Mick Harvey leaves The Bad Seeds
 

Mick Harvey, one of the founder members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, announces he is leaving:

"For a variety of personal and professional reasons I have chosen to discontinue my ongoing involvement with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. After 25 years I feel I am leaving the band as it experiences one of its many peaks; in very healthy condition, and with fantastic prospects for the future. I'm confident Nick will continue to be a creative force and that this is the right time to pass on my artistic and managerial role to what has become a tremendous group of people who can support him in his endeavours both musically and organizationally. It was a fantastic experience to finish my touring days in the band with the recent shows in Australia and the unique events that took place in conjunction with All Tomorrow's Parties, especially Mt. Buller, which was one of the many highlights of my involvement with the band throughout the years. I shall continue working on the Bad Seeds back catalogue re-issues project over the coming year and look forward to the new opportunities I shall be able to accommodate as a result of my changed circumstances."

Mick Harvey, 22nd January 2009


www.mickharvey.com
www.myspace.com/mickharvey



Bearing in mind that they've worked together for nigh on 30 years, it seems almost like the announcement of the divorce of a well established and much-loved married couple.

Rumour seems to have it that this actually marks the end of the Bad Seeds, not just Mick's departure.

oh NO!

That's a shame.
I hope it's not the end of the band, although they haven't been the same since Blixa left.

The Bad Seeds without Mick Harvey doesn't seem like The Bad Seeds to me. Most of their albums that I would consider the greatest ones (e.g. the ones up to and including The Boatmans Call) are the ones where he was the de facto musical director, the one who translated Nick's ideas into unique music. The Warren Ellis era deosn't seem to have the same va va voom, it's more FM radio classic rock - Bad Seeds Lite.

not attending. biggest regret of 2009.

The Bad Seeds can eat a shit. Boring dignified old man shit, should have given up years ago. ATP Australia line-up can eat a shit too.

^
I can see where you're coming from, some of the music and the arrangements are annoyingly mainstream these days, but nonetheless Nick Cave is more than capable of writing some totally stunning music within the middle-aged songriter genre. Even when he's treading water, which, in my opinion, he has been for the last half dozen albums, he's still head and shoulders above the "competition".

i stopped listening to the bad seeds after Boatman's call. The rest i just can't digest at all. All the previous stuff up to Boatman's call (included) was prime stuff though. Great band.

I got bored of them a while ago too.

DLD was the most boring album Nick has ever been a part of BUT won all the awards. Isnt it alwasy the way?

There are not many songwriters who can put down things so familiar and vulgar and beautiful all at once though. For me.

i got bored after nick went all whinsical and semi religious on us.... but i liked half of nocturama and loved abattoir blues and adore dig lazarus dig but yknow they are no tender prey or henrys dream but the eternal is not gonna be another evol now is it..

as for the end of the bad seeds without mick harvey..... grinderman dont sound too shabby do they?????

rock on nick and i may forgive you for playing the awful oxygen festival next summer and not the picnic..

mick and nick havent really got on on both musical and personal terms for some time now and i fear this was inevitable... i saw an interview on that manchester sky tv station with nick and clint "i was famous once" boon and he approached the subject of mick with nick...he was very sheepish about saying much, he stopped short in saying he didnt really get on with him at all as aperson but musically they "worked" well together.... i thought that was interesting..

also did you know the nick cave and mute relationship is one of the longest ever in music!!!

i liked Harvey's solo record, so this is actually decent news.

I think Cave is in his prime now. His versatility is amazing. His last three record have been amazing. I personnaly think Dig Lazarus Dig! is one of his/their finest accomplishments.

... and Ed Kuepper comes in - for a short while at least...
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=105931801& blogID=470799111

Ed Kuepper in the Bad Seeds... sounds interesting.

i think its funny how every statement made from every band member who chooses to leave sound very identical. replacing a few words here and there

Get some recent live bootlegs before dismissing the last few albums. Fools.

This news super sucks. Nick has said many times that he couldn't do what he does without Mick. Hope he's wrong.

From Her to Eternity
The Firstborn is Dead
Kicking Against the Pricks
Your Funeral...My Trial
Tender Prey
The Good Son
Henry's Dream
Let Love In
Murder Ballads
Boatman's Call
No More Shall We Part
Nocturama
Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus
Dig Lazarus Dig!!!

Damn, what a list. And they NEVER sucked live. Ever.