"My muse is not a horse and I am in no horse race."
A few months ago I stumbled upon a video on YouTube that I didn’t know much about other than the title, which, for reasons you’ll soon discover, immediately caught my eye. It was called The Ship Song Project; a video promoting the Sydney Opera House. Once I clicked play it took exactly 14 seconds for the goosebumps to set in. The reason? None other than Neil Finn himself emerged from the shadows and began to caress those memorable piano chords which kick off one of NICK CAVE’s most beautiful tracks, The Ship Song. The video then goes on to feature cameos from some huge names in music and the arts – Sarah Blasko, Paul Kelly, Katie Noonan and Daniel Johns, to name just a few. All joined together in their love for the iconic venue and all paying tribute to one of Australia’s most treasured songwriters.
The stars must have recently aligned for the seasoned singer; people from all corners are suddenly rushing to recognise and pay tribute to his inimitable musical genius. triple j has also hopped on board, organising a series of concerts in November which will feature some high class local talent reinterpreting Cave’s extensive catalogue of work.
It would be fair to say that I am a devotee of Mr Cave. He is currently and will undoubtedly remain my most played Australian artist. I’ve elbowed and pushed my way to the front of moshpits just to get the chance to reach for his skinny, outstretched arm live in concert. I attended the same exhibition featuring Cave keepsakes in two different states. His striking visage adorns the wall of my apartment. I even once went as far as donning a cheap suit and slicking my then-shoulder length hair back in classic Cave style to attend a rock star-themed party. But what is it about the Warracknabeal, Victoria native that inspires such fervent adulation and loyalty from his followers? “Yeah, and why all the tributes?” I hear you chip in. Well, dear reader, to begin with, the contribution he has made to Australian culture at large (and I’m not just talking rock ‘n’ roll – he’s an acclaimed film score composer and published novelist as well) over the better part of the last four decades is unparalleled and invaluable. Let me explain.
Cave has played in a number of bands over the years. Rather than impart a tidbit about each, I’d like to focus mainly on the band that led me to him and that I hold closest to my heart: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Born from the ashes of Cave’s high school post-punk band The Birthday Party in 1983, the Seeds are still going strong to this day – a whopping 28 years and 14 studio albums later.
The Bad Seeds have never really flirted with commercial success; they’ve never needed to. The closest they’ve come was on 1996’s Murder Ballads, which included a bewitching duet with pop princess Kylie Minogue entitled Where The Wild Roses Grow. It was around this time that Cave coincidentally also received a nomination from the MTV Awards for Best Male Artist. He famously wrote to thank them for but politely refuse the nomination. Here is an excerpt from that letter:
“[My muse] comes to me with the gift of song and in return I treat her with the respect I feel she deserves – in this case this means not subjecting her to the indignities of judgement and competition. My muse is not a horse and I am in no horse race and if indeed she was, still I would not harness her to this tumbrel – this bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes. My muse may spook! May bolt! May abandon me completely!”He also stated “I am in competition with no one” which, taken out of context, could be interpreted as pretentious – but it’s true. Who else can do what Nick Cave does? Show me a man who in one song can embody a rabid and rampaging priest spitting fire over his cowering congregation while in the next sings a low-key and mournful ballad about love and loss. There is a Bad Seeds song for every mood, ranging in style from big band to gospel, clattering rock ‘n’ roll to sweet piano lullabies. The one thread that binds them all together is Cave’s wonderfully expressive and deep voice and his always highly intelligent and vividly descriptive lyrics.
There is something about Nick Cave that drew me in, an elusive spark that I’ve found difficult to clearly pinpoint for the purposes of this article. Everything about him I am drawn to. He exudes charisma and confidence in spades and his opinions are for the most part cheeky and anti-establishment. He has a wicked sense of humour that only seems to grow more crude and inappropriate with each passing year (his latest novel The Death of Bunny Munro features countless references to female genitalia and Worm Tamer, the second track of his latest album with Bad Seeds offshoot act Grinderman, features the charming line “My baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster / Two great big humps and then I’m gone”). But perhaps the thing I appreciate most about Nick is that he is an Australian who has built and maintained a long and internationally successful career in music whilst never deviating from his steadfast commitment to artistic integrity. His accomplishments rightly deserve to be celebrated. And with middle age showing no signs of wearying him, his best work may still be yet to come.
Straight To You: triple j’s tribute to Nick Cave features artists such as Bertie Blackman, Adalita and Tim Rogers and will be heading around the country during November. Show and ticket info is available on the triple j website.
Now take a step back in time to 1996 and check out Nick and Kylie make eyes at each other in the vid for Where The Wild Roses Grow below.
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