Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are an Australian band that was formed back in 1983. At the origins of a rock band are talented Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld.
The composition changed from time to time, but it was the three presented that were able to bring the team to the international level. The current composition includes:
- Warren Ellis;
- Martin P. Casey;
- George Viestica;
- Toby Dammit;
- Jim Sklavunos;
- Thomas Widler.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are one of the most memorable acts of the alternative rock and post-punk era of the mid-1980s. The musicians have released a significant number of worthy LPs. In 1988, the fifth LP Tender Prey was released. It marked the band's transition from post-punk to an alternative rock sound.
History of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
It all started in 1983 after the dissolution of another legendary band, The Birthday Party. This group included: Cave, Harvey, Roland Howard and Tracey Pugh.
At the stage of writing the Mutiny / The Bad Seed EP, creative differences arose between the musicians. After a quarrel between Nick and Howard, the team finally broke up.
Soon Cave, Harvey, Bargeld, Barry Adamson and Jim Thirwell teamed up to create a new project. Was it the backing band for Nick's solo brainchild Man Or Myth?
In 1983, the musicians began recording their debut compositions. But the session had to be put on hold due to Cave's tour with The Immaculate Consumptive.
In December of the same year, the soloist returned to Melbourne, where he formed a temporary backing band with Pugh and Hugo Reis. On December 31, 1983, a live concert took place in St. Kilda. After the tour, Nick returned to London.
The first cast of the new project included: Cave, Adamson, Race, Bargeld and Harvey. The musicians performed under the name Nick Cave and The Cavemen for six months. And only a year later the team began to call themselves Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Presentation of the band's debut album Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
In the mid-1980s, the band's debut compilation album From Her to Eternity was released. Some time later, Reis and touring guitarist Edward Clayton-Jones announced that they were leaving the band to pursue their own project. Soon they created the group The Wreckery.
After the talented Reis and Lane left the team, the team moved to West Berlin. In 1985, the musicians presented the album The Firstborn Is Dead to fans of their work. A year later, the band's discography was replenished with another collection, Kicking Against the Pricks.
Peak popularity of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
In 1986, disaster struck. The fact is that Pugh died of epilepsy. After the presentation of Your Funeral, My Trial, Adamson left the band. Despite the departure of the participants, the popularity of the team began to increase exponentially.
The musicians recorded the Tender Prey album with a guest guitarist from Kid Congo Powers. Not long after, another new member joined the group. It's about Roland Wolf.
The presentation of the track The Mercy Seat made it clear to fans and critics that the band is on top. In the early 2000s, Johnny Cash presented his version of the presented composition, including it on his own album American III: Solitary Man.
The increase in popularity and recognition at the world level still did not please the members of the group. Some use drugs and some use alcohol.
For those who want to feel the biography of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the documentary film The Road to God Knows Where is a must-see. The film describes the 1989 tour, which took place in America.
Moving and new team members
New York is tired of Nick Cave. The musician decided to move to Sao Paulo. This event took place after the Tender Prey tour and drug rehabilitation.
In 1990, the musicians presented the LP The Good Son. From a commercial point of view, the work can be called successful. The most popular tracks on the collection include The Ship Song and The Weeping Song.
Wolf and Powers were replaced by Casey and Savage. In the early 1990s, the driving album Henry's Dream appeared. Critics noted the increased hardness of the sound. By 1993, a live compilation called Live Seeds was released.
Later, the musicians returned to the heart of Britain to record Let Love In. The top tracks of the new album include the tracks Loverman and Red Right Hand. During the release, Sklavunos joined the band's line-up.
In 1996, the band's discography was replenished with another collection. We are talking about the longplay Murder Ballads. It was the best-selling release in early 2020. The disc includes a cover version of Henry Lee by PJ Harvey. The compilation included the track Where the Wild Roses Grow (with the participation of Kylie Minogue).
The full-length disc The Boatman's Call (1997) is distinguished by compositions in which Nick Cave literally showed all his negativity. At this time, the musician had serious problems in his personal life. A promotional tour recording was only released in 2008 under the title Live at the Royal Albert Hall. After the presentation, Nick got married and briefly disappeared.
The work of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the early 2000s
Soon Nick Cave returned to creativity. The result of a long break was the presentation of the amazing collection of Original Seeds. In addition, the compilation The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was released.
The beginning of 2001 was marked by the release of the LP No More Shall We Part. The talented Kate and Anna McGarrigle took part in the recording of the collection. Fans and music critics received the novelty very positively.
In 2003, the band's discography was replenished with a new album, Nocturama. This collection is interesting for the return of group arrangements. Reviews from critics were mixed, but one way or another, the fans were delighted with the work.
Bargeld, who stood at the origins of the rock band, told the "fans" that she was leaving the project. The sad news did not prevent the musicians from releasing the 13th studio album Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus, where Bargeld was replaced by James Johnston from the Gallon Drunk group.
Fans enthusiastically listened to ballads with a choir and aggressive rock. The new work was well received by music lovers and authoritative music critics. A year later, the B-Sides & Rarities compilation appeared. In 2007, the Abattoir Blues Tour DVD box set was released with performances in the US and Europe.
Founding of the Grinderman project
In 2006, Ellis, Casey and Sklavunos became the founders of the new Grinderman project. Nick took over as guitarist. In 2007, the album of the same name was released, and in October Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
2008, the band's discography was replenished with the disc Dig, Lazarus, Dig! In support of the new collection, the musicians went on tour in Europe and the United States of America.
On the tour, the guys went without the departed Johnston. The boys curated Australia's first All Tomorrow's Parties event in early 2009. After the festival, Mick announced his retirement. From now on, Nick Cave remained the only member of the original line-up. Soon a new musician joined the band. It's about Ed Kepper. The newcomer completed the started tour with the team.
After leaving the tour, the band announced that it was taking a break. In 2010, the side project expanded its discography with a second studio album. We are talking about the collection Ginderman 2. A year later, a third-party project broke up. The final live performance took place at the Meredith Music Festival.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds today
In 2013, the band's discography was replenished with a new album. We are talking about the collection Push the Sky Away. Adamson took part in the recording of the fresh album, who later took part in several tours.
Kepper joined the roster for a short time and was soon replaced by Viestica. George played guitar on some tracks of the new LP. That same year, during the US summer concerts, Cave, Ellis, Sklavunos, Adamson and Casey created Live from KCRW.
For the next year, the musicians toured North America. In addition, the band's frontman held a number of solo concerts.
A year later, Barry replaced Dummit as a touring artist. At the same time, Toby did not participate in the recording of the new album, and Adamson never returned.
In the summer of 2016, Nick announced the release of the documentary One More Time With Feeling. Skeleton Tree was recorded around this time period. In 2017, the process of creating the disc that completes the Push the Sky Away trilogy began. In the summer, Ellis played several orchestral live concerts in Melbourne with Nick, with various films broadcast.
In 2019, the musicians presented the Ghosteen album, which was released in two parts. As Kay says, the tracks in the first part are "children", and in the second - "their parents". The album contains only 11 tracks.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in 2021
At the end of February 2021, the band presented the 18th studio album to fans of their work. We are talking about the collection Carnage. Nick Cave's longtime friend, Warren Ellis, helped the musicians work on the record. The collection includes 8 tracks. The release of the album became known last year. The record is already available on streaming services, and the album will be released on CD and vinyl in late spring 2021.
