Nick Cave Biography

The cult rock singer was born to a librarian and a schoolteacher of Anglican persuasion.

Two years into art school, Cave left and founded his band, The Boys Next Door, with childhood friend, Mick Harvey. The band, obsessed with death, religion, love and violence, evolved into The Birthday Party and moved to London in 1980, injecting wit and raw emotion into British rock.

The Birthday Party moved on to Berlin in 1983 and spilt up, but the foundation of Harvey and Cave survived, and together they built the post-punk band the Bad Seeds. Cave's dark baritone continued to explore gloom, and his musical arrangements moved between blues, gospel and rock.

Their 1984 debut, From Her to Eternity, was followed by 1985's The Firstborn Is Dead. The Bad Seeds released two records in 1986. Cave met Viviane Carneiro and moved to Brazil and had a son. There he wrote the novel 'And the Ass Saw the Angel', the haunting story of a criminal attacked by a lynch mob. The book was well reviewed and translated into ten languages.

The potency of love and sun in Brazil broke through in the melodious, even friendly tone of 'The Good Son' (1990). The band's seventh album, 'Henry's Dream' was released in 1992 and was supported with a full-scale world tour.

In 1993, Cave returned to London. The release of their 10th album, 'Murder Ballads', three years later with guest appearances by PJ Harvey, Shane MacGowan and Kylie Minogue was a commercial success. The album dealt exclusively with murder.

Cave returned in 1997, with the introspective and personal 'The Boatman's Call'. He currently lives in London, where he co-owns a restaurant with members of INXS and Madness.