I met Mick Harvey (ex-Birthday Party, ex-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey’s band) a few kilometers from Nimes France October 5th 2012 at the Hacienda during a kind of private party proposed by the Tontons Flingueurs a bunch of friends who are passionated people and music lovers. Thank to everyone for this warmhearted and very beautiful night !!
Mick Harvey at the Hacienda in Nimes France Oct 5th 2012
Just after the dinner we went both outside with Mick, sat down at a table under a tree and I recorded our very relaxed conversation about his new solo album (recorded in 2010, released in 2011 and effectively promoted in 2012 after he finished his world tour with PJ Harvey) « Sketches from The Book of The Dead«  and the probable songwriting of his future solo album…A dog invited himself to the talk and added a special note to this very strange night in an old farm lost in the country, far away from everything …it’s a kind of atmospheric podcast I propose to you this time illustrated by ones of Mick’s beautiful songs : I started with « Bethelridge » (Robbie Fulks) from his covers’ album « One Man’s treasure » (2005), then 3 excerpts of the songs from his new solo album : « The Ballad of Jay Givens, To Each his Own and A Place called Passion » then an excerpt of « The Colour of the Earth » a song he sang in duet with PJ Harvey in her last album « Let Egland Shake » and I finished with one of the new songs « Two Paintings ».
A short videoclip to share with you a bit of that unique experience with a very talentuous and so famous artist playing directly on the floor without his band, just a microphone, a guitar and some recording tapes…How not to feel each other very privileged and and completly charmed…
Kid Congo Powers an American/Mexican artist who co-founded the Gun Club in 1979 in Los Angeles with Jeffrey Lee Pierce, played with the Cramps and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds…came to Marseille last week April 4th 2011 during his current European tour and performed at the Embobineuse with his band The Pink Monkey Birds for our greatest pleasure (Big Thank to The Depanneur who booked the show and Good Luck for the future !)
Kid Congo Powers (lead vocals and guitar)
I made a short video clip for you with some Live excerpts I filmed during the show with my small compact camera; you will maybe recognize there the signature of the great artists on stage : smiles and simplicity, the fun to play and to share the music in a warm-hearted ambience !! With Kiki Solis at the bass guitar, Ron Miller on the drums, Jesse Roberts at the guitar and keyboards.
Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds played a lot of songs from their repertoire including some songs from their new album « Gorilla Rose » but also this famous old song « Sex Beat » from The Gun Club. Here a video for the people who like it a lot , like me…:)
Thank to Rudy for the sound, thank to Adam and Dimitri for the lights !!
Meltingpod Connections :
Happy to find out Kid Congo Powers’ own channel on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/elkidcongo and to see my videoclip was added among his last favorites !!! Thank you El Kid Congo !!
In this new interview with Ed Kuepper recorded in April 2010 he announces us some great news I was expecting for years : first of all he will start again a new artistic collaboration with his friend and long time partner in music (both formed The Saints) : Chris Bailey !! They are touring Australia in duo in May with performing 9 shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne (precise dates below) to develop their experience as a residency style ! Maybe they will record a new album together with some incredible great new songs and will tour Europe after that ? it’s my best wish !!
Ed Kuepper with Laughing Clowns in Melbourne in 2009 (Pic Mende Joveski); the poster for the duo tour in May made by Judi Kuepper!!).
The second thing is that Ed at last decided to open a new website at www.princemelonrecords.com for his own label Prince Melon Records and sell the boodlegs he produced himself for a very attractive cheap prices (2 big beers in Australia, 4 small ones in France!!!) just to avoid you to waste your time with releasing in bad conditons your own bootlegs…:)
Check it and you will find 3 new live recordings N°4, 5 and 8 with Honey Steel’s Gold live in Melbourne at The Forum in 2009, some duos, solos and trios recorded in Australia between 2000 and 2008 and Laughing Clowns Live in Sydney at The Basement in 2009 !
Two DVD are expecting in the next days with Ed Kuepper and his solo band The Kowalski Collective performing Honey Steel’s Gold in Brisbane at Tivoli in 2008 and Laughing Clowns performing their first reunion show in 2009 in Brisbane at GoMa !! All in limited edition so hurry up !
Prince Melon Records bootlegs N°4 and 5 (covers made by Judi Kuepper).
You will find as well a few Jean-Lee and The Yellow Dog, Ed Kuepper’s last solo album and Cruel but Fair with all songs from Laughing Clowns ! You can subscribe to his blog to be informed for more !! Welcome to Ed among the bloggers’ wonderful world !!
