Martyn P. Casey
Encyclopedia
Martyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitar
ist. He had been a member of The Triffids
, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
and Grinderman
. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass
or Fender Jazz Bass
.
with his wife and children where he plays with Kevin Smith and the Seven Storey Jumpers.
in September 1982 replacing bassist Byron Sinclair. With the band, he recorded their second EP
, Bad Timing and Other Stories
in October. It was issued by Mushroom Records
in April 1983. Mushroom let the band go shortly after its release. The group then saved money from support slots with the Hoodoo Gurus
, The Church
and Hunters and Collectors, to record and release their debut 12-inch vinyl album
, Treeless Plain
, for Hot Records, a newly established Sydney-based independent label.
In late 1984, The Triffids moved to London, and recorded the EP Field of Glass
. The band's line-up stabilised with the addition of 'Evil' Graham Lee
on pedal steel guitar. In August 1985, they recorded their second album, Born Sandy Devotional
, with Gil Norton
(Echo & the Bunnymen
). The group were hailed by the British media, were featured on the John Peel
show and supported Echo & the Bunnymen
.
In 1986, with delays in issuing Born Sandy Devotional, the Triffids returned to Western Australia where they built an eight-track machine inside a shearing shed on the McComb family's farming property and recorded their third album In the Pines
. Born Sandy Devotional was eventually released in March 1986, it reached #27 on the UK charts and #64 in Australia. On their return to the UK, they signed a three-record deal with Island Records
. In 1987, armed with the considerable budget of £125,000, and the production skills of Gil Norton
, David McComb and a new recruit, Adam Peters, concocted the lush orchestrations of the poignant "Bury Me Deep in Love
" and the melancholic wide-screen atmosphere of the subsequent Calenture
album. Despite the release of another two tracks from the album as singles, "Trick of the Light
" and "Holy Water", Calenture did not have the commercial impact expected.
In 1989, the "Goodbye Little Boy
" single featured in the Australian TV soap opera
Neighbours
. 1989 also saw Tthe Triffids record their last studio album, The Black Swan
in England, with producer Stephen Street
. Despite being well received, the album wasn't an overwhelming success, which disappointed David and the rest of the band to the point where they decided to dissolve the band. In order to fulfil their contractual obligations with Island Records, a live album recorded in Stockholm, Stockholm, was released in 1990 the year after The Triffids had split up.
Casey, a talented drawer, provides a substantial amount of the art work for the 2009 rock biography on The Triffids, Vagabond Holes: David McComb and the Triffids, edited by Australian academics Niall Lucy
and Chris Coughran, including the book's cover.
) on guitar and vocals, and Ashley Davis on drums. The Bottomless Schooners of Old were a precursor to the The Blackeyed Susans
He replaced Phil Kakulas who left the Blackeyed Susans for Sydney to play with Martha's Vineyard
. Casey however did not appear on any of the band's recorded material and departed shortly after to join Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
.
on bass in April 1990 while the band was touring behind their record The Good Son
. Casey replaced departing guitarist Kid Congo Powers
(The Cramps
, The Gun Club), allowing the band's previous bassist, Mick Harvey
, to take on the guitarist role. The line up of Nick Cave
, Harvey, Blixa Bargeld
, Conway Savage
, Casey and Thomas Wydler
then produced the 1992 album Henry's Dream
. The next album was Live Seeds, released in September 1993, which reproduced many of the Henry's Dream
songs in a more raw setting.
The Bad Seeds' went onto to release Let Love In (April 1994) which contained classic tracks such as "Do You Love Me?", "Red Right Hand
", and "Loverman". This was followed by band's biggest commercial success to date, Murder Ballads
(February 1996), which was a culmination of Cave's long-time fascination with "the language of violence" and allowed for further bold experimentation in musical style. Collaborations with Kylie Minogue
and PJ Harvey
on the singles "Where The Wild Roses Grow" and "Henry Lee" respectively led to mainstream chart success and The Bad Seeds widest exposure ever. This album also saw the addition of two new Bad Seeds, Warren Ellis
(The Dirty Three) on violin, and Jim Sclavunos
on percussion.
March 1997 saw the release of The Bad Seeds' tenth studio album, The Boatman's Call
, one of the most critically acclaimed releases by the Bad Seeds. The following year saw the release of The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
, a collection that spanned the group's entire history. Over the next two years Nick Cave spent working on a variety of projects, with the Bad Seeds going into hiatus.
