It's easy in this age of casual, lazy language to view and mock the way someone like Nick speaks about his inner life. He harkens back to earlier times when florid, complex linguistic structures were used to express the depths of thought and feeling. He's a true poet as anyone who has spent even a modest amount of time listening to his various periods of music will surely know. He brilliantly straddles that line between the now and the past. I will always cherish the moment when I first discovered him decades ago as he has come to mean so much to me in many ways. In a class all of his own!!
It needs to change, the idea that speaking eloquently makes you sound like an asshole. As an avid reader since childhood, I’ve always had a decent vocabulary, although not the most well-spoken. When I talk about something that is important to me, I’ll use whatever language feels appropriate at the time. When in the wrong company, I’ve been told ‘stop trying to sound smart.’ SO, the opinions of those who would speak ill of someone that thinks before they speak, and have something thoughtful to say, should be disregarded. If not completely ignored, pity should be given to any person who feels threatened enough to speak ill on public forums such as this. If you feel intimidated by someone such as Nick Cave, I recommend you pick up a book, and develop yourself into someone to be revered.
@@Faygo33 A different album (it isn't a murder ballad), but aye. I think the song nests next to Brompton Oratory a song named after Cave's favourite church in Kensington.
Or perhaps this letter is an example showing that Nick Cave asked to be overlooked in a lot of the ways we judge 'good' and 'popular'. His catalog speaks for itself and that's the way he wants it it would seem
From Rush's 'The Spirit of the Radio': "One likes to believe in the freedom of music But glittering prizes and endless compromises Shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah"
Hi Justin, I feel like you’ve become something of a spokesman for many of us that feel like we’re on the sidelines of pop culture looking on. Sometimes we’re bewildered, sometimes impressed, sometimes intrigued. You are one of us, and you’ve kept it real through the ups and downs. Though you have a personality that deserves to be as well known as a Chris Martin or Ed Sheeran, you have balance the take of the ‘Everyman’ with that of an insider. It’s a class act as so many of us have said. I’m grateful for your approach and commentary and I think you’ll find an army behind you that appreciate you for all you bring musically and videoally. Nice one. David
Nick Cave wrote a movie called The Proposition its an Australian western and its a really good movie its not for the faint of heart though, there are some very tough scenes but I highly recommend it
@@williamjosephdunn5879oh the music is a treat and it's used sparingly too its not pushed in your face, good movie isn't it quite a few good actors too, the young lad who plays the youngest brother is really good
And he was somehow involved in the script for the Gladiator sequel that never happened... Would be very interesting to see what would have came out of that...
@@tiagocandeias1979 so bummed about that movie not being made! I heard Ridley Scott loved the script.. perhaps the studio was a bit apprehensive ?😬🤷♂️
Love The Proposition! Great film and great actors,, kinda melancholy and violent but delivers nonetheless. It feels like your living inside one of Nick Caves songs for 2 hours.
I loved this letter when I read it. I love Nick Cave.....I read his Red Hand files each week and he is just wonderful....I want you to have the awards! Wings of Desire is my all time favourite movie!
I have the utmost respect for Nick Cave. I’ve been a fan of his music 🎶 acting 🎭 writing for a long time. I’m even signed up for his RED HAND FILES newsletter. I think he would feel like a Hypocrite, if he accepted an award, from any institution, who’s practices are so contrary to his own sensibilities. I think he stated as nicely as possible. Thanks 🙏 Justine Hawkins.
Celebrities accepting knighthoods seems to be an almost masturbatory concept IMO. Except it is the ones doing the knighting performing the deed on the celebrity. 😂
I don't believe a word Bowie said. He was a fake and a fraud who used multiple musicians and rode Mick's coattails. And if you want to push this further I'll tell you about my sister's interaction with Bowie at the Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence wrap party. Don't forget this is a man who wore a dress on an album cover and stated he was gay just to sell more records. Look what he did to Mick Ronson. No Mick Ronson no Davey Jones. And all that family insanity bullshit. Want more? I got plenty more.
