Mick Harvey

The son of an Anglican Minister he began playing music by accident with Caulfield Grammar schoolmates Phill Calvert and bassist Brett Purcell in 1972. They were joined the next year by Nick Cave and guitarist John Cocivera, and therewith were united the core of what would later become The Birthday Party.

Considered to be an exceptional multi-instrumentalist, Mick himself only considers himself a drummer and guitarist (in that order!!!).

His sobriety throughout even the wildest of The Birthday Party's excesses has led to the belief that he was the element which harnessed the potential of the explosive forces around him. It is true that he took over the bands management after the move to London in 1980. His abilities as a musician, arranger and producer were a major contribution to the band creatively and proved to be even more so for The  Bad Seeds in the following years.

Mick has also scored several low budget films and documentaries, produced many recordings  with Anita Lane, PJ Harvey and Rowland S. Howard and released 4 acclaimed albums of French icon Serge Gainsbourg's songs translated into English. More recently he has added to his burgeoning list of solo releases with collaborative, duet albums featuring Mexican artist Amanda Acevedo.