In 2000 the band entered London's Abbey Road Studios, resulting in the April 2001 release of No More Shall We Part
. The next album Nocturama
was released in February 2003 to moderate critical success. The fourteenth studio album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
(September 2004) was a double CD
. It was the first album by the band in which Blixa Bargeld
did not take part (Bargeld leaving the band to devote more time to Einstürzende Neubauten
), drumming duties were split for the two albums, having Thomas Wydler
and Jim Sclavunos
drum on each CD.
In March 2008, the band released their 14th studio album, titled Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
, inspired by the Biblical story of the resurrection
of Lazarus of Bethany
by Jesus Christ.
, Nick Cave began writing songs on guitar, an instrument he'd rarely played. His rudimentary playing gave the new material a rawer feel than much of the Bad Seeds' output.
The group entered the Metropolis Studios in London to record the original Grinderman demos and it was this material that would eventually become the basis for the band's debut album Grinderman
. The album was recorded with producer Nick Launay
in April at the RAK studios, London and mixed in October at the Metropolis Studios.
Grinderman
was released in March 2007. The band made their live debut at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival
in Somerset
the following month. This was followed by a one-off show at The Forum
in London on 20 June.
Grinderman opened for The White Stripes
at their Madison Square Garden
show on 24 July 2007, followed by several of their own American tour dates. The band then embarked on a theatre tour of Australia, opening for a Nick Cave 'solo' set, which consisted of the same band members.
The band has since recorded a second album, Grinderman 2, released in September 2010. The band are doing a European and North American tour to promote the album's release.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist. He had been a member of The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
and Grinderman
Grinderman
Grinderman is an alternative rock band formed by Nick Cave , Warren Ellis , Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos in London, United Kingdom in 2006...
. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
or Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
.
Biography
Martyn Paul Casey was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England on 10 July 1960 and has a twin brother Mark. Casey's original band was called The Nobodies which was formed in February 1980, with Matthew Stirling on guitar and Steve Eskine on drums (this line-up of the band released a cassette of their recordings). In early 1981 he left The Nobodies and played in a reggae band, A2Z. When not touring he lives in FremantleFremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
with his wife and children where he plays with Kevin Smith and the Seven Storey Jumpers.
The Triffids
Casey joined The TriffidsThe Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
in September 1982 replacing bassist Byron Sinclair. With the band, he recorded their second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Bad Timing and Other Stories
Bad Timing and Other Stories
Bad Timing and Other Stories is the second official recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" EP in April, 1983.- Personnel :* David McComb - lead vocals, guitar, organ, piano, synthesiser* Robert McComb - guitar, violin, organ...
in October. It was issued by Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in April 1983. Mushroom let the band go shortly after its release. The group then saved money from support slots with the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
and Hunters and Collectors, to record and release their debut 12-inch vinyl album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Treeless Plain
Treeless Plain
Treeless Plain is the debut album by The Triffids, released in November, 1983. The album was recorded at Emerald City Studios, Sydney, Australia in twelve midnight to dawn sessions, during August through to September, 1983...
, for Hot Records, a newly established Sydney-based independent label.
In late 1984, The Triffids moved to London, and recorded the EP Field of Glass
Field of Glass
Field Of Glass by The Triffids was released as a 12" EP in 1985. All the songs were generally recorded live at BBC Studio 5, Maida Vale, London...
. The band's line-up stabilised with the addition of 'Evil' Graham Lee
Graham Lee (Australian musician)
Graham Lee is an Australian rock musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'....
on pedal steel guitar. In August 1985, they recorded their second album, Born Sandy Devotional
Born Sandy Devotional
Born Sandy Devotional was an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. The cover photo shows the now West Australian city of Mandurah back in 1961. All the songs on the album were written by David McComb...
, with Gil Norton
Gil Norton
Gil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
(Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
). The group were hailed by the British media, were featured on the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show and supported Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
.
In 1986, with delays in issuing Born Sandy Devotional, the Triffids returned to Western Australia where they built an eight-track machine inside a shearing shed on the McComb family's farming property and recorded their third album In the Pines
In the Pines (album)
In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August, 1986 and reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.The album was recorded in a woolshed on a remote Western Australian farming property, owned by the McCombs' parents, on an eight-track machine for a grand total of $1190 In The Pines...