I think it boils down to him not wanting to physically have to appear at these awful events when he could be at home getting high and writing masterpieces , and I bet he was grinning when he sent off this letter, a lot of his work is very dark humoured and tongue in cheek
God. I love Nick. I feel so bad he's faced such tragedy in his life. I can only imagine the heartache and sorrow he's had to deal with after losing not just one but two of his children to such tragic circumstances. Yet he consistently shows kindness and gratitude toward his fans who have reached out to console him. He spends more time talking about how they've changed his life and helped him through the horrific times he's been through. Nick Cave's music helped inspire me to become a poet but Nick Cave the person inspires me to be a better person myself.
Nick is a rare beastie and you will notice he was not disparaging to his fellow artistes like Kylie who lets be honest does love a nice nomination, he walks his own path and should be for ever encouraged to do so. I still remember hearing Release The Bats and Nick The Stripper by his then band The Birthday Party when it was released on the John Peel show, talk about eye opening stuff.
I’ve said this before but gotta say it again. Justin is so goddam cool it’s unreal. I don’t know why I only feel the need to comment on that, because he also appears to be funny, witty, entertaining and an all around nice guy and a gentle man. I love music. Don’t understand it in any technical sense and not sure I need to. But these semi deep dives into a song or a band have made me like and appreciate music even more. Thank you!
I am from Nick Cave’s hometown where he spent a lot of his childhood. He actually expressed in his documentary his absolute dislike of the town when he was growing up, which some took great offence to (not me, I understand his issues during this time period). However, when he did his solo acoustic tour where he took questions from the audience, he started the tour here in our small venue (small in terms of places he has played), and the way he approached this issue was with so much grace & humility. He is incredibly eloquent & poetic just in his everyday speech. When he writes this only becomes magnified. His Red Hand Files are fantastic. I was so lucky to have worked & then watched this performance as a great fan. I sat in our old tech position, resting with my chin cradled on my arms as I leaned on the window sill & I was completely transported. It was like he was playing only for me & from audience comments after I believe the 530 odd other listeners felt the same. It was one of the most magical performance experiences of my life.
You know better than any of us that he left town all those years ago in a hurry and under a cloud, after the parents of a girl contended that he had forced himself on their daughter. He told me this himself, many (man) years ago in Berlin (I really liked and admired him, but I felt he lacked a bit of maturity and self-awareness around the seriousness of such matters, at this time). Was his return still contentious, for that reason? Or, is it all water under the bridge now? Does he get the freedom of the city (town)?
@@jackhargreaves1911 hi I had never heard this & if true certainly shines a different light on his later years here. There was definitely never any mention of this that I know of in the time proceeding the performance or even during the performance (which actually surprises me). In fact the majority of the people who expressed dislike were more “He trashed our town in his documentary, he doesn’t get to come back & act like it’s all cool”. Which is what I was referring to that he handled with grace…He was confronted with this by an audience member during the performance & he actually apologised. The issues I was talking about for kids like Nick were more around an issue with country police brutality during the 70s to early 90s (though of course he’d left by then. There was definitely a certain attitude that kids that were a little different (ie didn’t play football or cricket) were not tolerated & routinely taken down dark country roads for a good beating. This was particularly nasty for some of the LGBTQIA+ community. There were particular cops that kids of that era knew to stay well away from. On top of this was horrific unchecked bullying in schools. I’ve also heard that there were some police harassment issues of his dad as well, but I have no direct information for this just rumours. Interestingly enough it is the sports culture in this town that (I feel) has created a culture where athletes have felt it was entirely acceptable to force themselves on girls or to get them passed out drunk & take turns assaulting them - and a blind eye was always turned.
Great comment. Im off to your town tomorrow for work. Ive just finished reading Mark Mordues "boy on fire" about Caves time coming of age and thought it was an insightful read that didn't gloss over his mistakes. Great to hear how his concert went there. Brave but also contrite of him to play there after saying some silly things many moons ago about it. I think a lot of us are rejecting our home situation in our youth.
