The Tiger Lillies defy any singular description and operate within their own eccentric definitions. Formed in 1989, they tour the world both with the Shockheaded Peter production and by themselves, developing a dedicated following from New York and San Francisco in the US to St Petersburg in Russia. Their songs (once described as 'Surrealist Pornography') are captured on numerous self-released albums including Brothel to the Cemetery, Farmyard Filth, Ad Nauseam, Shockheaded Peter and Circus Songs.

The Tiger Lillies are an extraordinary three piece band fronted by singer Martyn Jacques who trained himself as an opera singer with a castrati style voice of heartbreaking beauty, whilst living alone above a strip joint in Soho for seven years. Accompanied by drummer Adrian Huge, whose appearance was described by David Byrne as James Joyce on drums, and double bass player Adrian Stout, Jacques plays accordion and sings savage and passionate songs about prostitutes, drug addicts and losers, his voice soaring and growling like a man possessed. Ken Campbell has described him as "the criminal castrati", and with his dickensian style of dress, long pigtail and bowler hat, his corrosive lyrics and his astonishing voice, all the while singing with his eyes closed, he makes an indelible impression. Jacques sings about life at the bottom of contemporary Britain with the voice of an angel.

The music is a startling mixture of opera, gypsy song and left bank Paris, but what really marks out this band from any other is the emotional charge and raw passion of the delivery. Their reputation is spreading very fast in the art culture underworld.

Quaternaire represents The Tiger Lillies in France only.