. Born Sandy Devotional was eventually released in March 1986, it reached #27 on the UK charts and #64 in Australia. On their return to the UK, they signed a three-record deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. In 1987, armed with the considerable budget of £125,000, and the production skills of Gil Norton
Gil Norton
Gil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
, David McComb and a new recruit, Adam Peters, concocted the lush orchestrations of the poignant "Bury Me Deep in Love
Bury Me Deep in Love
Bury Me Deep In Love is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was released in October, 1987 and reached No. 48 on the Australian Singles Charts. The single was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb...
" and the melancholic wide-screen atmosphere of the subsequent Calenture
Calenture (album)
Calenture is the fourth studio album by The Triffids, released in February 1987 which reached No. 32 on the Australian Album Charts. Calenture also reached No...
album. Despite the release of another two tracks from the album as singles, "Trick of the Light
Trick of the Light
Trick of the Light is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb. The B-Side "Love the Fever" was co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters and was produced by Adam Peters and was recorded in August 1986...
" and "Holy Water", Calenture did not have the commercial impact expected.
In 1989, the "Goodbye Little Boy
Goodbye Little Boy
"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released by The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The B-Side "Go Home Eddie" was written by David McComb and produced by Stephen Street...
" single featured in the Australian TV soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. 1989 also saw Tthe Triffids record their last studio album, The Black Swan
The Black Swan (The Triffids album)
The Black Swan is an album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and reached No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts. The album was originally conceived as a double album....
in England, with producer Stephen Street
Stephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
. Despite being well received, the album wasn't an overwhelming success, which disappointed David and the rest of the band to the point where they decided to dissolve the band. In order to fulfil their contractual obligations with Island Records, a live album recorded in Stockholm, Stockholm, was released in 1990 the year after The Triffids had split up.
Casey, a talented drawer, provides a substantial amount of the art work for the 2009 rock biography on The Triffids, Vagabond Holes: David McComb and the Triffids, edited by Australian academics Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy is an Australian writer and scholar best known for his work in deconstruction.-Career:Niall Lucy is a professor in the School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts at Curtin University, and a former Head of the School of Arts at Murdoch University...
and Chris Coughran, including the book's cover.
The Blackeyed Susans
In 1989 Casey joined Bottomless Schooners of Old, made up of McComb on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Lee on pedal steel guitar, Robert Snarski (ex-Chad's TreeChad's Tree
Chad's Tree are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1983. The band's brittle, off-kilter sound evoked the sense of distance, desolation, harshness and loneliness of the Nullarbor Plain , much in the same fashion as fellow Perth outfit The Triffids.-Biography:The Snarskis were born in...
) on guitar and vocals, and Ashley Davis on drums. The Bottomless Schooners of Old were a precursor to the The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
He replaced Phil Kakulas who left the Blackeyed Susans for Sydney to play with Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard (band)
Martha's Vineyard were an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1986 by lead singer . Martha's Vineyard shared a similar sound and outlook to that of fellow Perth bands like The Triffids, The Honeys and Chad's Tree...
. Casey however did not appear on any of the band's recorded material and departed shortly after to join Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Casey joined Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsNick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
on bass in April 1990 while the band was touring behind their record The Good Son
The Good Son (album)
The Good Son is the sixth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1990 . It was preceded by the release of "The Ship Song/The Train Song" single. "The Weeping Song/Cock's 'n' Asses" was later also released as a single. After an album as dark and intense as Tender Prey, some fans were...
. Casey replaced departing guitarist Kid Congo Powers
Kid Congo Powers
Kid Congo Powers is the stage name of Brian Tristan , an American rock guitarist and singer, best known as a member of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.-Biography:...
(The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, The Gun Club), allowing the band's previous bassist, Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
, to take on the guitarist role. The line up of Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Harvey, Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
, Conway Savage
Conway Savage
Conway Savage is an Australian rock musician best known as pianist/organist/backing vocalist for Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds....
