Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Encyclopedia
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.
: Nick Cave
(vocals, songwriter, keyboards, harmonica) and Mick Harvey
(drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, occasional songwriter). The name of the new project indicated the shift in Cave's role from lead singer — as in The Birthday Party — to band leader, and coincided with his shift in songwriting style from expressionism
to detailed lyrical narrative.
Cave and Harvey were joined by a semi-fluid group of bandmates, initially including Einstürzende Neubauten
member Blixa Bargeld
(guitar), Hugo Race
(guitar), and former Magazine
member Barry Adamson
(guitar, bass, piano). After some studio work, the band's debut public performance was held on New Year's Eve
1983 in Melbourne, under the name Nick Cave – Man Or Myth? and was followed by a short tour, even though the band was "in the wilderness" and without management. The band then briefly performed under the name Nick Cave and the Cavemen before adopting the "Bad Seeds" moniker, in reference to the final Birthday Party release, The Bad Seed
EP. Soon after their final name change, the group recorded their debut album, From Her to Eternity
, which released in 1984, and was quickly followed by Race's departure from the group.
Cave separated from long-time girlfriend and credited Bad Seed lyricist Anita Lane
prior to the final sessions from From Her to Eternity and began a relationship with Elisabeth Recker. After relocating himself and The Bad Seeds to West Berlin
, Nick Cave recorded and released a further four albums with The Bad Seeds. The Firstborn Is Dead
, released in 1985, featured their hit single "Tupelo and their 1986 cover album Kicking Against the Pricks
featured covers from Cave's influences, such as Johnny Cash
, John Lee Hooker
and Lead Belly. The band gathered a notable following soon after the release of Your Funeral, My Trial in 1986 and received praise for their 1988 Tender Prey
which features Cave's signature song, "The Mercy Seat". Kicking Against the Pricks was the first album to feature the drumming of Swiss Thomas Wydler
, which was shortly followed by Adamson's departure and the arrival of American guitarist Kid Congo Powers
, along with short-tenured keyboardist Roland Wolf
. In 1987, the Bad Seeds made an appearance in the Wim Wenders
film Wings of Desire
and Cave was also featured in the 1988 film Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
which he co-wrote.
, Brazil
with partner Viviane Carneiro soon after the release and subsequent tour for Tender Prey and released The Good Son
, Powers' final collaboration with the band, in 1990. The album was well-received critically and commercially as it featured a more structured sound as opposed to the band's previous experimental sound. Their next record, 1992's Henry's Dream
saw the band's line-up change yet again and was the first album to feature current members Martyn Casey and Conway Savage
. The album's tour — which is documented on 1993's live album Live Seeds
— was the band's most successful up to that time. In mid-1993, Cave relocated to London where Henry's Dreams follow-up Let Love In was recorded in 1994.
In 1996, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Murder Ballads
, the band's most notable work to date. Dealing with the subject of murder, the album includes a cover of the folk song "Henry Lee" — a duet with British rock singer PJ Harvey
, with whom Cave had a brief relationship — and "Where the Wild Roses Grow
", a duet with Australian pop idol Kylie Minogue
. The latter was a mainstream hit in the United Kingdom and in Australia, winning three ARIA Awards including "Song of the Year." Australian violinist Warren Ellis
began working with the band at this time, and would play an increasingly significant creative role in the band's output in coming years. American drummer Jim Sclavunos
also joined the group.
1997 saw the release of the band's next album, The Boatman's Call
, which was marked by a radical shift away from archetypal and violent narratives to biographical and confessional songs about his relationships with ex-wife Vivian Carneiro and PJ Harvey. After the release of the album, Cave then took a short break to rehabilitate from his 20 years of heroin and alcohol abuse, during which time he also remarried.
in 2001. After the release of 2003's Nocturama
, long-time member Blixa Bargeld announced he was leaving the band after twenty years with the group to devote more time to Einstürzende Neubauten.
In 2004, the band released the acclaimed two-disc set Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
, with English guitarist and organist James Johnston (of the group Gallon Drunk
) replacing Bargeld. To compliment the success of the double album, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released B-Sides & Rarities, a three-disc, 56-track collection of B-sides, rarities, and tracks that had appeared on film soundtracks in 2005.
Cave, Ellis, Sclavunos and Casey formed the new side-project Grinderman
in 2006. The band, essentially half of The Bad Seeds and featuring Cave on guitar for the first significant time, perform more garage rock
-influenced music that nonetheless retains much of The Bad Seeds' aura. Since this time, the two bands have operated simultaneously and Grinderman have since released two albums, 2007's Grinderman
and 2010's follow-up Grinderman 2
.
