Grinderman

After extensive touring throughout 2005 with The Bad Seeds in support of the band's double album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, frontman Nick Cave began composing new songs on guitar. He had rarely played the instrument and his rudimentary playing gave the new material a rawer feel than much of The Bad Seeds' output at the time.{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703326204575616700656744446 | newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | first=Jim | last=Fusilli | title=Grinderman Serves It Up Raw | date=17 November 2010}} Cave formed Grinderman with fellow Bad Seeds' musicians Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos and Martyn P. Casey to experiment with his new material. He had previously used this same line-up to demo and cowrite material for Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. The newly formed side project entered the Metropolis Studios in London to record the original Grinderman demos and it was this material that would eventually become the basis for the band's eponymous debut album. The album was recorded with long-time friend, producer Nick Launay in April at the RAK Studios, London and mixed in October at the Metropolis Studios.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Grinderman-Grinderman/release/924599|title=Grinderman - Grinderman|website=Discogs.com|access-date=23 June 2016}}

The band's debut single, "Get It On", was Grinderman's first release on 8 January 2007. "No Pussy Blues", now one of the band's signature songs, was released as the band's second single on 19 February, in order to promote the upcoming album. Grinderman was released in March 2007 and was applauded by critics for its rough energy, similar to that of Cave's celebrated post-punk project The Birthday Party. Alongside its release, the band's official website was unveiled the same week and featured The Grinderman Podcast, a podcast series of recording segments from the band's writing sessions.{{cite web|title=Nick Cave's Grinderman band podcasts writing sessions|url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=21142_0_2_0_C|website=Side-line.com|date=2 March 2007}} New episodes were said to appear regularly over the following weeks however, only five recordings appeared. The band made their live debut at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Somerset the following month and on 30 April, the band released the third and final single from the album, "(I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free". Following the eventual releases, the band appeared on the BBC television show Later... with Jools Holland on 11 May, performing "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" and "No Pussy Blues." To finish promotion of the album in the United Kingdom, the band ended with a one-off show at The Forum in London on 20 June.{{cite web|title=Grinderman - Music - This Is London |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/gig-23364627-details/Grinderman/gigReview.do?reviewId=23401397 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304144251/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/gig-23364627-details/Grinderman/gigReview.do?reviewId=23401397 |archive-date=4 March 2008}}

Grinderman made their network television debut in the United States on the CBS television show the Late Show with David Letterman performing "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" on 23 July 2007. The band also opened for The White Stripes at their Madison Square Garden show the following day on 24 July 2007, followed by a show in Chicago and two shows in San Francisco.{{cite web|title=Pitchfork: Grinderman Add U.S Dates, Open for White Stripes |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43436-grinderman-add-us-dates-open-for-white-stripes |publisher=Pitchfork Media |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710101007/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43436-grinderman-add-us-dates-open-for-white-stripes |archive-date=10 July 2007}} The band then embarked on a theatre tour of Australia, opening for a Nick Cave "solo" set, which consisted of the same band members.{{cite web|title=Indie Initiative - Independent Bands, Music News and Resources Australia |url=http://www.indieinitiative.com/ifShowHeadline.asp?ID=5977 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901045852/http://indieinitiative.com/ifShowHeadline.asp?ID=5977 |archive-date=1 September 2007}} Grinderman were one of the headliners at the 2008 Roskilde Festival.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/grinderman-and-hot-chip-set-to-play-roskilde-festival-51155|title=Grinderman and Hot Chip Set To Play Roskilde Festival - Uncut|date=2 April 2008|language=en-US|access-date=23 June 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/article/7152-roskilde-mark-richardson/|title=Roskilde [Mark Richardson] {{!}} Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork.com|access-date=23 June 2016}}

Grinderman also contributed two original songs, "Dream (Song for Finn)" and "Song for Frank", to the soundtrack of the Wim Wenders film Palermo Shooting in 2008. "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" plays during the closing credits of True Detective, HBO, Season 1, Episode 4, "Who goes there?", 9 February 2014.

The band had been put on hold due to members' involvement on Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' fourteenth album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! in 2008. Cave confirmed that a second studio album was planned after The Bad Seeds' summer tour of 2008, however also noted that the follow-up album will feature a totally different sound from its predecessor. Speaking to XFM, Cave explained that Grinderman wanted to do it in a more serious way this time, but still without caring for commercial success.{{cite web|title=Grinderman to record second album this year|url=http://www.nme.com/news/Grinderman/37512|date=20 June 2008|website=NME}} In an interview with The Quietus in September 2009,{{cite journal|year=2010|title=Warren Ellis talks "psychedelic" new Grinderman album"|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/02699-warren-ellis-talks-psychedelic-new-grinderman-album|journal=The Quietus|issue=September 2009|last1=Ellis|first1=Warren|access-date=5 June 2010}} Warren Ellis confirmed that Grinderman 2 was completed. Ellis also described the album as "like stoner rock meets Sly Stone via Amon Düül", "very diverse", and "psychedelic."

