Dark cabaret
| Dark cabaret | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Punk cabaret |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1970s–1990s, Western and Central Europe |
| Other topics | |
Dark cabaretis amusical genrethat draws on the aesthetics ofburlesque,vaudevilleandWeimar-eracabaret, with live performances that borrow from the stylings ofgothandpunk.
History[edit]
Precursors[edit]
In a 2019 article forThe New York Timeswriter Christopher R. Weingarten stated that "Any journey into cabaret-punk begins with the work ofBertold BrechtandKurt Weill".The pair's work merged Weimar-era cabaret with elements of the country'spop music,Americanjazz musicandsocialistthemes. Weingarten specifically cited the "Alabama Song"(1930), as performed byLotte Lenya,as a notable precursor, as well as its 1967 cover by rock bandthe Doors.Furthermore, the 1972 filmCabaret's dark and cynical take on cabaret performance anticipated dark cabaret.[2]
Origins (1970s–1990s)[edit]
In his bookThe Music Sound,academic Nicolae Sfetcu traced the origins of dark cabaret to German musicianNico's 1974 albumThe End...and its songs "You Forgot to Answer" and "Secret Side".[3]Dave Thompson's review forAllMusicalso citedSteve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1973 albumThe Human Menagerieas dark cabaret.[4]andThe Psychomodo.[5]In the following years, this style was also adopted byMarc Almond,the Virgin PrunesandNina 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 theTiger Lillies,formed in London in 1989. In the 1980s satirical cabaret had been revived and popularised by London-based bands such asFascinating Aïdaand Kit and The Widow but the Tiger Lillies incorporated themes ofblasphemy,prostitutionandbestialityin their songs, sung byMartyn Jacquesin a menacing style with afalsettovoice.[7]A collaboration betweenRozz WilliamsandGitane Demone– both former members ofChristian Death,entitledDream Home Heartache(1995) – was described by reviewers as "cabaretnoir"[8]or "glam cabaret".[9]
Mainstream success (2000s)[edit]
The late 1990s saw the rise ofNeo-Burlesque,which revived interest in cabaret. Appearance of performers such as the Chicago burlesque orchestraApartment(1997–2005) and the emergence ofgothic 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 filmsMoulin Rouge!(2001),Big Fish(2003) andA Series Of Unfortunate Eventsgaining significant attention, the high profile public persona of burlesque dancerDita Von Teeseand the medium being incorporated into music videos released by musical artists includingBig Brovaz,the KillersandModest Mouse.[11]
Dark cabaret as a distinct musical movement began to solidify around the mid-2000s, notably represented byProjekt Records's 2005 compilation albumProjekt Presents: A Dark Cabaret,which largely popularised the genre.[12][13]The album included "Flowers" fromDream Home Heartachesung by Rozz Williams together with, among others, "Evil Night Together" byJill Tracy,"Sometimes, Sunshine" by Revue Noir, and "Coin-Operated Boy"bythe Dresden Dolls.Formed byAmanda PalmerandBrian Viglionein 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 andthe World/Inferno Friendship Society,[2]and bands began categorising themselves and their performance as dark cabaret, such asKatzenjammer Kabarettin France, or Ray Childish inAustria.[16]At this time, elements of dark cabaret also began to be embraced by practitioners ofemo popmusic, includingMy Chemical RomanceandPanic! at the Disco.[2]
Record labels[edit]
- Projekt Records
- No Comment Records
- The End Records
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Issitt, Micah:Goths: A Guide to an American Subculture,Greenwood Publishing Group, 2011,ISBN978-0-313-38604-6,p. 111
- ^abcWeingarten, Christopher R."Before & After 'The Black Parade'".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 9 July 2020.Retrieved30 January2024.
- ^abSfetcu, 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.
- ^The Human Menagerie - Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley & Cockney,retrieved21 March2024
- ^Unknown Last Name, Unknown First Name."Albums Tagged Dark Cabaret".Albums of the Year.Retrieved21 March2023.
- ^Boucanier, Thierry (20 February 2020).Camion Blanc: the History of the Goth Subculture.Camion Blanc.ISBN9782378481629.
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 albumNaked,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.
- ^"The Tiger Lillies".The Tiger Lillies.Retrieved22 November2022.
- ^"Home".Ink 19.Retrieved22 November2022.
- ^"the blue hour::: a rozz williams website".thebluehour.free.fr.Retrieved22 November2022.
- ^Michael Pope(Director) (2004)The Rise and Times of The Dresden Dolls[DVD] 8-ft Records
- ^O’Brien, Vanna."Why Did We Froth That Random AF Carnival Burlesque Aesthetic In The 2000s? An Investigation".Pedestrian.Retrieved30 January2024.
- ^Thompson, Dave."40 albums that honor Projekt Records' 40 years of darkwave, goth and more".Goldmine.Retrieved30 January2024.
- ^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.
- ^Speer, Deborah "The Dresden Dolls" Pollstar, 3 April 2006
- ^"CD: The Dresden Dolls, Yes, Virginia".the Guardian.13 April 2006.Retrieved22 November2022.
- ^"Ray Childish | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos".Myspace.18 May 2016.Retrieved11 November2022.
