My word he was. You needed to see him live to really appreciate it, I think. Certainly for the times, Tracy was exploring bass rhythms and riffs unlike anyone and really bringing the bass to the foreground in a way that hadn't been explored before. Live he was incredible. It is so lovely when you hear another muso respect a band member and admit it like this. Thank you for posting this interview.
Antipodean thing- 1980, I was given the Prayers on Fire unmixed tape that was recorded at AAV studios, their first high quality recording facility where they got to get a consistent, more bassy sound. I had it for 3 days, in the time of no mobile phones. I lived by the beach in a bungalow and had no landline even. It was their only tape, Keith Glass from Missing Link had given to me. None of them had a contact for me. I moved the stereo into new place in Kooyong Rd Caulfield, all wooden floors and otherwise empty. I popped the tape in on high volume and sat on the floor and Tracy Pew and Rowland S Howard guitar 🎸 completely destroyed my 18 yr old brain. I was simply unqualified to review the record. I later returned the tape and wrote my article what they said about in the interview. It hadn’t even been finished at that point. It went in to be number 1 on the UK alternative charts, first Aussie group to achieve that, it was John Peel whooved them too. I got to interview Tracy Pew and he was not just funny but seriously able to assess the Australian music scene as only a true and innovative artist can. He was scathing. There is no one with greater influence post punk than Tracy Pew in his genre of bass playing. Everyone wanted to be Tge Birthday Party, chemistry as Mick mentions, yes, but itis the man who made the three artists famous because of his bass playing artform.
I’ve played bass in tons of bands, ranging from extreme metal and hardcore punk to folk country stuff. Nothing will make your fretting hand cramp faster than playing Hamlet (Pow Pow Pow), it’s the easiest yet trickiest bassline, and he plays it balls tight for several minutes. Much respect.
I saw The Birthday Party with Lydia Lunch opening on their final tour. It was at The Roxy in Hollywood. One of the top 3 shows I've ever witnessed in my life. More intense than any hardcore band, yet they had a Jazz sensibility. Every member of that band was integral to the magic that they created. RIP Tracy & Roland.
I agree in fact..everything nick cave did after..seemed pretty tame..after seeing the BP..4 X..ROWLAND..TRACY AND NICK..THE HOLY TRINITY..AND ALTHOUGH MICK HARVEY..PLAYED HIS PART..ON STAGE HE SEEMED RATHER DULL
thank you Mick for those very kind words about Tracy Pew. i started to listen the Birthday Party in the end of the 90s. so i wasnt there when the whole things happened. but Tracy Pew was always one of my heroes. it's hard to get any information about him. even now with the internet. so, just what i see and or read in books (Birthday Party and Nick Cave biographies)... he was just the best.
Saw the the Birthday Party in 1983 at a Detroit club Traxx with Tracy. I was fourteen (and tall enough to sneak in with a crumpled paperwork fake ID). Though he wasn't all that tall, I distinctly remember him being like 7' purely on the power of his tone and stage presence. He has the bedrock of that band. Drizzle Nick's voice on top of that mountainous bass and you got some real despondent thunder there...HE was the Birthday Party.
Saw the Birthday Party, with Tracey in London 1981. He was up there with the best. Just listen to "Yard", if you want to hear what a great bassist sounds like. He left far too early. Mick's comments about his late friend was very respectful and erudite.
Very talented set of musicians that was the Birthday Party! Great to see/hear Mick Harvey interview on a band I never saw live but which has influenced me since the eighties in a very positive way so thank you all....
One of my best memories of The Birthday Party was upstairs at the Crystal Ballroom. Some chap leaped onstage and Tracy took two steps and punted him over the front row and onto the floor. It took him ages to get up, I suspect he landed on his head, no-one even tried to catch him, we just scattered, back then only Iggy stage dived and got caught and we didn't know about that in Melbourne, even Nick when he got too close to the front of the stage he got hauled into the melee and had his shirt and microphone ripped off him. Good times!
I remember when he died, it was the first time that someone who was a member of a band that I really cared about had died, semed like a real kick in the guts.
One of my Bass heroes. Was lucky enough to see BP twice and they were chaotic but brilliant, never dull...The BP track Plague was written by Tracy its epic and dark, one of my favourites.
