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The Birthday Party
893,698 plays (66,622 listeners)
post-punk, goth, australian, punk, deathrock… see all
The Birthday Party were one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early ’80s, creating bleak and noisy soundscapes that provided the perfect setting for vocalist Nick Cave’s difficult, disturbing stories of religion, violence, and perversity. Their sound drew upon punk, rockabilly, free jazz and the rawest blues, but transcended concise categorization. Under the direction of Cave and guitarist Rowland S. Howard, the band tore through reams of blues and rockabilly licks, spitting out hellacious feedback and noise at an unrelenting pace. As The Birthday Party’s career progressed, Cave’s vision got darker and the band’s songs alternated between dirges and blistering sonic assaults.
Originally, the Australian band was called the The Boys Next Door, comprising Cave, Howard, Mick Harvey (guitar, drums, organ, piano), bassist Tracy Pew, and drummer Phill Calvert. After the Door Door album and Hee Haw EP under that name, the band moved to London and switched its name to the deceptively benign Birthday Party. Once they arrived in Britain, their demented, knotty post-punk began to gel. They released their first international album, Prayers On Fire, in 1981, earning critical praise in the U.K. and U.S. While the band was preparing to record the follow-up, Pew was jailed for drunk driving; former Magazine member Barry Adamson, Harry Howard, and Chris Walsh filled in for the absent Pew on 1982’s Junkyard.
Originally, the Australian band was called the The Boys Next Door, comprising Cave, Howard, Mick Harvey (guitar, drums, organ, piano), bassist Tracy Pew, and drummer Phill Calvert. After the Door Door album and Hee Haw EP under that name, the band moved to London and switched its name to the deceptively benign Birthday Party. Once they arrived in Britain, their demented, knotty post-punk began to gel. They released their first international album, Prayers On Fire, in 1981, earning critical praise in the U.K. and U.S. While the band was preparing to record the follow-up, Pew was jailed for drunk driving; former Magazine member Barry Adamson, Harry Howard, and Chris Walsh filled in for the absent Pew on 1982’s Junkyard.
Videos
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Play
Birthday Party - She's Hit
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Play
The Birthday Party - A Dead Song (live)
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Play
The Birthday Party - Sonny's Burning (live)
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The Birthday Party - Nick The Stripper (1981)
Top Albums
Shoutbox
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Euchrid wrote:
Stupid last.fm tags The Peel Sessions: Birthday Party II as 'Hits', wtf???
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xristoa wrote:
They put on some noisy, sweaty gigs on the sticky carpet at the seaview. Nic e tash
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Xabhie wrote:
Cave!!
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stenob wrote:
Happy Birthday Mr. Cave!! Wishes from Cremona, Italy.
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[deleted-user]
wrote:
Katana... samurai sword.
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forgetmenot wrote:
I want a samurai sword for my birthday
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taste_test wrote:
I AM THE KING!
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Cellular- wrote:
i want nick to strip for me :D
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wizard_of_ahhhs wrote:
DEEEEEEEEEEEEEP IN THE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODS!
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savinien2 wrote:
c'est la fete
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aolefer wrote:
6 inch gold blade and jeniffer's veil are their best.
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Plarg wrote:
Three cheers for Nick Cave! His musical endeavors are consistently awesome...
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Ridd_Bong wrote:
I grew up on the Birthday Party and still think they were (are) the best band ever
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taste_test wrote:
:3
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ArcticJordan wrote:
dead joooooooe!
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StefanoPiacenti wrote:
the best!!
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HepatitisSundae wrote:
NICKKKK THE STRIPERRRRR, HIDEOUS TOOOO THE EYEEEE!!!!
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SimonChou1221 wrote:
啥乱七八糟的！！！ 有空俺自己在百度下歌，娘的，这里想听还要付费 这不坑人吗！！damn!!!
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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
i like 'nick the stripper' best, or do i confuse it with 'happy birthday' ?
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HepatitisSundae wrote:
Prayers On Fire is mah fave. By far. Zoo Music Girl is amazing. Too bad the poem on the back of the booklet wasn't a song, 'cuz that would've been really nifty.
Including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Boys Next Door, Christian Death, Alien Sex Fiend, Virgin Prunes and more…
Listeners
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Fredd_uk
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Recent Activity
- zenobit, crocodile001, dfmadden and 2 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. 55 minutes ago
- LSFJ created the French wiki page for The Birthday Party. yesterday afternoon
- whopiter, Chadstow, lauranoir and 14 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
- massardi tagged The Birthday Party with ‘post-punk’. Sunday morning
- Nochedelaiguana, earthmanindia, ngst and 14 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. Saturday evening
- deepredbells tagged The Birthday Party with ‘australia’ and ‘australian’. Friday evening
- tdbajus, aenema1984, andrewbmills23 and 14 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. Friday evening
- fundevogel tagged The Birthday Party with ‘punk’ and ‘goth’. August 2008
- revsleestaxx, kadee87, ErnestoLeal and 33 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. August 2008
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