, Casey and Thomas Wydler
Thomas Wydler
Thomas Wydler , is a Swiss musician best known for being a core member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, of which he has been a drummer since 1985. Prior to joining them, he was a member of the experimental German band Die Haut. Wydler has been present on almost every Bad Seeds album, making his...
then produced the 1992 album Henry's Dream
Henry's Dream
Henry's Dream is the seventh album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in spring 1992. There are possible references to John Berryman's series of poems The Dream Songs, which logs the dreams of the protagonist Henry. This album remains a big favourite amongst Bad Seeds fans, although Nick Cave...
. The next album was Live Seeds, released in September 1993, which reproduced many of the Henry's Dream
Henry's Dream
Henry's Dream is the seventh album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in spring 1992. There are possible references to John Berryman's series of poems The Dream Songs, which logs the dreams of the protagonist Henry. This album remains a big favourite amongst Bad Seeds fans, although Nick Cave...
songs in a more raw setting.
The Bad Seeds' went onto to release Let Love In (April 1994) which contained classic tracks such as "Do You Love Me?", "Red Right Hand
Red Right Hand
"Red Right Hand" is a 1994 song and single from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.It first appeared on the album Let Love In, where it ran at 6:10. It was later released as a single at the condensed length of 4:48...
", and "Loverman". This was followed by band's biggest commercial success to date, Murder Ballads
Murder Ballads
Murder Ballads is the ninth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1996 on Mute Records. As its title suggests, the album consists of new and traditional murder ballads, a genre of songs that relays the details of crimes of passion."Where the Wild Roses Grow," a duet featuring...
(February 1996), which was a culmination of Cave's long-time fascination with "the language of violence" and allowed for further bold experimentation in musical style. Collaborations with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
on the singles "Where The Wild Roses Grow" and "Henry Lee" respectively led to mainstream chart success and The Bad Seeds widest exposure ever. This album also saw the addition of two new Bad Seeds, Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis (musician)
Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
(The Dirty Three) on violin, and Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos is an American rock music drummer, percussionist and producer.Sclavunos, a half-Greek and half-Italian from Brooklyn, New York , is well-known for his exceptional height at 6'7". Sclavunos has performed with Sonic Youth, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Lydia Lunch and was a member of 8...
on percussion.
March 1997 saw the release of The Bad Seeds' tenth studio album, The Boatman's Call
The Boatman's Call
The Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album, which is entirely piano-based and a departure from the band's post-punk catalogue, remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career.-Background and...
, one of the most critically acclaimed releases by the Bad Seeds. The following year saw the release of The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a compilation album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was released in 1998, following The Boatman's Call ....
, a collection that spanned the group's entire history. Over the next two years Nick Cave spent working on a variety of projects, with the Bad Seeds going into hiatus.
In 2000 the band entered London's Abbey Road Studios, resulting in the April 2001 release of No More Shall We Part
No More Shall We Part
A limited-edition version included a bonus disc with two extra tracks, plus multi-media CD-ROM files :...
. The next album Nocturama
Nocturama
Nocturama is the 12th studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 2003. It received a fairly mixed reaction, though it had some moderate critical success. To date, it is the last Bad Seeds album to feature founding member Blixa Bargeld...
was released in February 2003 to moderate critical success. The fourteenth studio album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is the 13th studio album released by Australian alternative rock band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It is a double CD with 17 tracks – 9 on Abattoir Blues and 8 on The Lyre of Orpheus – which was released on 20 September 2004...
(September 2004) was a double CD
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
. It was the first album by the band in which Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
did not take part (Bargeld leaving the band to devote more time to Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
), drumming duties were split for the two albums, having Thomas Wydler
Thomas Wydler
Thomas Wydler , is a Swiss musician best known for being a core member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, of which he has been a drummer since 1985. Prior to joining them, he was a member of the experimental German band Die Haut. Wydler has been present on almost every Bad Seeds album, making his...
and Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos is an American rock music drummer, percussionist and producer.Sclavunos, a half-Greek and half-Italian from Brooklyn, New York , is well-known for his exceptional height at 6'7". Sclavunos has performed with Sonic Youth, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Lydia Lunch and was a member of 8...
drum on each CD.
In March 2008, the band released their 14th studio album, titled Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is the fourteenth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album was recorded in June and July 2007 at The State of the Ark Studios in Richmond, London and mixed by Nick Launay at British Grove Studios in Chiswick, and was released on...
, inspired by the Biblical story of the resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
of Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
by Jesus Christ.
