Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave, born on 22nd September 1957 in Warracknabeal, Victoria.
Nick Cave is a musician, songwriter, author, screenesiter and artist He is best known as the front man of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds a group known for its prolific and diverse music. The bands ever changing line up is in part a key to its ongoing success and the music has often defied categorisation. It has been described over the years as Post Punk, Gothic Dark, Blues, Biblical and Gospel because the themes to Cave's songs and music often relate to death, vislence, religion, love and anguish, delivered in a style generally defined as "story telling" Some critics have described Cave as music's "Prince of Darkness" After leaving Wangaratta where he attended school, 1970 saw the young Nick as a boarder at Caulfield Grammar School in Melboume where he became the lead singer in a band named The Boys Next Door Cave studied painting at the Caulfield Institute of Technology in 1976. but dropped out to pursue a music career with the band.
LIVING OVERSEAS.
In 1980 alter one album, the band moved to London and changed their name to The Birthday Party. Renowned for their wild gigs and Cave's provocative post punk performances, they became known as one of Australia's greatest musical exports. Despite gaining a cult following after two albums, The Birthday Party disbanded in 1983 and a new band was formed shortly after. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their first album in 1984. A total of 16 albums and thousands of live performances have honed The Bad Seeds into one of the world's most exciting live acts as well as a prolific producer of new work.
ARTISTIC OUTPUT.
Cave has written a large amount of music and soundtracks both solo and in collaboration with other artists. In 2006 the band Grinderman was founded and produced 2 albums in 4 years. In 1988 Cave released his first book King Ink', a collection of poems, scripts and lyrics. This was followed in 1989 by his first novel, And the Ass saw the Angel Cave has since gone on to write numerous literature works including novels, poetry, stage and film scripts, notably the screenplay and soundtrack for the Australian film The Proposition (2005) and US film "Lawless (2012). Cave's music has featured in many documentaries, television programs and films including Harry Potter, Shrek 2 and Hellboy in 2014 he co-produced 20.000 hours on Earth, a semi biographical film which cutlines some major events in his life.
Nick Cave continues to remain relevant and a respected as one of the hardest working figures in the rock music industry who continues to produce prolific works. Cave lives with his wife Susie Bick and family
THE WARRACKNABEAL CONNECTION
THE CAVE FAMILY
The Cave family moved to Warracknabeal in 1956 when Colin, Nick's father, was appointed to Warracknabeal High School as an English teacher. Colin, his wife, Dawn and two sons, Peter and Tim took up residence at 76 Jamouneau Street in a house which was the owned by the Education Department. Nick was born in 1957, a year after the family arrived in the town.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
During the family's time in Warracknabeal Colin was a lay preacher in the Anglican Church and also indulged in his favourite passion, acting. He joined the Warracknabeal Dramatic Society in 1956,
participating in and producing many plays such as 'The Glass Menagerie' and 'Winterset. He was President of the group for much of his time in the town and the Dramatic Society probably achieved its greatest success during his membership. He also produced plays for the annual Speech Night at the school and encouraged participation in the dramatic arts wherever possible.
Colin was often a guest at various clubs acting as an adjudicator for debates and public speaking on many occasions. He was supported in all his activities by his wife, Dawn, a librarian, who was also an active member of the Dramatic Society and was an accomplished violinist. She was a member of the Music Club and participated in various concert performances.
MOVING ON
The Cave family left Warracknabeal at the end of 1960 when Colin was transferred to Wangaratta High School, Both Colin and Dawn were awarded life memberships of the Warracknabeal Dramatic Society before their departure and Colin received accolades from the staff, students and parents of Warracknabeal High School.