In October 2007, Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and expressed his intention to induct the Australian members of The Bad Seeds (excluding Hugo Race), plus the members of The Birthday Party
(excluding Phill Calvert) in his acceptance speech.
The band released their fourteenth and most recent studio album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
in 2008. Inspired by the Biblical story of the resurrection
of Lazarus of Bethany
by Jesus Christ, the album received excellent reviews. The band also released an exclusive "Live Session" EP through iTunes in April 2008, recorded at Air Studios on 2 March, as part of iTunes' "Live From London" series. The group next embarked on a North American and European tour supporting Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, with a seven-piece lineup omitting Johnston, who had reportedly left the group after the album's completion.
Cave and the band curated an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
music festival, the first in Australia, which took place in a number of locations in January 2009. On 22 January 2009, following a string of Bad Seeds concerts in Australia, Mute Records issued a statement from Mick Harvey announcing his departure from the band after 25 years citing professional and personal reasons. It was the end of a 36 year-long musical collaboration between Cave and Harvey and left Cave as the group's only original member. Shortly thereafter, the band announced plans to perform summer festival dates with the addition of guitarist Ed Kuepper
, formerly of the influential Australian bands The Saints
and Laughing Clowns.
The band's song "O Children" from the album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
appeared in the 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
In 22 November 2010, in interview with Spinner.com Nick Cave said that the band plans to have a new album in 2011.
In addition to his performances with the Bad Seeds, Cave has, since the '90s, performed live 'solo' tours with Cave on piano, Ellis on violin and a fluctuating bass/drums line-up. The current trio is Bad Seeds' Martyn P. Casey
, Jim Sclavunos
and Warren Ellis
(nicknamed the Mini-Seeds, later known as a separate band, Grinderman
).
to London in 1980. Since forming The Bad Seeds in 1984 he has lived in Berlin, São Paulo
, London and Brighton
(UK). The various international members of the band meet to record and tour. Nationalities of the current and ex-members are:
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band, formed in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1983. The band is fronted by 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...
and has featured international personnel throughout their career.
Formation and early releases (1983–1988)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was originally formed in late 1983 by two former members of the Australian band The Birthday PartyThe Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
: 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...
(vocals, songwriter, keyboards, harmonica) and 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...
(drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, occasional songwriter). The name of the new project indicated the shift in Cave's role from lead singer — as in The Birthday Party — to band leader, and coincided with his shift in songwriting style from expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
to detailed lyrical narrative.
Cave and Harvey were joined by a semi-fluid group of bandmates, initially including 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...
member Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
(guitar), Hugo Race
Hugo Race
Hugo Race is an Australian rock musician and record producer who has been based in Europe since 1989. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, before forming The Wreckery with Nick Barker and Robin Casinader in the 1980s. He is currently a member of Hugo Race and the True Spirit.Race is...
(guitar), and former Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
member Barry Adamson
Barry Adamson
Barry Adamson is a British rock musician who has worked with rock bands such as Magazine, Visage, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electronic musicians Pan sonic and Depeche Mode. Adamson created the seven-minute opus "Useless " remix for the latter band in 1997...
(guitar, bass, piano). After some studio work, the band's debut public performance was held on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1983 in Melbourne, under the name Nick Cave – Man Or Myth? and was followed by a short tour, even though the band was "in the wilderness" and without management. The band then briefly performed under the name Nick Cave and the Cavemen before adopting the "Bad Seeds" moniker, in reference to the final Birthday Party release, The Bad Seed
Mutiny/The Bad Seed
Mutiny/The Bad Seed is a compilation album by The Birthday Party. It is compiled from 2 EPs recorded in October 1982 and released in 1983, The Bad Seed and Mutiny!, and was released in 1989. It is written by Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Rowland S...
EP. Soon after their final name change, the group recorded their debut album, From Her to Eternity
From Her to Eternity
From Her to Eternity is the debut album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 1984. The title is a pun on the book/movie From Here to Eternity.-Background and production:...
, which released in 1984, and was quickly followed by Race's departure from the group.