Teenage snuff film may well be the best album nobody listened to. Released at the wrong time, would gain much more traction today IMO. I actually thought this video was going to be about nick cave singing the song 'shivers' when it was rowland's song. Rowland was a brilliant songwriter, much more than just a guitarist.
Love Nick Cave and this letter makes me love him even more! Love your channel Justin. Any chance of doing some videos covering a few of my favourite bands which are The Fall, Sonic Youth and Swans?
Please sir Hawkins, do a video on some of the most amazing music and performances ever - Jeff Buckley. I’m sure there’s a lot of us out there who would like to see it! Also keep it up!
Hi Justin, Have you thought about having the odd special guest on your channel? Would Mr Frankie Poulain be up for it? Thank you for all the work you put into these videos.
I've seen him in concerts many times and it's always felt like a fresh experience. There are bands I've seen twice and the second time, even though they played new songs, it was a little boring. I could watch Nick perform ten more times and even if he'd play the same songs, it would always be exciting.
I have to say nick cave's reverence for his muse is one of the most beautiful, poetic and perfectly accurate descriptions of the precious and brief moments your muse chooses to reveals itself. Is it considered plagiarism if I steal the sentiment. Probably would have been a more powerful statement if he went to the awards, accepted his awards and while the MTV universe was fawning over his brilliance he should have approached the mic and then publicly stated his view for the whole world to hear. It would have been like a metaphorical kick in the bollocks for MTV.
Maybe he felt there would be too much reward for his ego that way, a letter was the minimal functional method so might have helped him remain grounded in his creative zone.
Great to see you commenting on us Aussie artists! Nick Cave is a legend! And the positive reviews you've given from King GIzzo, Chats etc Fantastic to see! Kickin goals Justin!
I love this! I feel like you dedicated 10 or so minutes to burying the lede, which you dropped, offhand, at the very end: "Lighten up, Nick..." Brilliant!
The guys from the KLF felt the same way about the music and art business, so much so that they showed up to the Brits to perform their "hit" with Extreme noise terror and then quit the music business and burnt all the profits from singles sales. They also created a "worst artist of the year" award for visual artists who they felt were overly playing the corporate game who's cash prize was actually worth more than the turner prize. I get the statement that both Nick Cave as well as the KLF were making art gets cheapened when there becomes an award/cash prize element to it. another example Godspeed you black emperor won a Polaris (Canadian equivalent to mercury prize) and gave all the money to charity. So yes if it's how you feel about your art you are right to do it!
Nick Cave doesn't get nearly enough attention, I have been a fan for years. Not just his music but his art in total. He has such integrity with this statement.
I second the request for thoughts on Rowland S Howard. Possibly the only person that ever intimidated Nick Cave? Parted by mid 90s. Teenage Snuff Film and Pop Crimes are amongst the best albums anyone ever made.
His cover of Billy Idol’s white wedding is perfection. I love both the original and his take. The one and only time I saw RSH is when Nick Cave curated ATP Mt Buller. But I’ve seen his brother’s bands lots of times.
“Als das Kind Kind war, wußte es nicht, daß es Kind war, alles war ihm beseelt, und alle Seelen waren eins.” Movies don’t come much better than Wings of Desire. As for Nick Cave, words are not enough….
Incredible movie. Had such an impact on me. I'd never seen anything that employed the depth of drama, music, cinematography exposing Berlin at that most amazing time until I saw Wings of Desire
I think a lot of people who only have a cursory awareness of Nick Cave are unaware of just how tongue and cheek he often is. He’s always had a dark sense of humor that has run through not only his work, but his relationship with the media and the press. He can also be very self deprecating and unassumingly playful in the way he presents himself. When I first got into his work 25+ years ago it was actually jarring to me, in fact, just how much so, because it completely went against the way the media often presented him. The 96’ VMA letter shouldn’t be taken too seriously, I don’t think - although his personality in the mid to late 90s was a bit more prickly then it is today (he was routinely fighting heroin addiction) I think the letter is more of a beautifully written “wink, wink” than anything else.
