Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds is a successful rock/ post-punk band with international personnel. It was originally formed in 1984 by two former members of the Australian band The Birthday Party: Nick Cave (singer, songwriter) and Mick Harvey (drums). They were joined by Einstürzende Neubauten member Blixa Bargeld (guitar), Hugo Race (guitar), and former Magazine member Barry Adamson (bass, piano). With this line-up, the band recorded and released their debut album, From Her To Eternity (1984).
During their initial Australian tour, Birthday Party bassist Tracy Pew also performed with the band.
Nick Cave - vocals, piano (1984—) Mick Harvey - guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion (1984—) Blixa Bargeld - guitar, vocals (1984–2004); original member who quit after 20 years Thomas Wydler - drums, percussion (1985—)
Apart from the remaining core members of Harvey, Cave, and Wydler, the other band members consist of talented musicians, selected personally by Cave, who have made more or less impact on band's sound, and from session musicians, they have earned full-member status:
Martyn P. Casey - bass (1991—) Conway Savage - piano, keyboards (1991—) Warren Ellis - violin (1993—) Jim Sclavunos - drums, percussion (1996—) James Johnston - guitar, keyboards
Anita Lane - lyrics Barry Adamson - bass, drums Hugo Race - guitar Tracy Pew (deceased) - bass Kid Congo Powers - guitar Roland Wolf (deceased) - piano
May 1984–September 1984: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Barry Adamson, and Hugo Race. October 1984–March 1985: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, and Barry Adamson. June 1985–July 1986: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Barry Adamson, and Thomas Wydler. July 1986–September 1986: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, and Thomas Wydler. September 1986–September 1989: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Kid Congo Powers, Roland Wolf, and Thomas Wydler. October 1989–May 1990: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Kid Congo Powers, and Thomas Wydler. May 1992–April 1994: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Conway Savage, Martyn P. Casey, Thomas Wydler. February 1996–September 2001: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Conway Savage, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey, Thomas Wydler, Jim Sclavunos. February 2003–March 2003: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey, Thomas Wydler, Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos. April 2003—: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey, Thomas Wydler, Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos, James Johnston.