Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

**Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds** are an Australian alternative rock/heavy metal band formed 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). Described as "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 following the demise of Cave and Harvey's former group the Birthday Party, the members of which met at a boarding school in Melbourne. Throughout the 1980s, beginning with their debut LP _From Her to Eternity_ (1984), the band drew largely on post-punk, blues and gothic rock, and brought in musicians such as Blixa Bargeld, Barry Adamson and Kid Congo Powers. The band later softened their sound and incorporated other influences on albums such as _The Good Son_ (1990) and _The Boatman's Call_ (1997). Following Harvey's departure in 2009, the band broadened their sound further to include electronic and ambient styles, which feature prominently on the trilogy of albums _Push the Sky Away_ (2013), _Skeleton Tree_ (2016) and _Ghosteen_ (2019).

## History

The project that later evolved into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds began following the demise of The Birthday Party in August 1983. Both Cave and Harvey were members of the Birthday Party, along with guitarist Rowland S. Howard and bassist Tracy Pew. During the recording sessions of the Birthday Party's scheduled EPs _Mutiny/The Bad Seed_, internal disputes developed in the band.

## 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)
- _Wild God_ (2024)

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- **img**: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Coliseu do Porto 1.jpg
- **img capt**: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in 2008
- **landscape**: yes
- **background**: group_or_band
- **alias**: Melbourne, Australia
- **genre**: Alternative rock, Heavy metal music, heavy metal, alternative metal
- **years active**: 1983–present
- **label**: Mute Records, Bad Seed Ltd
- **associated acts**: Type O Negative
- **current members**: Nick Cave
Berry Adamson
Martyn P. Casey
Conway Savage
Jim Sclavunos
Warren Ellis
George Vjestica
- **past members**: Mick Harvey
Thomas Wydler
Blixa Bargeld
Hugo Race
Anita Lane
Kid Congo Powers
Roland Wolf
James Johnston
Ed Keupper