Tax payers fund explicit band

Herald Sun, Thursday, October 14, 2004

Outrage at graphic material

A band that sings graphic songs about prostitution, suicide and drug abuse will perform in Melbourne this week at a festival backed by local and state governments.

Family groups have condemned British cabaret trio the Tiger Lillie’s, who begin a week long stint in the Spiegeltent as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, sponsored by Arts Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

The State Government’s arts arm has pumped $5.5 million into the festival. The band’s website shows graphic pictures depicting bestiality and they sing about murder, rape and Jesus having sex.

National coordinator of family lobby group Endeavor Forum, Babette Francis, yesterday called for all shows to be cancelled.

“The fact that the State Government is sponsoring a festival featuring these people is appalling, especially considering the recent child pornography scandal,” she said. “This sort of thing, when presented as art, only encourages people in that sort of disgusting behavior,”

The Australian Family Association Vice-President Bill Muehlenberg said it was disgusting tax payers were footing the bill.

“I think the Government needs to be a bit more accountable about how they use taxpayer funds, and they should have more discretion in the acts they support,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the City of Melbourne said it only provided funding for the public programs in Federation Square.

A Government spokesman said the festival appointed an independent board that chose the acts.

Lyrics from the band’s 15 albums – with titles including The Brothel to the Cemetery, Spit Bucket, Farmyard Filth and Low Life Lullabies – penned by band front man Martyn Jacques, are displayed on its web site.

Jacques insisted last week that Melbourne audiences would not find the Tiger Lillie’s controversial, saying his work – described by critics as surrealistic porn – was art.

The band performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June last year. Audience members walked out in disgust after Jacques mocked child abuse.

“If people say that isn’t allowed then I would say they are rather fascistic in their outlook on life,” Jacques said.

“All I’m doing is self-expression, going places a lot of people wouldn’t go – it’s a form of entertainment. The only people who say it’s not allowed are narrow-minded – most places I go, there isn’t any controversy.”

Festival artistic director Robyn Archer said audiences had a choice whether to see the show. “The Tiger Lillie’s write and perform songs about life, its beauty and ugliness, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain,” she said. “They have been touring the world with these songs and for 14 years, playing to ecstatic audiences who pay money to see them, as is evidenced in Melbourne, where the Spiegeltent season is completely sold out.

“audiences pay to see these performances – its their choice. Nothing else needs to be said.”