The Birthday Party (originally known as The Boys Next Door) were an Australian post-punk band, active from 1978 to 1983. Despite limited commercial success, The Birthday Party's influence has been far-reaching, and they have been called "one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s.
The group's "bleak and noisy soundscapes," which drew irreverently on blues, free jazz, and rockabilly, provided the setting for vocalist Nick Cave's disturbing tales of violence and perversion. Their music has been described by critic Simon Reynolds as gothic, and their single "Release the Bats" was particularly influential on the emerging gothic scene.
In 1980, The Birthday Party moved from Melbourne to London, where they were championed by broadcaster John Peel. Disillusioned by their stay in London, the band's sound and live shows became increasingly violent.
They broke up soon after relocating to West Berlin in 1983. The creative core of The Birthday Party – singer and songwriter Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mick Harvey, and singer, songwriter and guitarist Rowland S. Howard – later went on to acclaimed careers.
Marc Bolan of English glam rock group T-Rex, holding Mike Putland's Nikon camera on the tour bus during a four-date British tour, June 1972
Frank Zappa captured in a hotel in Sussex in June 1970, holding the artwork for the latest Mothers of Invention album
One of Brian Wilson's favourite shots taken at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 2008
Muse are an English rock band from Devon, formed in 1994 consisting of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme & Dominic Howard.
Sir Cliff Richard is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor & philanthropist, he has sold more than 250 million records worldwide.
Liam Gallagher is best known as the charismatic, self-assured front man of Manchester Britpop band Oasis.
With his distinctive raspy voice and profound lyricism, Rod Stewart is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
A fantastic curated collection of museum quality fine art prints by leading music photographer Barry Schultz
Welcome to our Jazz & Blues Print Collection - over 50 years of iconic images of the world's greatest Jazz & Blues musicians