Grinderman
After heavy touring throughout 2005 with The Bad Seeds in support of Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of OrpheusAbattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is the 13th studio album released by Australian alternative rock band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It is a double CD with 17 tracks – 9 on Abattoir Blues and 8 on The Lyre of Orpheus – which was released on 20 September 2004...
, Nick Cave began writing songs on guitar, an instrument he'd rarely played. His rudimentary playing gave the new material a rawer feel than much of the Bad Seeds' output.
The group entered the Metropolis Studios in London to record the original Grinderman demos and it was this material that would eventually become the basis for the band's debut album Grinderman
Grinderman (album)
Grinderman is the eponymous debut studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on March 5, 2007 on Mute Records in Europe and ANTI- in the United States...
. The album was recorded with producer Nick Launay
Nick Launay
Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...
in April at the RAK studios, London and mixed in October at the Metropolis Studios.
Grinderman
Grinderman (album)
Grinderman is the eponymous debut studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on March 5, 2007 on Mute Records in Europe and ANTI- in the United States...
was released in March 2007. The band made their live debut at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
the following month. This was followed by a one-off show at The Forum
London Forum
The London Forum, or sometimes Kentish Town Forum is a well-known venue for concerts in Kentish Town, London, United Kingdom owned by the MAMA Group. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the closure of the cinema, The Town & Country Club was established...
in London on 20 June.
Grinderman opened for The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
at their Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
show on 24 July 2007, followed by several of their own American tour dates. The band then embarked on a theatre tour of Australia, opening for a Nick Cave 'solo' set, which consisted of the same band members.
The band has since recorded a second album, Grinderman 2, released in September 2010. The band are doing a European and North American tour to promote the album's release.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1990-present)
- Studio albums
- Henry's DreamHenry's DreamHenry's Dream is the seventh album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in spring 1992. There are possible references to John Berryman's series of poems The Dream Songs, which logs the dreams of the protagonist Henry. This album remains a big favourite amongst Bad Seeds fans, although Nick Cave...
- Mute RecordsMute RecordsMute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
(1992) - Let Love In - Mute Records (1994)
- Murder BalladsMurder BalladsMurder Ballads is the ninth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1996 on Mute Records. As its title suggests, the album consists of new and traditional murder ballads, a genre of songs that relays the details of crimes of passion."Where the Wild Roses Grow," a duet featuring...
- Mute Records (1996) - The Boatman's CallThe Boatman's CallThe Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album, which is entirely piano-based and a departure from the band's post-punk catalogue, remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career.-Background and...
- Mute Records / Reprise RecordsReprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
(1997) - No More Shall We PartNo More Shall We PartA limited-edition version included a bonus disc with two extra tracks, plus multi-media CD-ROM files :...
- Mute Records (2001) - NocturamaNocturamaNocturama is the 12th studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 2003. It received a fairly mixed reaction, though it had some moderate critical success. To date, it is the last Bad Seeds album to feature founding member Blixa Bargeld...
- Mute Records (2003) - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of OrpheusAbattoir Blues/The Lyre of OrpheusAbattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is the 13th studio album released by Australian alternative rock band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It is a double CD with 17 tracks – 9 on Abattoir Blues and 8 on The Lyre of Orpheus – which was released on 20 September 2004...
- Mute Records (2CD) (2004) - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is the fourteenth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album was recorded in June and July 2007 at The State of the Ark Studios in Richmond, London and mixed by Nick Launay at British Grove Studios in Chiswick, and was released on...
- Mute Records (2008)
- Henry's Dream
- Live albums and compilations
- Live SeedsLive SeedsLive Seeds is the first official live Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album, including the never-studio-recorded "Plain Gold Ring", a cover of a Nina Simone song...
- Mute Records (1993) - The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsThe Best of Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsThe Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a compilation album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was released in 1998, following The Boatman's Call ....
- Mute Records (1998) - B-Sides & Rarities - Mute Records (3CD) (2005)
- Abattoir Blues Tour - Mute Records (2CD/2DVD)(2007)
- Live Seeds
Grinderman (2006-present)
- GrindermanGrinderman (album)Grinderman is the eponymous debut studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on March 5, 2007 on Mute Records in Europe and ANTI- in the United States...
- Mute RecordsMute RecordsMute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
(5 March 2007)