NICK CAVE - FROM THE DARKNESS, OUT OF THE LIGHT.

NPR just did an interview with Nick Cave, check it out here:
http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/
Long time fan of Mr. Cave, and everything he touches.  I felt very honored when I saw him perform at the Crystal Ballroom a few years ago, here in PDX.  I've heard he doesn't like to play in the US that often.  And I'm pretty sure he hadn't toured the US since 1999 / 2000, at least not the West Coast.  Cave has the unique ability to take the listener to a dark place, bringing a light with him to guide the way, whether through redemption, reflection, or a final reconciliation, Cave's lyrics tell stories that are brutally honest carrying a depth of insight of both God's right hand and the Devil's advocate.  Here are some of my favorite tunes.

As well as this musical career, Cave's has written a few novels, screenplay's, and scores for films.  For the film The Proposition, he wrote the script and did the score with fellow Bad Seed and Dirty Three violinist Warren Ellis.

He has written two novels, And the Ass Saw the Angel in 1989, The Death of Bunny Munro in 2009.  Both are worth reading, and encompass the same themes that run through his music. 

 During the early part of his musical career, The Birthday Party were notorious for their in-your-face stage shows which featured Cave shrieking into the mic, throwing himself about the stage, backed up by harsh pounding rock music laced with guitar feedback.  To me, The Birthday Party was an infamous band, long disbanded before I'd heard of them, yet I can say they have heavily influenced my musical tastes, as well as the genre of music that came after them with bands like the Jesus Lizard, God Bullies, and any of the 90s bands that played loud rock n' roll with a singer staggering around the stage.  His work in Grinderman provides Cave with an outlet for his guitar playing.  How does he find time to do it all?  One of the greatest artists to come out of this modern world; prolific, prophetic, Cave holds the torch to guide us through the darkness.