Nick Cave on Blixa Bargeld (2000)

from the french doc 'EN: 20 ans de nostalgie'

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

I was in Berlin in the late 70's early 80's and, like Nick Cave Says seeing Blixa Bargeld is a defining moment in my life even more so than Punk in London in the mid 70's was! He was beautiful!

[@MartineRossiFrance]

yeah.. he was..

[@elizabethhann4028]

Wow! You're SO lucky to have seen him back then, when he was young and beautiful. Sweet wild Blixa, "...all wrapped up in his rubber suits...like a beauty queen from another planet..." (In AUTOLUMINESCENT, a 2011 documentary about Rowland S. Howard [and, incidentally, about Nick Cave's time in Berlin], somebody describes Blixa that way. And I think it's a pretty great description).

[@FlowersOfBlood]

It was Genevieve McGuckin of These Immortal Souls who said that about Blixa.

[@elizabethhann4028]

You're right , of course. I really should have known. Whatever became of Genevieve, anyway?

[@FlowersOfBlood]

Hard times, but she is doing better, I hear.

[@apromedve]

I remember that scream from the 'live' version of Armenia. His scream slowly turned into a newborn's cry. Such a great song...

[@A_lest]

I've discovered EN the same way - I just couldn't resist Blixa's screams, and his completely insane look...

[@KaliMahadevi]

I felt the same way when I saw EN on TV for the first time in the early 80s.

[@trollfinger]

I love neubauten. Nick had it right about the sound blixa makes.

[@CircusOfHeaven]

yeah omg, i'm so happy that i finally found a way to upload this, i first faced some problems cropping the entire doc but now here it is:) as far as unhealhty-looking Blixa goes - i love that! i mean he looks so poor and miserable but still.. i don't know, it impresses me, and this description made by Nick is so ideal. cheers!

[@CircusOfHeaven]

because apparently Blixa is one of his favorite people in the world on whom he has this kind of very specific and unique crush, and if you know the story of the Seeds and Nixa then you just don't run around speaking shit..

[@elizabethhann4028]

You're so right. That's what makes this interview so adorable.

[@Floralbones]

That scream thingy Blixa does is going to give me nightmere's :/ I love it though:)

[@Lieu3C4]

If the cry of a strangled cat just changed the way I am, am I still collapsing new buildings?

[@kittydeemime]

He speaks of strangled cats and dying children...with love

[@elizabethhann4028]

He WOULD speak of them with love, though! Nick loved Blixa precisely BECAUSE Blixa could make himself sound like a strangled cat or a dying child, and because he could make his guitar sound like a whole guitar factory (at least, I think he could, anyway). When Nick was just coming out of the Birthday Party and putting the Bad Seeds together, the things he valued in music, above all, were intensity (often to the point of pain), passion, and experimentalism. If Blixa had just been your average rock'n'roll dude with an average voice, runnin' through the same ol' Chuck Berry guitar riffs, Nick wouldn't have given him the time of day. But Blixa WASN'T, of course - he was about as far away from that as you can get [apocryphal quote from Blixa Bargeld: "I did not get into rock'n'roll to play rock'n'roll!"] - so Nick saw his real talent and weirdness and responded to it, and he was drawn to the painful and passionate intensity of Blixa's singing and playing.

[@iain2080]

Elizabeth Hann You write that as if the person you replied to didn't know that

[@greenhaiku8454]

oh Brandon. it is so struggling and romantic :)

[@elizabethhann4028]

Well, I wasn't sure if he DID know. I should have known that he did know, of course. But I couldn't be sure. That's the only reason I wrote all that; I apologize.

[@FractalBolt]

I guess this was back in the time when you could see these great, underground, experimental bands on TV, because if you turn on the fucking tube these days all you get is is this Jennifer Lopez and company crap...

[@CircusOfHeaven]

that is really great.. i knew it was in his eyes, i've been asking myself quite for some time now, WHAT IS IT that makes him sp special, in terms of appearance. i wish i could actually read that book :( and i'm glad you enjoyed this heh.

[@beetzbrothers]

Its from our broadcasted documentary Listen with Pain: 20 Years of Einsturzende Neubauten. there is also a dvd version available if you want

[@victoriandeadwoods]

Yes, I love it!

[@victoriandeadwoods]

I LOVE IT!

[@bluerat77]

@victoriandeadwoods the song is "Armenia" from the album Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T.

