Lyrics | Artists | The Birthday Party

The Birthday Party

Driven by abrasive, antagonistic new wave attitude, The Birthday Party were the outsiders of 1980s rock, championed by Radio 1 DJ John Peel, yet left to become cult heroes scowling in the shadows. Inspired by the punk explosion, the gang of Melbourne school friends started playing together in 1973 under the guise of The Boys Next Door, before taking their feedback fuelled, distorted art rock to London in 1980 and renaming themselves after a Harold Pinter play. Led by Nick Cave's dark, gothic songs and Rowland S. Howard's screeching guitars, the band signed with 4AD for debut albu...