Oh I am the happiest little person I can possibly be today! Thank you for featuring Nick Cave. To your point, I think he wouldn't be Nick Cave if he didn't shun the greasy grime of awards and MTV. He does continue to have a delicate relationship with his muse. But maybe that comes with the amount of work he produces across multiple genres and time. we I will consume nearly any project he puts out. I've read as many books as I can about and by him. "And the Ass Saw the Angel" was an interesting read. But I'm just fan girling at this point. I would encourage anyone remotely interested in Mr Cave's work to start their own journey to discover his talents. His shows are utterly transcendent. I have to travel from Phoenix AZ to LA when he comes to the US, but it's worth every mile! Thank you, Justin!
Justin, with Nick Cave talking about his muse in the letter have you have had any problems with writers block when writing songs ?, love the channel and the vids, keep it up !!😁
My favourite Nick Cave story is from the 90s, he and Tex Perkins went for a meal at a karaoke restaurant in Brisbane and they ended up doing what he described as "full urban terrorist" versions of classics like "My Way," with knee drops and screams.....
i was at a Nick Cave show in 1992, the SFX Hall in Dublin,, a bit of a pit really, it was a near riot, the security had a difficult time,, anyway,, the encore,,," I wanna tell you about a girl......." The small but dedicated crowd go apoplectic, I was right down the front against the barrier,, Nick, puts his foot upon a stage light, right at the edge of the stage, and carelessly boots it onto the very large head of a security guy,, brick shit house guy, huge, bald with his head caved in by Cave,, the entire show was tense, angry, venal and rupturing to this very point, The security guy, growled and i could hear him over the PA, the madness within the song, was actually brought to life, great gig though.
So many layers to music aren't there Justin? A lot of it is intensely private or even spiritual, then there's the band thing, the social thing around the band thing, then a highly nuanced (even political) set of jousts around publicity and management. All of these, I imagine, can be artforms if approached in a certain way. I suppose musicians have their own biases about the bits they engage with in this way and the bits they won't. Layers, innt? Anyway, love these brief glimpses into your thinking. Cheers!
I'd also argue no band should agree to have MTV supposedly induct them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as if MTV owns this mythical place that exists only in our hearts and minds. Nobody, least of all MTV, can induct anyone into this mythical place. Rather, we can say about a Great Band, "they're in the rock & roll hall of fame".
Just read an article about 20 songs, going back decades, that did not win for Best Song at the Grammys in their year and 70% of them on the list are stone cold _killer_ monster tracks. Proves awards are shit. Simply a promotional or political tool 90% of the time.
I suggest if no one has read it, Read his book "And the ass saw the angel". The imagery is amazingly intense and never lets up, very similar to PERFUME by Susskind, which wasn't in Mr. Cave's list of favorite books, I don't know whether to believe that.
Hi Justin, Mark here from Australia. Have you looked at the Aussie band - DMAS. I think you would love one of there recent tracks - Junk Truck Head Fuck. Very Oasis sounding Cheers Mark
Mehhhh that might be ACDC? Nick Cave is more like Australia's Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, or Tom Waits. Oh no, the Neil Young. Except Warren Ellis is his old black? This analogy is going off the rails.
Hi Justin. it's been bugging me for years, but is Growing On Me about genital warts? Permission To Land got me through some tough years and I still love listening to it now. I used to work in Lowestoft and the legend of Black Shuck came up a few times. Much love, man - love the channel.
Interesting argument, the muse one, very sensitive... Can you be so kind to analise the lyrics of the song "Torna a casa" from Maneskin? It's an "oda" to their muse, it's beautifully written by Damiano, the singer, when he was 16/17 years old, and the song its beautiful too, in my opinion (i'm not a musician, just a music enthusiast) Thanks for all your super interesting videos. Cheers!
He's not lying about the muse being fickle. When I first got into home recording in 2003, I wrote an album's worth of material in the span of a year. That is the first and, unfortunately, the last time I've ever experienced a thing like that. I'm not comparing myself to Nick Cave, or even saying that I've written anything that could have been commercially successful, just that I have a modicum of understanding for the process.
