Lovely and Ferocious

Bring out your guns and your roses and get ready for the multi-octave singer Diamanda Galás’ Valentine’s Day Massacre. Forget all about roses-are-red ditties and seasonal cuddling and brace yourself for an evening of extreme passion that’s unsuitable for the weak of heart. Executing love on all registers has never sounded more appealing than when Diamanda’s epically scary vocal range causes collective heart-failure in audience members. But don’t worry, her relentless and unforgiving outbursts are usually followed by moments of formidable lyricism with graceful turns-of-phrase and hushed, lullaby-like murmurs that are then gushed away by yet another downpour of sheer guttural noise. On V-day she presents material from her two forthcoming 2007 releases—Guilty Guilty Guilty and You’re My Thrill—as she transforms love songs by Chet Baker, Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich and Ralph Stanley into her own personal, haunting elegies to Eros and Thanatos. Just picture her channeling her Greek fury and temperament to classic chansons, blues and ballads of love and loss and you will be delivered in a space of pure catharsis. 

Feb. 14, Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St. (betw. B’way & Church St.), 212-219-3132; 6:30 & 9:30, $20.