Cave separated from long-time girlfriend and credited Bad Seed lyricist Anita Lane
Anita Lane
Anita Lane is an Australian singer and songwriter who directly influenced the early 1980s European post-punk landscape.-Birthday Party:Lane was born in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1950s. Lane began singing and writing songs at age 16. She was a classmate with Rowland S. Howard who would...
prior to the final sessions from From Her to Eternity and began a relationship with Elisabeth Recker. After relocating himself and The Bad Seeds to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, Nick Cave recorded and released a further four albums with The Bad Seeds. The Firstborn Is Dead
The Firstborn Is Dead
The Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album released by the post-punk band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was first released in 1985. On this record, singer Nick Cave continued his fascination with the American South, with its references to Elvis Presley and bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson...
, released in 1985, featured their hit single "Tupelo and their 1986 cover album Kicking Against the Pricks
Kicking Against the Pricks
Kicking Against the Pricks is the third album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of cover versions...
featured covers from Cave's influences, such as Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and Lead Belly. The band gathered a notable following soon after the release of Your Funeral, My Trial in 1986 and received praise for their 1988 Tender Prey
Tender Prey
Tender Prey is the fifth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1988 on Mute Records.Tender Prey contains Cave's 'signature' tune "The Mercy Seat", which he has subsequently played at almost all of his live performances since 1988, and was covered by Johnny Cash...
which features Cave's signature song, "The Mercy Seat". Kicking Against the Pricks was the first album to feature the drumming of Swiss 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...
, which was shortly followed by Adamson's departure and the arrival of American 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:...
, along with short-tenured keyboardist Roland Wolf
Roland Wolf (musician)
Roland Wolf was a German musician who played keyboards with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from 1986 to 1989...
. In 1987, the Bad Seeds made an appearance in the Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
film Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
and Cave was also featured in the 1988 film Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
Ghosts... of the Civil Dead is a 1988 Australian film directed by John Hillcoat. The script was written by Hillcoat, producer Evan English and the unflappable Gene Conkie, as well as musicians Nick Cave and Hugo Race. It is partly based on the true story of Jack Henry Abbott...
which he co-wrote.
Growing success and mainstream popularity (1989–1997)
The band collectively eliminated hard drugs from its diet in 1989, a habit which had caused tension within the group and had led to the dissolution of The Birthday Party seven years prior. Cave relocated to Sao PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
with partner Viviane Carneiro soon after the release and subsequent tour for Tender Prey and released 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...
, Powers' final collaboration with the band, in 1990. The album was well-received critically and commercially as it featured a more structured sound as opposed to the band's previous experimental sound. Their next record, 1992's 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...
saw the band's line-up change yet again and was the first album to feature current members Martyn Casey and 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....
. The album's tour — which is documented on 1993's live album Live Seeds
Live Seeds
Live 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...
— was the band's most successful up to that time. In mid-1993, Cave relocated to London where Henry's Dreams follow-up Let Love In was recorded in 1994.
In 1996, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released 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...
, the band's most notable work to date. Dealing with the subject of murder, the album includes a cover of the folk song "Henry Lee" — a duet with British rock singer 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...
, with whom Cave had a brief relationship — and "Where the Wild Roses Grow
Where the Wild Roses Grow
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
", a duet with Australian pop idol 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...
. The latter was a mainstream hit in the United Kingdom and in Australia, winning three ARIA Awards including "Song of the Year." Australian violinist 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...
began working with the band at this time, and would play an increasingly significant creative role in the band's output in coming years. American drummer 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...
also joined the group.
1997 saw the release of the band's next 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...
, which was marked by a radical shift away from archetypal and violent narratives to biographical and confessional songs about his relationships with ex-wife Vivian Carneiro and PJ Harvey. After the release of the album, Cave then took a short break to rehabilitate from his 20 years of heroin and alcohol abuse, during which time he also remarried.
Recent work, Grinderman and Bargeld and Harvey's departures (1998–present)
Following Cave's rehabilitation throughout the latter half of the 1990s, the band resurfaced with No More Shall We PartNo More Shall We Part
A limited-edition version included a bonus disc with two extra tracks, plus multi-media CD-ROM files :...
in 2001. After the release of 2003's 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...
, long-time member Blixa Bargeld announced he was leaving the band after twenty years with the group to devote more time to Einstürzende Neubauten.
In 2004, the band released the acclaimed two-disc set 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...
, with English guitarist and organist James Johnston (of the group Gallon Drunk
Gallon Drunk
Gallon Drunk are an English band formed in London in 1988. Their swamp rock sound contains a variety of influences, from punk to jazz and the novels of Derek Raymond , and is noted for its dark subject matter.-Biography:...
) replacing Bargeld. To compliment the success of the double album, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released B-Sides & Rarities, a three-disc, 56-track collection of B-sides, rarities, and tracks that had appeared on film soundtracks in 2005.
