17 years old!

References

  1. ↑ Issitt, Micah: Goths: A Guide to an American Subculture, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2011, ISBN   978-0-313-38604-6, p. 111
  2. 1 2 3 Weingarten, Christopher R. "Before & After 'The Black Parade'". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 Sfetcu, Nicolae. The Music Sound. 7 May 2014. Perhaps the earliest stage of the modern dark cabaret genre dates back to 1974, when Nico released her album, The End. Her songs, "You Forgot To Answer" and "Secret Side" were much ahead of the dark cabaret sound which was to come. Marc Almond also was an early contributor to this direction. The Virgin Prunes bordered the sound at times, and Nina Hagen's punk opera style closed in on it further.
  4. ↑ The Human Menagerie - Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley & Cockney , retrieved 21 March 2024
  5. ↑ Unknown Last Name, Unknown First Name. "Albums Tagged Dark Cabaret". Albums of the Year. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Boucanier, Thierry (20 February 2020). Camion Blanc: the History of the Goth Subculture. Camion Blanc. ISBN   9782378481629. Sex Gang Children are now considered the godfathers of goth. The singer, Andi Sex Gang, shares with the other members a certain attraction for German cabaret and the occult. Their debut album Naked, a live recording at Hammersmith's Clarenden Ballroom, was recorded on cassette only in 1982. Sex Gang Children play a type of macabre and terrifying music from beyond the grave, dark cabaret as they like to call it in the media.
  7. ↑ "The Tiger Lillies". The Tiger Lillies. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Home". Ink 19. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "the blue hour ::: a rozz williams website". thebluehour.free.fr. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Michael Pope (Director) (2004) The Rise and Times of The Dresden Dolls [DVD] 8-ft Records
  11. ↑ O’Brien, Vanna. "Why Did We Froth That Random AF Carnival Burlesque Aesthetic In The 2000s? An Investigation". Pedestrian . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "40 albums that honor Projekt Records' 40 years of darkwave, goth and more". Goldmine . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Ladouceur, Liisa (October 2011). Encyclopedia Gothica. ECW Press. Dark cabaret: Revival of cabaret and burlesque theatrics mixed with a more punk or goth musical styling, most often applied to the Dresden dolls. Popularized by the 2005 compilation Projekt Presents: A Dark Cabaret.
  14. ↑ Speer, Deborah "The Dresden Dolls" Pollstar, 3 April 2006
  15. ↑ "CD: The Dresden Dolls, Yes, Virginia". the Guardian. 13 April 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Ray Childish | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.