I illustrated this interview Part 1 with playing « Too Many Clues » Live in Brisbane, unreleased but offered by Ed when he launched his label on myspace, then all the songs are coming from The Prince Melon Bootleg Series N°4 and 5 « Baby Well I, Electrical Storm, The Way I Made You Feel, Friday’s Blue Cheer and King of Vice ».
Here the dates of the duo tour in May with Chris and Ed (don’t miss them if you’re lucky enough to live in Aystralia !!) :
12 mai 2010 20:00 The Vanguard Sydney, New South Wales
13 mai 2010 20:00 The Troubadour Brisbane, Queensland
16 mai 2010 20:00 Bennetts Lane Melbourne, Victoria
19 mai 2010 20:00 The Vanguard Sydney, New South Wales
20 mai 2010 20:00 The Troubadour Brisbane, Queensland
23 mai 2010 20:00 Bennetts Lane Melbourne, Victoria
26 mai 2010 20:00 The Vanguard Sydney, New South Wales
27 mai 2010 20:00 The Troubadour Brisbane, Queensland
30 mai 2010 20:00 Bennetts Lane Melbourne, Victoria
In this third and last part of the interview Mick Harvey talked with me very relaxed about the kind of music he likes and played with The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds…
The Birthday Party Live with Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, Rowland S Howard; Mick Harvey in Paris 2010 posing for me and joking
…mentioning a lot of musicians who impressed him a lot at 14 like Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and The Stooges…the friends/bands in Australia who had and still have like him with The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds the same quest to create their own sound : Go-Betweens, Laughing Clowns, Ed Kuepper…with a large and wild walk around the New Wave and the freedom of expression…Hoping you will like it !
I illustrated the interview with many music excerpts from The Birthday Party : Release the Bats, Sonny’s burning, Fears of Gun, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds : From Her to Eternity, All Tomorrow Parties, The Mercy Seat, Deanna, Midnight Man (live recorded from a video on youtube with Ed Kuepper in 2009), in the background David Bowie and Iggy Pop and The Stooges, at the end Pop Crimes (from Rowland S Howard‘s last album with Mick Harvey on the drums).
The Birthday Party : Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, Tracey Pew and Rowland S Howard in the 80’s…the fine team !
In this second part of the interview Mick Harvey explained us some of the strongest reasons he had to leave the band Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds after having formed it with Nick in 1983. It’s always hard to hear the break of such a long time collaboration (35 years with Nick) and I was not prepared to hear it but Mick’s talk is sincere, entire and without compromise : I hope you will appreciate it.
Mick Harvey with The Bad Seeds during their European tour 2008 (Thomas, Conway and Marty in the background; pic Zruda); Mick in Paris before the interview.
I chose just one song from Mick’s band « The Wallbangers » to start and finish the podcast : « The World keeps spinning around » because I didn’t want to interrupt his intense 15 minutes talk.
But Mick will give us a nice present with playing Live at the end of the interview an unreleased version of PJ Harvey‘s song : « Glorius »!!! Thanks again Mick !!
Meltingpod connections :
For info there are some comments posted about that interview by fans of the band on Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds forum.
Oh ! I just found someone who translated part of Mick’s talk in a text and spread my podcasts too, here on a website called Nick Cave fixes »!! with other reactions to the interview.
Mick Harvey was in Paris the first week of February 2010 and proposed to me a Live meeting there to record the long interview I was planning with him just through a long distance phone call between Melbourne-Australia (where Mick lives) and Marseille : I obviously found it was a better idea !!
Mick Harvey in Paris 2010; Mick at the Primavera Sound 06 (pic Niccaela)
Mick Harvey was Nick Cave’s long time friend and partner in music, they met at school in the early 70’s and founded their first band The Boys Next Door then called The Birthday Party; after breaking that band Nick Cave asked Mick Harvey in 83 to form a new band called : Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. As you maybe know, Mick Harvey left that band last year for some reasons he will explain later. I will publish that interview in 3 parts.
In this first part we talked about Mick Harvey‘s projects for 2010, his next solo albums, his work doing music for films (alone of with different bands), producing the music of other artists he plays with (like PJ Harvey), covering songs from French musicians like Mano Negra and Serge Gainsbourg.
Mick playing drums with Rowland S Howard at ATP 2009 (pic Notaphoto); Mick Harvey with Nick cave and the Bad Seeds in 2008 (pic Zruda).
