Three reasons why Nick Cave should ask Everett True’s band to support The Bad Seeds on their forthcoming tour of Australia
Just thinking. Nick Cave is soon to tour Australia with The Bad Seeds, and he really ought to ask The Legend! to be his support. Let’s start a petition!
1. London 1982
Extracted from the cover feature on Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Careless Talk Costs Lives #6.
So, one day in about ’82 or ’81, I get a call from my mate Geoff The Postman and he’s like, “You’re in *Sounds*, you’re in *Sounds*, there’s a Birthday Party interview and half of it’s about you and – ”, and I’m like, “WHAT?” It transpires that he’s right (sort of), cos a few weeks ago there had been a Birthday Party show at the Africa Centre or some place, no stage (as ever), ferocious slam-dancing – Birthday Party fans invented slam-dancing way before Black Flag ever got puritanical on the Yanks’ asses – and someone pushed Nick meanly as his back was turned, and he went sprawling arse-over-tit over a monitor, got up, face like thunder, grabbed a microphone stand and…
Thing was, I didn’t notice. I was too busy fucking dancing down the front, but every other fan did and magically melted away from view… so Nick turns round and there’s just innocent me there (first sang on a record at the start of the live Birthday Party/Lydia Lunch split 12-inch 1982′s Drunk On The Pope’s Blood’, saw the Cocteau Twins’ debut London performance cos they were fellow Birthday Party freaks like us, stopped going to Birthday Party shows when all the goddamn (spit) music press-led Goths began showing up and laughing at my screen-printer dungarees) … so he grabs the microphone stand and goes fucking “WHACK!” straight across my face, and over I go and over he goes and a couple of kids rush to pull me back …
A week later, it’s all over the fucking national music press.
I don’t tell Nick any of this.
I’m halfway scared he may still think it was me who tripped him.
2. Brighton 2007
Extracted from the cover feature on Grinderman, Plan B Magazine #19
NICK CAVE: Hair’s always been very important to me. I’ve always been obsessed with hair, in fact, right from the very beginning. And three-quarters of this band are losing their hair, and –
PAUSE
– What’s this for?
AMP: Plan B magazine.
NICK CAVE: Ah! Everett True’s magazine. Oh, poor you!
AMP: Why?
NICK CAVE: Because you work for Everett.
AMP: He’s alright! He’s nice.
NICK CAVE: I saw Everett play in Brighton, recently, as The Legend! Me and Shane MacGowan went along. It was one of the most entertaining gigs I’ve ever seen. Up there with Nina Simone.
WARREN ELLIS (to Nick): Bob Dylan?
NICK CAVE: Yeah! Up there with Bob Dylan. We had a really good time. Me and Shane actually danced. It’s very difficult to dance to Everett True. But we managed it.
3. Mt Bullah 2009
Extracted from the now-defunct blog Music That I Like, August 2009
It’s ATP, the beautiful surrounds of the Mt Bullah ski resort in Victoria, January ’09. Thursday evening barbecue, Nick Cave’s son is on the prowl with his new autograph book, aided by dad. “Hey, look, here’s Everett!” dad announces. “He’s really famous. Ask him!” So his son proffers me the book…
Nick takes me to one side, fixes me with a steely glare. “Now, no pornographic poetry please, Everett. His mum doesn’t want any swear words.” I think for a second, then scrawl, “No wukkas – Everett True.” The boy wants to know what it means, so Nick has a shifty. “No fucking worries – nice one Everett,” he laughs.
I see dad the following day, accompanied by Shylock… I mean Warren Ellis. Ask him if his son has obtained any more signatures. “Well, he has asked the singer of Fuck Buttons for his autograph with band name included, three times.”
