The Birthday Party
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Melbourne, Australia (1977 – 1983)
The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, from 1977 to 1983. Formed in Melbourne, the band 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 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 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.
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Top Albums
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The John Peel Sessions
The Birthday Party
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Prayers On Fire
The Birthday Party Buy- Download Album
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Junkyard
The Birthday Party Buy- Download Album
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Hits
The Birthday Party Buy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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crazzzymouse wrote:
I have a friend in you oh mister Clarinet!:-S
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U-Brother wrote:
Gashak, всем было очень интересно узнать ваше мнение
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Chumsicles wrote:
Jennifer's Veil will definitely be playing at my funeral
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HarryFearless wrote:
C'mon and kiss me blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack... x
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HarryFearless wrote:
FUCKIN' ROTTEN BUSINESS THIS!!!! x
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HarryFearless wrote:
DIM LOCATOR, DIM LOCATOR, LOMO LOMO LOMO LOMO LOW WOW WOW xxx
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Gashak wrote:
Шняга. Не вкатило никак.
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fnordexplorer wrote:
one of my all time favorites, but agreed: "After listening to this band for a few years now, I think it's safe to say, they have the potential to ruin your life."
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zhelnerovich wrote:
What?
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crazzzymouse wrote:
Что с чем-то...
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PedroLemgruber wrote:
I love how the number of scrobbles for Release the Bats raised exponentially after that fat goth girls thing began
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madameobscure wrote:
<3
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promisedeyes wrote:
I like to think that release the bats is about plowing big fat goth girls [6]
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ElisMoon wrote:
I like to think that release the bats is about plowing big fat goth girls [5]
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another_jack wrote:
dead Joe
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demaupin wrote:
which I'm not adverse to. [3]
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sjniazi wrote:
I like to think that release the bats is about plowing big fat goth girls [3]
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RussellChap wrote:
!
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letsgobeach wrote:
which I'm not adverse to. [2]
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letsgobeach wrote:
I like to think that release the bats is about plowing big fat goth girls [2]
Videos
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Play
Jennifer's Veil
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Play
Repulsion (1965) / The Birthday…
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Play
The Friend Catcher// The…
2 shouts
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Play
Release The Bats (1981)
1 shout
Listening Now
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Recent Activity
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ali_millar and NewsRadiohead added The Birthday Party to their libraries. yesterday evening
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Suburban_Blight tagged The Birthday Party with ‘post-punk’. yesterday afternoon
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Dekidex, zibelum, DiaperMichael and 7 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
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humorbot wrote about The Birthday Party – Drunk on the Pope's Blood in Albums I Own.. Wednesday evening
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Liberty1985, Tiger_style333, Spacefloat and 7 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. Wednesday morning
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Liberty1985 tagged The Birthday Party with ‘post-punk’. Wednesday morning
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wasteland89 tagged The Birthday Party with ‘post-punk’. Tuesday morning
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wasteland89, matias68, giggshasscored and 11 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. Tuesday morning
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Johnny_Bat tagged The Birthday Party with ‘batcave’. Sunday morning
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trirzka, arhov, thezitherplayer and 3 other people added The Birthday Party to their libraries. Saturday evening
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