I illustrated that interview with some short excerpts of his music :
I started with « Come on Spring » a cover song from Dave Faulkner, Frew, McCarthy and Kim Salmon (in Mick’s solo album « One Man’s Treasure), then « The Carny » and « From Her to Eternity » (with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds for Wim Wenders‘ film : Wings of Desire) « The Adversary » (with Crime and City Solution for Wim Wenders’ film : Until the end of the world) and End Titles (Mick’s solo project for the film Vaterland), a Live version of « Dress » from PJ Harvey where he accompagned her at the bass with Rob Ellis on the drums, « Out of Time Man » from Mano Negra (in Mick’s solo album : Two of Diamonds), « The Ballad of Melody Nelson » and « Requiem » from Serge Gainsbourg (in one of Mick’s both tribute albums to Gainsbourg : Pink Elephants; for info the other one is called « Intoxicated Man »). I added a personal tribute to Rowland S Howard » (Mick’s great friend and partner in music who died last December) with playing a short excerpt of my favorite song « Marry Me (Lie! Lie!) » from one of his bands These Immortal Souls.
I hope you will appreciate that new podcast !!
The second part is coming soon !
Laughing Clowns are performing the next days of January 2010 in Australia (21/22th Melbourne, 25th Brisbane, 26th Sydney) with Dirty Three but in the waiting to get some live pics I would like to share with you today a friendly message I got a few weeks ago from an Australian journalist : Adrian Cunningham, who was at a show at The Paris Theatre in Sydney in November 1980 with Laughing Clowns sharing the bill with The Birthday Party (later Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds) and Go-Betweens !!!
Adrian sent me a few live pics he took during that show as well as a very interesting report about that creative family of Australian musicians : an obvious interesting report when you will read such a sentence in his text : « the Clowns were my favourites – and before them the Saints, so Ed is number one living national treasure »…!!!
I invited you (with his agreement) to read now his whole message to me :
« Hi Annie, Your enthusiasm is truly infectious. Yes, the photos (while pretty bad from a technical quality point of view) are pretty interesting historically. The Paris Theatre concert in Sydney is now legendary and I am pretty sure that there was no one else there with a camera that night. Sadly, these four photos are the only ones I took.
Ed Kuepper – Laughing Clowns; Nick Cave and Tracey Pew (now deceased) – Birthday Party; Ben Wallace-Crabbe (bass – now deceased) and Jeffrey (drums – sporting a very fetching pencil moustache!) – Laughing Clowns; Rowland S Howard (deceased December 30th 2009) and Nick Cave – Birthday Party – Paris Theater November 1980
That concert at The Paris Theatre was the best gig I ever saw and was the Clowns’ last gig as a ‘big band’ with Bob, Dan, Ben and Peter Doyle on trumpet. They were playing with the Birthday Party (their first gig back in Sydney after moving to England) and the Go-Betweens (their first gig in Sydney after moving down from Brisbane). The Go-Betweens were nervous as all get out – I recall Lindy Morrison looking like she wanted to hide behind the curtains at the back of the stage. The Theatre was only half full – unbelievable for such a lineup – I had got there hours early to ensure my ticket and had crept in through the stage door to listen to the soundchecks without anyone noticing. The Birthday Party and the Clowns really respected each other and wanted to impress each other, so both bands soared into the stratoshpere that night… Continuer la lecture de Laughing Clowns Live shows with Dirty Three in January 2010 and with The Birthday Party in November 1980 : a nice family story !!→
The Laughing Clowns part 2 and a 50 mn long show with Jeffrey Wegener the drummer at last on Meltingpod !! We started when Jeffrey met Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper at school in the 70’s, his first show with Kid Galahad and the Eternals aka The Saints, the first meeting with Ed back from London to found the Laughing Clowns in 78/79 and then we entered more in the details of the music and his work with Ed.
Ed in Dresden June 2009, Jeffrey at Mt Buller January 2009 (thanks to Justin for this nice pic !)
I played a lot of songs’ excerpts from their 3 albums compilation Cruel But Fair (Lucky Days, Ghost of an Ideal Wife, Holy Joe, Song Of Joy, Time No Hit But Missed) and The Laughing Clowns’ last album recorded Live at GoMa in Brisbane last January and produced by Ed’s own label Prince Melon Records (Bully in the Town, Come One Come All and Eternally yours) !!
The current line-up is : Ed Kuepper (guitar vocals) Jeffrey Wegener (drums) Louise Elliott (sax flute)) Leslie Millar (upright bass) and Alister Spencer (keyboards).
Ed and Jeffrey in Australia 2008 (pic from the greensea); Ed in Dresden with the Bad Seeds 2009
We closed the show with some of Jeffrey’s memories when he played with Nick Cave and his band the Birthday Party in 84 and the last performance at ATP in January 2009 in Australia which reunited the Laughing Clowns, The Saints and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds the same days in Sydney !