Cave, Ellis, Sclavunos and Casey formed the new side-project 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...
in 2006. The band, essentially half of The Bad Seeds and featuring Cave on guitar for the first significant time, perform more garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
-influenced music that nonetheless retains much of The Bad Seeds' aura. Since this time, the two bands have operated simultaneously and Grinderman have since released two albums, 2007's 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...
and 2010's follow-up Grinderman 2
Grinderman 2
Grinderman 2 is the second studio album by Grinderman, a side project of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in September 2010.-Background and production:...
.
In October 2007, Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and expressed his intention to induct the Australian members of The Bad Seeds (excluding Hugo Race), plus the members of The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
(excluding Phill Calvert) in his acceptance speech.
The band released their fourteenth and most recent studio album, 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...
in 2008. 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, the album received excellent reviews. The band also released an exclusive "Live Session" EP through iTunes in April 2008, recorded at Air Studios on 2 March, as part of iTunes' "Live From London" series. The group next embarked on a North American and European tour supporting Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, with a seven-piece lineup omitting Johnston, who had reportedly left the group after the album's completion.
Cave and the band curated an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
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....
music festival, the first in Australia, which took place in a number of locations in January 2009. On 22 January 2009, following a string of Bad Seeds concerts in Australia, Mute Records issued a statement from Mick Harvey announcing his departure from the band after 25 years citing professional and personal reasons. It was the end of a 36 year-long musical collaboration between Cave and Harvey and left Cave as the group's only original member. Shortly thereafter, the band announced plans to perform summer festival dates with the addition of guitarist Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the seminal punk band The Saints, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and later the grunge-like The Aints...
, formerly of the influential Australian bands The Saints
The Saints (band)
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane in 1974 as punk rockers. Founders were Chris Bailey , Ivor Hay , and Ed Kuepper . Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups...
and Laughing Clowns.
The band's song "O Children" from the 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...
appeared in the 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
In 22 November 2010, in interview with Spinner.com Nick Cave said that the band plans to have a new album in 2011.
Current lineup
- Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas 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...
– vocals, piano, organ, harmonica, percussion, electric guitar, string arrangements (1983–present) - Thomas WydlerThomas WydlerThomas 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...
– drums, percussion, vocals (1985–present) - Martyn P. CaseyMartyn P. CaseyMartyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. 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.-Biography:...
– bass, vocals (1990–present) - Conway SavageConway SavageConway Savage is an Australian rock musician best known as pianist/organist/backing vocalist for Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds....
– piano, organ, vocals (1990–present) - Jim SclavunosJim SclavunosJim 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...
– percussion, drums, organ, melodica, vocals (1994–present) - Warren EllisWarren 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...
– violin, fender mandocaster, loops, mandolin, tenor guitar, viola, bouzouki, accordion, flute, lute, piano, programming, percussion, string arrangements, vocals (1997–present; as guest, 1994–1997) - Ed KuepperEd KuepperEd Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the seminal punk band The Saints, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and later the grunge-like The Aints...
– electric guitar, vocals (2009–present)
In addition to his performances with the Bad Seeds, Cave has, since the '90s, performed live 'solo' tours with Cave on piano, Ellis on violin and a fluctuating bass/drums line-up. The current trio is Bad Seeds' Martyn P. Casey
Martyn P. Casey
Martyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. 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.-Biography:...
, 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...
and 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...
(nicknamed the Mini-Seeds, later known as a separate band, 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...
).
Former members
- Mick HarveyMick HarveyMichael 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...
– electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, organ, percussion, piano, loops, string arrangements, vocals (1983–2009) - Blixa BargeldBlixa BargeldBlixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
– electric guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, keyboards, vocals (1983–2003) - Barry AdamsonBarry AdamsonBarry Adamson is a British rock musician who has worked with rock bands such as Magazine, Visage, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electronic musicians Pan sonic and Depeche Mode. Adamson created the seven-minute opus "Useless " remix for the latter band in 1997...
– bass, electric guitar, drums, organ, piano, percussion, vocals (1983–1986) - Hugo RaceHugo RaceHugo Race is an Australian rock musician and record producer who has been based in Europe since 1989. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, before forming The Wreckery with Nick Barker and Robin Casinader in the 1980s. He is currently a member of Hugo Race and the True Spirit.Race is...
– electric guitar, vocals (1983–1984) - Anita LaneAnita LaneAnita Lane is an Australian singer and songwriter who directly influenced the early 1980s European post-punk landscape.-Birthday Party:Lane was born in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1950s. Lane began singing and writing songs at age 16. She was a classmate with Rowland S. Howard who would...
