Melancholy, Smoke, The Muse, Evil, and a song…
Nick Cave on melancholy, smoking habits, The Muse, the nature of Evil, a quote from Oscar Wilde, and (among other things) his failings at art school … From 1998 and a must-see. Here is “Roy & HG’s Planet Norwich”, Channel 4 UK, interview, and Nick singing “Into My Arms” (from 10.08.98) (in 3 parts).
Part 1
Part 2
Tx to Retina Soup
Part 3
Tx to Sofarfromme !
Aussie raconteurs Roy Slaven & HG Nelson interview various celebrities…
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Hi Vinny,
I understand exactly what you mean about Nick’s relationship with his Muse, at that time, and his feeling he had misused her. My sense of things is that he’s worked through it and gone beyond the need to flog himself for earning money from his art.
Personally, I think it has to do with one’s sense of self-worth and making some kind of peace with the commercial use of your art, whatever that might be. I think we all agree Nick Cave is the hardest working man in show business (James Brown’s ‘title’ for many years, rest his soul) and that he deserves all of the success he’s currently enjoying, monetary and otherwise.
I appreciate you coming back to clarify. Cheers!
It wasn’t in the sense that he was whoring himself for money. It was that he used his muse to whore himself out to make money, which is what really didn’t sit well with Nick. Granted, I don’t think Nick and the Seeds have ever really cared about money, seeing how they change styles every other album and do nothing much for marketing themselves (maybe it’s just this way in the U.S.?). It’s one of the reasons I love them so much. They’re not afraid to do what they want to do. Integrity is a rarity on most band resumes.
It’s great seeing this interview again. And yeah, I also agree with everything that Nick says about society trying to cure sadness and what a crock of crap that is.
((DEB)) You go, girl! You are entirely magnificent when you get fired-up about Our Nick.
RE: Sadness
That’s a very important observation he’s making. What is going on in our society where so many people are on anti-depressants? Why are sadness and anger viewed as pathological conditions? I worked as a pharmacy tech for years while going for my anthropology degree. Horrified by the number of people on psychotropic drugs and the effects of such practices.
Here’s a CNN article explaining exactly what I mean:
It’s the drug company lobby, it’s Big Pharma, and prescription drugs are marketed to people like soap powder. Jesus, that pisses me off. We’re living in Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, I tell you. Oops. I sound angry. Better than taking a Prozac or a Soma. Everyone should be outraged about it. America’s RX drug culture is very real. This country refuses to legalize medical marijuana but thinks nothing of advertising sleeping pills like Ambien as appropriate for mild-moderate sleeplessness. Whatever happened to warm milk or cocoa or hot tea? Or a lovely selection of Nick’s love songs (or Blixa’s hypnotic purrs). That works for me! TRY IT! ;D
Well, that was some rant.
Great convos.
Cheers, everyone.
i love this interview and remember being excited about seeing it. i recorded it at the time on VHS. re nick whoring himself out. should he be making music for free? is the music better if it is free? it is very hard to make a living from music. most musicians do it for a little while and then get a day job. you have to be very good and very lucky to make a career of it. anyway it is nicks life and i am grateful for the music and the live performances and everything else he has given me. i also like his view on sadness. it is integral to our being. people are very uncomfortable with sadness. it needs to be fixed. anyway, great walk down memory lane with this one morgan.
xx
One of my favorite Nick interviews ever! So casual and it really expresses a lot, we find out answers to questions that we all want to ask. =]
One thing that struck me as absolutely spot on was Nick saying society has a problem with sadness! They try to cure it. Everyone is expected to go about with a smile pasted on their face or else go into therapy and get yourself sorted out. Bah! I love Nick for claiming melancholy as a natural state of being for himself in that time period. We all go through these states where we need to own our emotions. To hell with the societal status. Bullshit. Been there. Totally get it. Adore him for his courage in this interview. So f*cking wonderful!
Vinny, good of the Nick forum folks to explain about Nick whoring himself out. To me, it’s like Rev Dimmesdale flogging himself after he’s already had his way with Hester Prynne. How much desecration of the flesh is necessary before he says it’s enough?
All music has worth. Money is money. It can be seen as evil and it can cause evil. In itself, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think Nick worries much about the sources of his income these days. Either he rose above it or he doesn’t give a damn. I don’t judge.
Thanks for posting.
Love this video. Someone linked me to it on the Nick Cave forum when I asked why “There Is A Light” was never on the Bsides album, and they explained that Nick sort of “whored” himself out with the song, as he mentions in this video. Still, one of my favorite tunes. Never seen the song footage though, which is great.
No, Devin. YOU gals are amazing.
We just try to come up with stuff that keeps your interest. I agree the smoking thing is way too cool… Jesus. 
I love Roy and HG, Cass. When he’s explaining about his ’sleazy art’ and the muscle man looking up at the ballerina’s ‘fundaments’ — I about died!!! ROTFL!
Classic Cave, yes, ma’am…
DDD
“Planeteers, can you whack away at the fists and reduce them to bloody pulp until they drop off as a way of thanking Nick Cave”.
Classic stuff!!
God, the whole smoking bit had me speechless in a GREAT way. *faints* You gals…are amazing for finding all this stuff.
Thanks for the memories!! I remember watching that when it was shown back in ‘98, as we watched Roy&HG religiously in those days, and this was a ‘biggie’ that we were looking forward to.
3 National Living Treasures around the one table… Rampaging Roy Slaven has a wonderful interviewing technique which obviously has Nick at ease, if not a little speechless at times!