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with Ed Kuepper at the guitar : I couldn’t miss that event for nothing even if I had to travel to Dresden in Germany (close to the Czech Republic !) June 21th (the Music Day in France !) to see them for the unique show which was not played in a festival during their current European tour 2009.
A nice intimate atmosphere in Junge Garde, an amphitheater with 3500 people (ref.the press) among the beautiful trees in the town’s central park, which allowed me to be in front of the stage without any big troubles : I can’t appreciate a show at another place, so close to the energy !
Nick Cave the charismatic poet and Ed Kuepper the guitar’s devil !!
Nick Cave taking the guitar to add still more electricity in the air…the threatened dark clouds disappeared subitely from the sky for our luck (it was raining almost all the time I was in Dresden !!).
Nick happy to have put the rose he got from a fan in Warren Ellis ‘ shirt : the poor had the both hands busy on his violin and couldn’t protest; Nick outside the stage, fascinating the audience with his voice and hands…
« Midnight Man »‘s excerpt just to give you an idea of the ambiance Live on stage and surely one of my favorite songs !
Ed Kuepper very focused in the music, Thomas Wyller who did a fantastic job using every tools which make sounds to beat his drums; Nick always involved 100% in his lyrics. The words I can remember which chronologically came through my head during the show : Magnifique, Excellent, Intensity, a dramatic intensity which gives you thrills on the skin.
« Papa Won’t Leave You Henry »‘s excerpt : a magic moment with Ed Kuepper at the acoustic guitar accompagning Nick Cave who told us a new story always as close as possible to the audience…
All the 7 Bad Seeds on the same pic (from right to left) : Ed Kuepper (guitar), Thomas Wyller (drums), Conway Savage (keyboards), Martyn Casey (bass), Jim Sclavunos (drums), Nick Cave (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Warren Ellis (very small guitar and violin).
Ed Kuepper and Nick Cave constantly moving from a place to another one; another word coming to my head later was : Elegance in their attitudes, subtleties in the light shows (which unfortunately were not really captured by my slow camera) and sometime the feeling to penetrate in their musical laboratory where they are re-creating Live a new performance every night. By the way, even if front of the stage the sound quality was simply perfect ! Congratulations to Matt Crosby the sound engineer !
Ed, Nick and Thomas; Nick often pointing the sky; everybody singing the backing vocals. The show started precisely at 8:30 pm with the twilight and fortunately finished at 10:30 in the night allowing us to appreciate at least the colorfull light show with the music climbing in crescendo until the last song « Get Ready For Love » and the red and white lights effects at their maximum : Nice sentence for a goodbye !
PS : I was allowed by the security to enter in the audience with my small compact camera (no extra lens; the clips are just filmed with the basic video option) thanks to the management teams who are admitting right now that everybody who has a mobile phone in his pocket has in the same time a camera and a video recorder too. Nice they accepted now my little camera without phone. In fact at the AC/DC’s show in Marseille it was allowed too but I didn’t know it ! I dedicated all these pics and clips to Nick Cave’s and Ed Kuepper’s fans in Australia hoping you could see them Live too one day ! Thanks to Martyn and Gudrun who were my fantastic hosts in Dresden ! Thanks to Ed for everything : terrific to see him again in person and on the stage ! Long Life to the Bad Seeds !! For the European fans, check their tour’s next dates on their myspace pages and don’t miss them !
Meltingpod Connections : Update June 29th
I found Dresden gig’s set list in Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Forum : Tupelo, Dig Lazarus Dig !!!, Red Right Hand, Deanna, Midnight Man, The Ship Song, Henry Lee, Moonland, The Mercy Seat, Love Letter, There She Goes My Beautiful World, The Weeping Song, Papa Won’t Leave You Henry, Stagger Lee, (encore) Breathless, Straight To You, We Call Upon The Author, Jesus Of The Moon, Get Ready For Love and Lucy !! btw : I’m sure « Get Ready For Love » was the last song though…:)
PS : Thanks to the Queensland Music Festival, Ed’s next act after this tour, who chose my very first video at l’Olympia 2008 to present Ed’s work !!
In this podcast and interview ED KUEPPER explains how he is joining NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS for their next European tour this Summer !! He is playing guitar in the band for a lot of festivals after Mick Harvey one of the founding member and guitarist left at the end of the ATP 2009 in Australia.
The Saints and the Bad Seeds at ATP in Sydney January 2009 (thanks Judi !)
Invited by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (ATP’s curators) Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey reformed with their drummer Ivor Hay The Saints‘ original line-up for 6 shows during that festival last January and they added Archie Larizza at the bass and a three pieces horn section. We spoke with Ed about the rehearsals and specially about two songs I heard through the internet and recorded Live by fans : One Way Street in Melbourne (a new/old version!!) and Nights in Venice in Mt Buller.
Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper together on stage with the Saints at ATP (Mt Buller) January 9th 2009 (pics Black Shadow Photography)
But Nick Cave invited Ed to reform the Laughing Clowns for three shows at ATP too, two shows being scheduled in the same night than the Saints !! I played for the first time on Meltingpod some Laughing Clowns’ songs : « New Bully in the Town », »As your bridges burn behind you » (studio versions) and a excerpt from « Come One Come All » (recorded Live at Mt Buller by a fan). In the second part of the podcast we will speak with Ed about the Laughing Clowns’ reunion after 25 years and their projects in the next future with more songs’ excerpts from that incredible band !!! (post punk ???..:)
Louise Elliott, Biff Millar and Ed Kuepper with the Laughing Clowns at ATP (Mt Buller) January 10th 2009 (pics James Edge)
I recorded that interview with Ed Kuepper a long time ago, in fact in August 2007 just after Pig City but there always were new interviews to publish with Ed like about his last album’s release Jean-Lee and the Yellow dog then his European tour with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and I always put that interview off until later. So now after the All Tomorrow’s parties festival where The Saints reunited for a few shows with the original members Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay, I thought it was the good time for a little history !! In this first part we started when Ed met Chris at school in the first years of 1970 until the Saints left Brisbane for London with their first album self-produced in 76 « I »m Stranded ».
The Saints in Brisbane in 1976 (pic Joe Borkowski) : In front on the left Ed Kuepper (guitar) above him Ivor Hay (drums) Kym Bradshaw (bass) on the right Chris Bailey (vocals).
This interview is pretty different from the ones I recorded Live at Berlin with Ed; we spoke more about their life as a band in Brisbane and the political background which sometimes crossed their music.
I played some songs to illustrate our talk : Nights in Venice, Wild about you (recorded in 74), Story of Love, Brisbane security city, Demolition girl and a song called « Untitled ».
In the second part Ed gave his feeling about his arrival in London in 77 in the context of the punk movement explosion, their second and third album’s recording with EMI until the band split in 1978…stay connected!
Meltingpod Connections : Update January 23th
If you want to spend one hour comfortably at home with Nick Cave speaking about his 25 years carreer from The Birthday Party to the Bad Seeds to Grinderman and how the Saints with « I’m Stranded » were a revelation for him, go to TripleJ abc.net and listen to that great broadcast recorded in 2007 by Richard Kingsmill : a pro job !! Hoping Nick will made up with the journalists ! (thanks Lars for the link!)
Nick Cave in Mt Buller ATP January 2009 : check more great pics on Carbie Warbie ‘s website, a passion for the rock photography he shares with us at Flickr !! Fantastic pics from X and the Saints in Melbourne by the way !
Another news but pretty sad, Mick Harvey announced he quits the Bad Seeds : check his message yesterday at abc.net.au/news
THE SAINTS with founding members Chris Bailey (vocals), Ed Kuepper (guitar) and Ivor Hay (drums) + Archie Larizza (bass) and a three piece horn section, they will bring you 5 times to their Paradise :
9th Jan at Mt Buller Victoria and 17th and 18th Jan at Sydney (Cockatoo Island) during the ATP festival
14th Jan at Melbourne and 15th Jan at Brisbane for two ATP besideshows where The Saints will perform their whole first album « I’m Stranded » !!!
BTW : X (founded by Ian Rilen) will open the Melbourne show with performing their whole album « At home with you »!!
and… LAUGHING CLOWNS with Ed Kuepper (guitar and vocals) Jeffrey Wegener (drums) Louise Elliott (sax) and Leslie Millar (upright bass), they will do their first return on stage since 1984 with 4 shows :
10th Jan at at Mt Buller Victoria and 17th and 18th Jan at Sydney (Cockatoo Island) during the ATP festival (3 hours before the Saints’ show !! Go Ed !!)
and 23th Jan at Brisbane (outside the ATP festival)
PS : I will publish new podcasts as soon as the flu’s bad virus which catched me from Christmas will let my ears and voice free again…it’s Winter and cold here !
Meltingpod Connections : Update January 10th : THE SAINTS are giving another show with NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS at Mona Foma festival at Hobart in Tasmania Januray 12th !!
Update January 7th 2009…when I told you…
it’s Winter at Marseille city !! more pics on MELTINGTALKS !!
First French Woman in Podcasting – Meltingpod : the Queen of Rock and Roll Podcasters will rock your world Live from Marseille
