Nervous Cabaret: Qawwali Punk

[Kire]

ecstatic music for savage souls...



these guys were on Salon's Daily Download last week

they kick ass

"They're more loud than nervous, and don't expect the Weimar sound. Think Tom Waits as Qawwali Gypsy King, backed by Joy Division with Captain Caveman clubbing the tympanum as a drum set. They're international rock stars in their native DUMBO but the rest of us are just beginning to catch on!"
(VILLAGE VOICE: KEITH)

"Imagine Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan singing with members of the Stray Cats and the Clash, only more intense, and you've got Nervous Cabaret. Elyas "KiD " Khan's Pakistan-trained voice belts out songs about getting drunk, falling out of love and selling out over endlessly evocative coronet by Fred Wight, fierce bass (Matt Morandi), drums (Brian Geltner) and now they've added a second drummer. You're guaranteed to both dance and cry within half an hour."
(NY PRESS)

NERVOUS CABARET is the result of what happens when great musicians see other great musicians play and decide to join in. The bands recruitment was a gradual process of "You guys are great count me in!"

NERVOUS CABARET have enjoyed two successful self-promoted tours in Europe including opening slots for bands like Gomez. (There is also a movie soundtrack on the horizon!). Individually the musicians of NERVOUS CABARET have worked (and are currently working) projects with/in an enormous list of bands and musicians including: Tears for Fears, Soul Asylum, Tom Waits (Book of Knots 2), Billy Gibbons, Joseph Arthur, Dave Pirner, The Autumn Defense... These are merely the beginning of the list!

THE STORY: It all started with an open mic.
ELYAS "KiD KHAN playing a weekly open mic in Brooklyn he referred to as "a practice place to work things out". Showing up with all manner of instruments, effects, contact mics, etc, Elyas rapidly developed a reputation and following as "that dude who did that crazy shit on the water bottles last week" or whatever other sound forces he put out.

In flies FRED WRIGHT - on a plane from Denmark - cornet in hand. Within hours of touchdown a friend says "tonight man, you gotta see this guy - he's crazy!" ... and then there were 2.

Their 1st show: an open mic in Manhattan offering cash prizes by audience vote; another "practice". Needless to say - they won! That summer Nervous Cabaret play a roof top party. A wild eyed 6 foot tall Brooklyn born BRIAN GELTNER a.k.a. "Dr. Snitch" strides up: "You guys are great - what about a drummer?" Reply: "Would you be willing put your kick drum on it's back and beat it with your fists?" Unphased by the request Geltner says "sure, but I've got a concert Tympani I think that'll be better."

In strolls MATT MORANDI, another Brooklyn born. Matt bends around his contra bass and the room is enveloped in swelling classical bowing which at some point, subtly, becomes Joy Division mashed up with Sun Ra . All mouths agape - he's shoving chopsticks in the bass to skew the tuning and playing a second instrument with this feet!

Just when everyone thinks it's complete a warm New Orleans breeze shifts the little hairs at the backs of people necks: GREG "G Wiz" WIECZOREK has come to New York! With the most perfect smile on earth Greg sits himself down beside Brian and lays out percussive fills and double layer rhythmic offsets that end with Brian and Greg - on their feet circling the drums - one kit with two players hammering the thunder of the gods and leaving the audience breathless and screaming at the same time!

LINE UP:
Elyas Khan "KiD : Guitar / Vocals / Electronics
Fred Wright: Cornet / Electronics
Matt Morandi: Bass / Electronics
Brian Geltner: Tympanum / High Hat / Percussion
Greg "G Wiz" Wieczorek: Floor Tom / Snare / Percussion

http://www.nervouscabaret.com/

7 Free Downloads Here: http://www.nervouscabaret.com/media.html

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

1. Thanks for that, very kick ass.

A British band with some similarities (certainly in spirit) are The Tiger Lillies

"The criminal castrati and his accordion driven anarchic Brechtian street opera trio performing their unique mix of falsetto crooning, strange gypsy music, cabaret from hell and deranged black comedy all over Europe."

http://www.tigerlillies.com/

They've come out of relative obscurity in the past few years with Shockheaded Peter - http://www.shockheadedpeter.com/ - and the Edward Gorey collaboration The Gorey End - http://www.angelrecords.com/Detail.asp?UPCCode=724355751324 . However, neither of these is wholly representitive of their work IMO - particularly the brilliantly obsene lyrics to many of their songs (ie "Murder is easy / Murder is fun / It's better than sex / I always cum" or "Rapist" - http://tigerlillies.com/2003/index.php?main=recordings&trackId=166
). Having said that, I'd love to take a kid to see Shockheaded Peter.

Sadly, there is little free stuff online that I can find. You can buy many of their songs as mp3's so they may show up on filesharing programs. Here's a link to a 30 minute set on NPR which isn't particularly representative:

http://wfmu.org/listen.ram?show=13063&archive=16504&starttime=0:31:46

Finally, here's a link to an interview with head-honcho, singer & lyricist Martyn Jacques:
http://suicidegirls.com/words/Martyn+Jacques+of+The+Tiger+Lillies/