Cave man tinkles ivories on solo tour

By RUSSELL BAILIE

Nick Cave's Bad Seeds remain one of the great backing bands in rock. Their dynamic power is back at full voltage again on the forthcoming double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. While a visit by the Cave and co remains unlikely - they haven't popped across the Tasman since the Big Day Out back in 1996 - one of the Bad Seeds is heading here as a solo artist.

Conway Savage has been the band's pianist since 1990. As well as being an ivory-tinkler-by-appointment to many other Aussie indie rock figures (including Kim Salmon, Dave Graney, Robert Forster, Spencer P. Jones and the late Dave McComb), Savage has occasionally put out his own albums.

His North Island visit comes on the heels of his third, Wrong Man's Hands, a low-key set that sounds like after-hours respite from the fire and brimstone of his playing with Cave. Though he covers one Cave song (Bring It On from Nocturama), the other major influence is James Joyce - he's set two of his poems to music.

Not that it's something he wants to discuss on the phone from hometown Melbourne. "Er, I'm in discussions with his estate which is ultra protective of James Joyce, which is fair enough," he says, sounding surprised his album has been noticed enough for anyone's lawyers to be interested.

Savage turned to piano as a teenager "when I realised my football career was coming to a grinding halt".

"I grew up in the country - my parents ran little pubs in the bush so there would be always be a piano down the back of the dining area ... and there I would bang away and turn around and there would be six leering hoons going 'Look at Savage'."

And it's been the same since?

"I guess so. A couple of them have got dresses on now."

While it might sound like a full-time job being a Bad Seed, there are long fallow periods for the band, who assemble only to record then tour very quickly.

"Be it so ever so humble that's the reason for my solo records and popping around the place, doing some shows."

Still, the septet is not a bad gang to be in. "Well I guess we could form an exclusive club. There are enough of us there. Once again, it's that great thing of being friends and a band.

"And in the Seeds I notice I sing a lot higher and you slip into the band role more, just bopping away like Laurie Partridge. Playing with the Seeds is fantastic."

Still, it's going to be a different experience, playing by himself on a tour, which, when it hits Ohakune next Wednesday as part of the Fallout Festival, may have him playing to his first audience of snowboarders. ...

"[Expletive] really? Aw you're joking. Well boy oh boy. Snowboarders?"

Performance

* Who: Conway Savage, singer-songwriter, pianist in Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

* Supporting Penny Kinger, Odeon Lounge, Eden Tce, Saturday and Sunday; Bay Bar, Taupo, Tues Sept 7; Projection Room, Ohakune (part of Fallout Festival), Wed Sept 8; Vega, Wanganui, Thu Sept 9; Bar Bodega Wellington, Fri Sept 10; Governors, Palmerston North, Sat Sept 11