A full-length European tour for autumn 2010 was announced prior to the album's release and included dates in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/events|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709080636/http://www.myspace.com/events|url-status=dead|title=Events bei Myspace|archive-date=9 July 2012}} A second tour covering North America in winter 2010 was also announced in August.{{Cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/grinderman#!/grinderman?v=wall&story_fbid=148363261844032&ref=mf|title=Grinderman|website=Facebook.com|access-date=23 June 2016}} The second album, Grinderman 2, was then announced for release in September 2010. The album's first single, "Heathen Child", was released on 6 September 2010.

In January 2011, the band made their first appearance at the Big Day Out festival and MONA FOMA. The band was chosen by Portishead to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival that they curated in July 2011 at London's Alexandra Palace.{{Cite web|url=http://www.atpfestival.com/events/ibymportishead.php|title=I'll Be Your Mirror London curated by Portishead & ATP - All Tomorrow's Parties|website=Atpfestival.com|access-date=23 June 2016}}{{cite news|title=Big Day Out 2011 lineup announced|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/heavy-man--big-and-loud-day-out-for-the-boys-20100927-15u2r.html |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=28 September 2010 |access-date=28 September 2010 |first=Bernard |last=Zuel}}

File:Nick Cave melbourne BDO 11.jpg

On 11 December 2011, after performing at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria, Nick Cave announced on-stage that Grinderman were "over," telling the audience: "that's it for Grinderman. It's over. We'll maybe see you all in another ten years, when we'll be even older and uglier."{{cite web|title=Nick Cave announces that Grinderman are "over" - News | thevine.com.au|url=http://www.thevine.com.au/music/news/nick-cave-announces-that-grinderman-are-%27over%2720111211.aspx|work=The Vine|author=Marcus|date=11 December 2011|access-date=11 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108053305/http://www.thevine.com.au/music/news/nick-cave-announces-that-grinderman-are-%27over%2720111211.aspx|archive-date=8 January 2012}} Jim Sclavunos later told FasterLouder that "we were finished with what we had to do as Grinderman and it's time to move on, for now at least, and the next thing we are moving onto is The Bad Seeds" and "I can't predict what the future of Grinderman is – if there is a future."{{cite news|title=Grinderman Exclusive: "There's always the prospect of the dreaded come back tour!" on FasterLouder.com.au|url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/31021/Grinderman-Exclusive-Theres-always-the-prospect-of-the-dreaded-come-back-tour|work=Faster Louder|date=14 December 2011|access-date=24 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107232757/http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/31021/Grinderman-Exclusive-Theres-always-the-prospect-of-the-dreaded-come-back-tour|archive-date=7 January 2012|url-status=dead}}

Grinderman reunited to perform both weekends at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California on 12 and 19 April 2013. (The Bad Seeds also performed the same weekends.) In a Twitter post earlier that year, Cave explained the unexpected reunion: "Every other shitty band is doing it, why not someone who's actually good".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-21-1250752|title=Nick Cave on Grinderman reunion: 'Every other shitty band is doing it, why not someone who's good'|website=NME|date=19 February 2013}}

{{Main|Grinderman discography}}

• Grinderman (2007)
• Grinderman 2 (2010)

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

{{awards table}}

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

|-

|2011

| Grinderman 2

| Best Adult Alternative Album

| {{nom}}

|{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2011 |title=2011 ARIA Awards Winners By Year |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) |accessdate=4 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014174953/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2011 |archivedate=14 October 2013 }}

|-

{{end}}

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

{{awards table}}

|-

| 2010{{cite web|url=https://www.loudnlocal.com.au/news/awards/tame-impala-win-2010-j-award/|title=Tame Impala Win 2010 J Award|website=loudnlocal|date=30 November 2010|access-date=15 August 2020|archive-date=28 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328075115/http://www.loudnlocal.com.au/news/awards/tame-impala-win-2010-j-award/|url-status=dead}}

| "Heathen Child"

| Australian Video of the Year

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.grinderman.com}}
• {{allmusic}}

{{Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Category:Mute Records artists

Category:American musical quartets

Category:Australian musical quartets

Category:Musical groups established in 2006

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2011

Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2013

Category:Rock music groups from London