He had that presence like he was opening a door inviting you to come inside the Birthday Party, hear that bass argh fukin great ..bang bang bang, it would take you two days to empty that sound out of your head, like nails being hammered into your coffin but the embalmers done you up so tight your rigor mortis is only part of the story. Maybe the guy with the Cowboy Hat will save me.
If they were a construction crew… Tracy is the guy that lays down the cement on the ground that everything else goes up on… Kiss me black is still the best bass line ever written in rock ‘n’ roll
Never been a more amazing..bass player..never saw anything like him .he made sid vicious seem like a pussy..tracy pew .was mindblowing live..i saw him drink a bottle of jack in 2 swigs..!!!..and this was before the first song started..
Ridiculously underrated bass player.
RossBayCult I wouldn't go that far, he wasn't anything special bass wise
My word he was. You needed to see him live to really appreciate it, I think. Certainly for the times, Tracy was exploring bass rhythms and riffs unlike anyone and really bringing the bass to the foreground in a way that hadn't been explored before. Live he was incredible. It is so lovely when you hear another muso respect a band member and admit it like this. Thank you for posting this interview.
@@Antipodean33 pretty stupid fucking thing to say here. Every one of their songs was driven by his bass playing.
Antipodean thing-
1980, I was given the Prayers on Fire unmixed tape that was recorded at AAV studios, their first high quality recording facility where they got to get a consistent, more bassy sound. I had it for 3 days, in the time of no mobile phones. I lived by the beach in a bungalow and had no landline even. It was their only tape, Keith Glass from Missing Link had given to me. None of them had a contact for me. I moved the stereo into new place in Kooyong Rd Caulfield, all wooden floors and otherwise empty. I popped the tape in on high volume and sat on the floor and Tracy Pew and Rowland S Howard guitar 🎸 completely destroyed my 18 yr old brain. I was simply unqualified to review the record. I later returned the tape and wrote my article what they said about in the interview. It hadn’t even been finished at that point.
It went in to be number 1 on the UK alternative charts, first Aussie group to achieve that, it was John Peel whooved them too.
I got to interview Tracy Pew and he was not just funny but seriously able to assess the Australian music scene as only a true and innovative artist can. He was scathing.
There is no one with greater influence post punk than Tracy Pew in his genre of bass playing. Everyone wanted to be Tge Birthday Party, chemistry as Mick mentions, yes, but itis the man who made the three artists famous because of his bass playing artform.
@@pleiadian13 fascinating comment
I’ve played bass in tons of bands, ranging from extreme metal and hardcore punk to folk country stuff. Nothing will make your fretting hand cramp faster than playing Hamlet (Pow Pow Pow), it’s the easiest yet trickiest bassline, and he plays it balls tight for several minutes. Much respect.
New fan and Hamlet is my favorite song, never heard a menacing bass line like that before. Mad respect!
Facts!
Mick is clear, to the point, respectful and not dramatic in the way he celebrates one of his great musical mates.
Mick Harvey-the true gentleman...never hogging the limelight
I saw The Birthday Party with Lydia Lunch opening on their final tour. It was at The Roxy in Hollywood. One of the top 3 shows I've ever witnessed in my life. More intense than any hardcore band, yet they had a Jazz sensibility. Every member of that band was integral to the magic that they created. RIP Tracy & Roland.
I agree, saw them with Neubauten in London. A really intense and lasting experience.
Honeymoon in Red 💀
I agree in fact..everything nick cave did after..seemed pretty tame..after seeing the BP..4 X..ROWLAND..TRACY AND NICK..THE HOLY TRINITY..AND ALTHOUGH MICK HARVEY..PLAYED HIS PART..ON STAGE HE SEEMED RATHER DULL
thank you Mick for those very kind words about Tracy Pew. i started to listen the Birthday Party in the end of the 90s. so i wasnt there when the whole things happened. but Tracy Pew was always one of my heroes. it's hard to get any information about him. even now with the internet. so, just what i see and or read in books (Birthday Party and Nick Cave biographies)... he was just the best.
Google Tracy
Pew Virgin Press 1980 interview published 1981. Young Tracy speaks up in TBP interview.
there is a new book on Nick called Boy On Fire, Tracy is mentioned a fair bit.
tracy pew was a legend. he was a pillar of the birthday party!
Tracy Pews ground shaking bass playing was a big influence on my playing. He let it rip....rolling thunder...Tracy Pew rocked !!
And live..he was..100 x better..he was..the king in the BP
Surely one of the coolest and most enigmatic presences in a band.
