Since his early days with The Birthday Party Nick Cave has personified the term cool. His music and lyrics are frequently dark, dealing almost obsessively with themes such as death, religion, love, pain, and strong visceral emotions. Although hugely important in the post punk, goth, and alternative genres his albums transcend any particular label as he mixes ballads with harsh rock styles, and soulful torch classics. As tastes have changed Nick Cave has not only retained his devoted following but also grown it, assisted partly by some interesting musical collaborations and his willingness to experiment. In addition to music he has also pursued acting roles, film and tv scores, and written several books. Substance over style.
