After 15 albums, it seems unlikely that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds would still be experiencing firsts, but with their latest album, Push The Sky Away, the first to be released by the band’s own label Bad Seeds Ltd, they’ve broken another ‘first’ in debuting for the first time at #1 on the ARIA charts this week.
In a press statement from ARIA, the industry body noted their excitement about the group’s fist-ever #1, the closest the Bad Seeds have gotten to the top of Australian charts was in March 2008, with their album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! which peaked at #2.
As The Music points out, previous Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds albums that made the charts include Murder Ballads, No More Shall We Part, The Boatman’s Call and Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus, which all made it to the top five on the albums chart. As well as both of side-project Grinderman’s albums, which made it to the top 15.
But this is the first time in their 30 year career that they’ve managed to take out the top of the album sales chart in their native country. Push the Sky Away, featuring singles ‘We No Who U R’ and ‘Jubilee Street’, beat many international acts – such as Bruno Mars, Pink, and previous chart kings Of Monsters And Men – to take out the top spot.
Sydney producer and golden boy, Flume is the only other Australian artist in the top ten. With 15 weeks in the charts, and a headline tour just announced, it doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere.
It’s been a particularly busy time for Nick Cave. In a Twitter discussion, Cave shared some laboured banter with fans, sharing his emotional state as beyond “morose” at being asked to answer fan’s seemingly inane questions.
…This is the first time in their 30 year career that they’ve managed to take out the top of the album sales chart in their native country.During the highly entertaining fan Q&A, Cave’s response to a tweet asking if he would be answering any real questions, was simply “fuck you”. Another fan felt his wrath when questioned why Grinderman were reforming for a performance at Coachella in April. The justification was “every other shitty band is doing it, why not someone who’s actually good.”
Following their album debut at #1, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are also making the trek to SXSW later this year, in the company of around 40 other Australian artists.
Cave is also to be the subject of a keynote address at SXSW, with New York author Larry Sloman. The interview is part of an event titled ‘Nick Cave in Conversation’, and will cover Nick Cave’s extensive music career as well as his recent film work, in which he wrote the screenplay and put together the soundtrack Lawless. The film is the latest collaboration between the singer and John Hillcoat, who also directed the NSFW, Ray Winstone-starring video for ‘Jubilee Street’ (which you can view in the banner).
Before heading to the Austin, Texas industry conference to kick-start their American tour however, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are to tour Australia, starting with tomorrow night’s sold out performance at the Sydney Opera House, with a number of subsequent performances also exhausting their ticket allocations.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 2013 Australian Tour
Details below or at www.nickcave.com
Tuesday 26th – Thursday 28th February 2013 | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ALL SOLD OUT
Performing classic and new material for their Opera House debut, part of the evening will feature members of the Sydney Symphony
Tickets: www.sydneyoperahouse.com/music
Saturday, 2 March 2013 | SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, Melbourne
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au
Sunday, 3 March 2013 | THEBARTON THEATRE, Adelaide – SOLD OUT
Tickets: www.venuetix.com.au
Wednesday, 6 March 2013 | RED HILL AUDITORIUM, Perth
Tickets: www.redhillgigs.com.au or www.oztix.com.au
Friday, 8 March 2013 | RIVERSTAGE, Brisbane
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au or www.oztix.com.au
Sat 9 Mar | ENMORE THEATRE, Sydney – SOLD OUT
Tickets: www.enmoretheatre.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au
