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.
The Cure on the road in Holland and Belgium during their 1980 'Seventeen Seconds' tour.
Radiohead shot for a MOJO cover story in their Oxford Studios in April of 2001
Jimmy Page playing his legendary bowed guitar solo during 'Dazed & Confused' whilst onstage with Led Zeppelin in Belfast in March 1971
Freddie Mercury in the spotlight whilst playing the grand piano in Southampton in May, 1977.
Tom Waits is an American singer-songwriter known for his musical tales of bohemians, drifters, misfits & his blend of blues, folk & jazz.
Oasis were an English rock music band formed in Manchester in 1991, to date the band have sold over 70 million records worldwide.
Referred to as rock music's 'Prince of Darkness', Nick Cave's music is characterised by emotional intensity & a wide variety of influences.
Queen are a British rock band credited with making significant contributions to such genres as hard rock & heavy metal, among others.
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Our contact sheet collection is a rare opportunity to look back at the hidden moments surrounding some of rocks most iconic images.
Album covers can define a band almost as much as the music itself. Now you can put this great art on your wall as well as your turntable
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
