Inspired by the anti war satire created by Austrian writer Karl Kraus, the songs show a society marching to self destruction.

The gypsy punk cult cabaret stars say the themes covered by the work are more relevant than ever in the light of the war in Ukraine.
Songwriter and singer Martyn Jacques says: “Kraus talks about all the horrible things that happen in war. The starvation of the poor and the children, the deserters running away and being executed. It is all very poignant.

“The nastiest people start to control everything and petty bureaucrats wield power. It’s a nightmare. In many ways the war in Ukraine is more like World War Two than World War One because Putin is the aggressor. But you also have the propaganda - with people saying the Ukrainians are like Nazis which just isn’t true.”
Martyn Jacques said: “We have spent a lot of time in Ukraine and we are very upset about what is happening there.”

The 22 songs were originally written for a theatre production of Kraus’ epic masterpiece which was performed in Scotland, Germany and Poland in 2018 and was released digitally. All the songs have been recorded and re-mastered again in 2022.
Among the songs written by Jacques in response to The Last Days of Mankind are Die for your Country, War is Not Fair and the beautiful A Million Martyrs to Love.

Karl Kraus’ The Last Days of Mankind is an epic play written in Vienna during World War One. The text includes overheard conversations, newspaper reports and political discussions - reflecting the conversations happening among coffee house radicals during the war.
The entire play would take 24 hours to perform and was said by its author to be impossible to stage. A four hour theatre version, starring the Tiger Lillies, originating in Scotland, was directed by John Paul McGroarty and Yuri Birte Anderson and featured young actors from 11 European countries, including Ukraine.
Martyn Jacques said: “I’d never heard of Karl Kraus before being asked to take part in the project at Leith Theatre in Scotland. It is a remarkable piece of work and it inspired me to write a lot of new songs.”

As a songwriter Jacques is extraordinarily prolific and often writes songs in response to current events. During Covid he wrote two albums about the worldwide pandemic, the fear the suffering and the death. He has also written several satirical songs about President Putin and the war in Ukraine.

CREDITS:

Martyn Jacques: vocals, accordion, organ, piano, guitar, ukulele

Adrian Stout: upright bass, baglamas, percussion, backing vocals, musical saw, jaw harp

Recorded at RedLightStudio in Berlin

Mixed and mastered by Timm Brockmann and Utku Sahin at RedLightStudio, Berlin, 2018 and 2022

Executive producer: Martyna Lach

Album design and artwork: Mark Holthusen, Frederic Domont

All songs written by Martyn Jacques except “Vienna My Heart” and “Caviar”, both with music

by Martyn Jacques and lyrics by Karl Kraus as translated by Patrick Healy

The music was originally featured in a theatrical production of Last Days of Mankind at Leith Theatre,

Edinburgh, in 2018, co-directed by John Paul McGroarty and Yuri Birte Anderson

Copyright and publishing Misery Guts Music Ltd., 2022

www.tigerlillies.com

TRACKLIST:

1. Sunshine in Vienna 2. England 3. Austria First 4. Hansi 5. Bayonet 6. Lies 7. Die For Your Country 8. Dance of Death 9. War Is Not Fair 10. Hymn of Hate 11. Die 12. Vienna My Heart 13. Cafe Europa 14. Infant Mortality 15. Mad 16. Caviar 17. Heads in the Sand 18. Treason 19. Syphilitic 20. Kaiser’s Song 21. Million Martyrs To Love 22. Dancing with the Devil