– lyrics (1984) - Kid Congo PowersKid Congo PowersKid 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:...
– electric guitar, slide guitar (1986–1990) - Roland WolfRoland Wolf (musician)Roland Wolf was a German musician who played keyboards with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from 1986 to 1989...
(deceased) – piano, organ, electric guitar, vocals (1986–1989) - James Johnston – organ, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals (2003–2008; as guest, 1994)
Guest and touring musicians
- James G. ThirlwellJ. G. ThirlwellJames George Thirlwell , aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Australian vocalist, composer and record producer...
– uncredited studio session (1983) - Tracy PewTracy PewTracy Pew was an Australian musician, best known as the bass player for The Birthday Party.Born in Australia, Pew moved with his family to New Zealand in 1959, returning in May 1964...
(deceased) – bass (1984) - Edward Clayton-Jones – guitar (1984)
- Christoph DreherChristoph DreherChristoph Dreher is a German filmmaker, musician and scriptwriter. Since 2000, he has been a professor of audiovisual media....
– bass (1985) - Rowland S. HowardRowland S. HowardRowland Stuart Howard was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, he played electric guitar in the post-punk group The Birthday Party. Howard died of liver cancer in December 2009, aged 50 years....
(deceased) – electric guitar, organ, vocals (1985)
Nationalities
Band leader Cave moved from MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to London in 1980. Since forming The Bad Seeds in 1984 he has lived in Berlin, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, London and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
(UK). The various international members of the band meet to record and tour. Nationalities of the current and ex-members are:
- Australian: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Hugo Race, Conway Savage, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Ed Kuepper
- British: Barry Adamson and James Johnston
- German: Blixa Bargeld and Roland Wolf
- Swiss: Thomas Wydler
- American: Kid Congo Powers and Jim Sclavunos
Discography
- From Her to EternityFrom Her to EternityFrom Her to Eternity is the debut album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 1984. The title is a pun on the book/movie From Here to Eternity.-Background and production:...
(1984) UK #40 - The Firstborn Is DeadThe Firstborn Is DeadThe Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album released by the post-punk band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was first released in 1985. On this record, singer Nick Cave continued his fascination with the American South, with its references to Elvis Presley and bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson...
(1985) UK #53 - Kicking Against the PricksKicking Against the PricksKicking Against the Pricks is the third album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of cover versions...
(1986) UK #89 - Your Funeral… My Trial (1986)
- Tender PreyTender PreyTender Prey is the fifth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1988 on Mute Records.Tender Prey contains Cave's 'signature' tune "The Mercy Seat", which he has subsequently played at almost all of his live performances since 1988, and was covered by Johnny Cash...
(1988) UK #67 - The Good SonThe 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...
(1990) UK #47, Australia #93, Norway #19 - 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...
(1992) UK #29, Australia #41, Germany #59 - Let Love In (1994) UK #12, Australia #8, Germany #34, Norway #18
- 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...
(1996) UK #8, Australia #3, Germany #5, Norway #1 - 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...
(1997) UK #22, Australia #5, U.S #155, Germany #19, Norway #2 - 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 :...
(2001) UK #15 U.S #180, Australia #4, Germany #8, Norway #1 - 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...
(2003) UK #20 US #182, Australia #8, Germany #11, Norway #2 - 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...
(2CD) (2004) UK #11 US #126, Australia #5, Germany #7, Norway #1 - 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...
(2008) UK #4, Sweden #3, Australia #2, US #64, Norway #2
Awards
- 2007 ARIA Hall of FameARIA Hall of FameSince 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
: inductee (Cave); honorary inductees (Harvey, Ellis, Savage, Casey) - 2001 ARIA AwardsARIA Music Awards of 2001The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre.-Awards:...
: Best Male Artist for 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 :...
(although the album is credited to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) - 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)Australasian Performing Right AssociationThe Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
75th Anniversary: "The Ship SongThe Ship Song"The Ship Song" is a song written by Nick Cave , originally performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their 1990 The Good Son album. It was released by Mute Records as the first single from the album on 12 March 1990, as a CD single, 7" vinyl and a 12" vinyl release...
" voted in the APRA Top 30 Australian songsAPRA Top 30 Australian songsAPRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary... - 1996 ARIA AwardsARIA Music AwardsThe Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
: Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Best Pop Release for "Where the Wild Roses GrowWhere the Wild Roses Grow"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
"
External links
- Official website
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....