Any Bassplayer who leans backwards into the bass drum for songs on end... Has my respect! Pure Legend as all the others in the BP!
Yea and shagged the air...and drunk a full bottle of jack .in 1 minute..he was unbelievable
One of my faves. Love that he was 'a well-read gentleman' too.
The Four Strings That Dripped Blood...
Saw the the Birthday Party in 1983 at a Detroit club Traxx with Tracy. I was fourteen (and tall enough to sneak in with a crumpled paperwork fake ID). Though he wasn't all that tall, I distinctly remember him being like 7' purely on the power of his tone and stage presence. He has the bedrock of that band. Drizzle Nick's voice on top of that mountainous bass and you got some real despondent thunder there...HE was the Birthday Party.
Yes!! I saw em 4 x age 16..and tracy..was ..well..you know..WITHOUT HIM....they would have been NOWHERE as good live
One of my favorite bass players. Absolute tragedy he died young.
Lovely words for a fallen soldier. Tracy Pew was a fantastic bass palyer.
Tracy was the greatest bass player OF ALL TIME‼️
PRAYERS ON FIRE WAS THE FIRST NUMBER 1 AUSTRALIAN RECORD ON THE UK ALTERNATIVE CHARTS 1981.
Ridiculously underrated human
Saw the Birthday Party, with Tracey in London 1981.
He was up there with the best. Just listen to "Yard", if you want to hear what a
great bassist sounds like. He left far too early.
Mick's comments about his late friend was very respectful and erudite.
brixton, november 1981. massive influence on my own playing.
Very talented set of musicians that was the Birthday Party! Great to see/hear Mick Harvey interview on a band I never saw live but which has influenced me since the eighties in a very positive way so thank you all....
Great little piece, thanks for sharing. Tracy was one of my inspirations.
I was lucky enough to see The Birthday Party several times and Tracey Pew was a hell of a bass player.
Me too 4 x times..he was just incredible..and ..wild
Bass player of the best band EVER.
One of my best memories of The Birthday Party was upstairs at the Crystal Ballroom. Some chap leaped onstage and Tracy took two steps and punted him over the front row and onto the floor. It took him ages to get up, I suspect he landed on his head, no-one even tried to catch him, we just scattered, back then only Iggy stage dived and got caught and we didn't know about that in Melbourne, even Nick when he got too close to the front of the stage he got hauled into the melee and had his shirt and microphone ripped off him. Good times!
Ow and nick indeed got his shirt pulled off where are the days he
I remember when he died, it was the first time that someone who was a member of a band that I really cared about had died, semed like a real kick in the guts.
And now they're dropping like flies. Time is a fucker,whether it's an invented concept or not
One of my Bass heroes. Was lucky enough to see BP twice and they were chaotic but brilliant, never dull...The BP track Plague was written by Tracy its epic and dark, one of my favourites.
my hero
Tracy Pew was somehow the most terrifying member of the group
Always thought Tracey Pew was a larger than life character, awesome bass player...the Birthday Party in a word? Belligerent.
I've always wondered how many songs were wrapped around his initial baselines due to their sense of urgency and visceral nature.
I thought he maybe wrote most of their songs, maybe they wrote the bass riffs for him though as they said.
He was tremendous.
He had that presence like he was opening a door inviting you to come inside the Birthday Party, hear that bass argh fukin great ..bang bang bang, it would take you two days to empty that sound out of your head, like nails being hammered into your coffin but the embalmers done you up so tight your rigor mortis is only part of the story. Maybe the guy with the Cowboy Hat will save me.
Tracy Pew my ❤
You are legend
If they were a construction crew… Tracy is the guy that lays down the cement on the ground that everything else goes up on… Kiss me black is still the best bass line ever written in rock ‘n’ roll
Tracy looked so cool on stage.
Listen to Swampland and you get his point.
Harvey is the ultimate insider.
❤️
I got it wrong Rowland Howard.
Never been a more amazing..bass player..never saw anything like him
.he made sid vicious seem like a pussy..tracy pew .was mindblowing live..i saw him drink a bottle of jack in 2 swigs..!!!..and this was before the first song started..
so this pj harvey's dad?
No. They’re not related, but he has played music with her. And his former bandmate, Nick Cave, used to date her.
One of the greatest bass players of ever, up there with any you care to mention
handsome devil!