One of the industry’s most important and influential conferences, Austin, Texas’ South By Southwest, is just over a month away from kicking off, with this year’s event seeing over 2,000 performers play at more than 90 different venues over a period of 10 days.
The music, film, and interactive conference takes place from March 12th – 17th, and already has some truly enviable features on its programme, including a keynote address from the ever-prolific Dave Grohl, with the Foo Fighter speaking about his many musical projects and his directorial debut – the Sound City documentary. Joining Grohl on the list of key speakers is label head, star headhunter, and all-around industry legend Clive Davis.
Most exciting for Australian fans is that 40 Aussie acts are already confirmed to be flying the flag for their country at the ten day music and media conference. Now, we can add one more legendary name to that impressive list, with the news that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will be playing a showcase at SXSW 2013.
As the Austinist reports, Cave will kick off the band’s short North American tour with a showcase on March 13th, headlining the annual NPR showcase, held at Stubb’s.
The SXSW 2013 showcase will feature material from the band’s forthcoming studio album Push The Sky Away, the 15th record from the ensemble who are “unlike any other band on earth for pure, instinctive inventiveness” (in the words of their ringleader, Nick Cave).
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will kick-off their short North American tour with a showcase on March 13th, headlining the annual NPR showcaseThe Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ SXSW show follows neatly after they finish their national headline tour of Australia in early March – including three sold out performances at the Sydney Opera House – to support their latest opus, which the poetic frontman says is a set that, lyrically and thematically, presents his views on technology.
Cave says the songs of Push The Sky Away “convey how on the internet profoundly significant events, momentary fads, and mystically-tinged absurdities sit side-by-side and question how we might recognise and assign weight to what’s genuinely important.”
There’s already a taste of the new album’s more restrained musical atmosphere in lead single ‘We No Who U R’ and ‘Jubilee Street’, both more than a few musical miles away from the horny storm and drang of the now defunct Grinderman and the wild-man blues of 2008’s Dig! Lazarus, Dig!!!
Along with the Bad Seeds NPR gig, Cave will also be interviewed by New York author Larry “Ratso” Sloman as part of SXSW Film on Tuesday 12th March in an event titled ‘Nick Cave in Conversation,” which will cover his music and film work, perhaps including his forthright views on the screen violence portrayed in Lawless, the film he wrote, soundtracked, and even made a cameo in.
You can listen to the latest Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds release, ‘Jubilee Street’, and the Australian Tour dates below:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 2013 Australian Tour
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds shows will go on sale Thursday December 6
Details below or at www.nickcave.com
Tuesday 26th – Thrusday 27th 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
