Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey (all from Australia), guitarist George Vjestica (United Kingdom), keyboardist/percussionist Toby Dammit (United States) and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos (United States). With their “brutal blues and gothic nightmares” songs, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been considered “one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the ’80s and onward”. They have released seventeen studio albums and completed numerous international tours.
The band was founded in 1983 following the demise of Cave and Harvey’s former group the Birthday Party, the members of which met at a boarding school in Victoria. By the release of their fifth studio album Tender Prey in 1988, they shifted from post-punk towards an experimental alternative rock sound, later incorporating various influences throughout their career. 2008’s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and the side-project Grinderman were influenced by garage rock. Synthesizers and minimal guitar work feature prominently on Push the Sky Away (2013), recorded after Harvey’s departure from the band in 2009.
Tracklist
1-1 Deanna (Acoustic Version) 2:53
1-2 The Mercy Seat (Acoustic Version) 3:46
1-3 City Of Refuge (Acoustic Version) 2:44
1-4 The Moon Is In The Gutter 2:35
1-5 The Six Strings That Drew Blood 4:47
2-1 Rye Whiskey 3:29
2-2 Running Scared 2:07
2-3 Black Betty 2:33
2-4 Scum 2:54
3-1 The Girl At The Bottom Of My Glass 4:50
3-2 The Train Song 3:28
3-3 Cocks ‘N’ Asses 5:43
3-4 Blue Bird 2:47
3-5 Helpless 3:51
4-1 God’s Hotel 3:08
4-2 (I’ll Love You) Till The End Of The World 3:59
4-3 Cassiel’s Song 3:37
4-4 Tower Of Song 5:39
4-5 What Can I Give You? 3:39
List of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds members (Current members)
Nick Cave – lead vocals, piano, organ, keyboards, harmonica, percussion, electric guitar (1983–present)
Thomas Wydler – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1985–present)
Martyn P. Casey – bass guitar, backing vocals (1990–present)
Jim Sclavunos – percussion, drums, xylophone, keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present)
Warren Ellis – violin, viola, tenor guitar, synthesizers, mandolin, bouzouki, lute, electric mandolin, flute, programming, loops, piano, percussion, backing vocals (1997–present)
George Vjestica – acoustic and electric guitars, additional piano, backing vocals (2013–present)
Larry Mullins – keyboards, vibraphone, piano, organ, backing vocals (2015–present, touring only)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds discography (Studio albums)
From Her to Eternity (1984)
The Firstborn Is Dead (1985)
Kicking Against the Pricks (1986)
Your Funeral… My Trial (1986)
Tender Prey (1988)
The Good Son (1990)
Henry’s Dream (1992)
Let Love In (1994)
Murder Ballads (1996)
The Boatman’s Call (1997)
No More Shall We Part (2001)
Nocturama (2003)
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus (2004)
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008)
Push the Sky Away (2013)
Skeleton Tree (2016)
Ghosteen (2019)
Associated acts
The Birthday Party
Einstürzende Neubauten
Grinderman
Die Haut
Shilpa Ray
The Cramps
PJ Harvey