[@TheWave-Uku-BangBang]

the song at the beginning is definitely "sehnsucht (zitternd)" from "halber mensch". the song at 1.10 is either an except of "sehnsucht" too ( because blixa often improvised words on stage, and the rythm sounds a bit like "sehnsucht" ), or it's something they never recorded in studio. but for some reason i think it's "sehnsucht", it reminds me alto of this song.

[@CircusOfHeaven]

nah, no need to overreact. i'm on about the story of why Blixa was in the Seeds for so long and such. Nick met him and thought he was a wonderful person and kind of turned him into a pet from his perspective, he'd like.. really treasure Blixa and would ask him to be in the band basically because he liked him as the being he was. my oppinion on their friendship is that it's pretty beautiful, that's all:)

[@lucylovic]

Nick his clear gorgeous Australian accent

[@vespine]

well i never! I'm an aussie and the first time I saw Blixa and EN (in the flesh) was in amsterdam too! last year, lol, but i've been a long time fan :)

[@victoriandeadwoods]

Thanks very much, but I'm specifically looking for the song at 1:10 and also the one at the beginning.But nevertheless, thank you very much, I didn't know that one either.

[@victoriandeadwoods]

Does anyone know what song he is singing at 1:10 ? And at the beginning also?

[@333begemot]

the cries are very very scaaaarly!!

[@CircusOfHeaven]

do you mean as if they still keep in touch? as far as i know, quite a lot, Blixa went to a barbecue at Nick's not so long ago

[@CircusOfHeaven]

i watch this from time to time and geez.. this really gives a scary impression of cutie Blixa and dearest Neubauten in general.. their music is much more melodic, and the main guy himself is a friendly one!:D

[@francoissalemi4895]

THEY ARE CLOSE FRIENDS THAT'S ENOUGH

[@victoriandeadwoods]

where did you get it from?

[@bluerat77]

@ph03n1xamb1t Really? So, which song is it?

[@ambientcarnage]

"...strangled cats or dying children" HAHA!

[@victoriandeadwoods]

I really wanna know what song he's playing at 1:10

[@Acemind]

Blixa Bargeld - Mein Leben documentary... Enjoy it...:)

[@mwicks]

The second song is "Armenia".

[@CircusOfHeaven]

this is.. no it's not the Seele Brent doc, that was the 10th anniversary one. this is the 20th anniversary one and i don't remember how's it called..! or? dammit, don't remember!

[@CircusOfHeaven]

yeah, even though i hate discussing looks:( looks are for looking heh. wish you my best tomorrow!:)

[@CircusOfHeaven]

i think it should be Sehnsucht, from Kollaps, though not sure.. their early songs are like.. so re-made for live shows or just you know, it's plain randomness all the time!

[@diane869]

OK, I suppose Nick has changed since Birthday Party, bit more melodic with Mick. Guess I can't argue with his synopsis, according to this clip. Question is...why does everyone think he's saying kudos to Blixa?

[@CircusOfHeaven]

what are you on about?

[@ph03n1xamb1t]

@bluerat77 No. It's not

[@TheWave-Uku-BangBang]

the word "alto" in my first comment shoul be " a lot"

[@litbowie]

him..........

[@Lieu3C4]

So is some one who body doubles the enemy to be destroyed, at any cost, or is some one who body doubles the enemy to be destroyed, at any cost: this I must know.

[@elizabethhann4028]

Stephen Faust: What on earth do you mean, someone who body doubles the enemy? Who body doubles what enemy? Please, tell me what you're on about, I really gotta know! I mean it.

[@Dagger-Deep]

Pick that hair Blixa!!

[@CircusOfHeaven]

do you honestly like it or what?

[@CircusOfHeaven]

hahaha, 'he became hot' i don't think he was always destroyed then became 'hot' have you seen any of his teenage pictures?:) he was a pretty young man, then became slightly destroyed but probably couldn't stay like that for long or smth hehe! my fav look of his is circa '89-'94, love his Weeping Song and Tabula Rasa looks:) someone called him 'the dancing skeleton' once, it pretty much cracked me up hah! and.. Lucky You!! pass him all my love tomorrow!

[@GyntherMeyer]

I simply think it's a question of someone having less than perfect English and not being able to understand what Nick is talking about.

[@avednay]

Absolutely normal. :)

[@diane869]

hey, didn't mean to hurt YOU. Just giving my opinion, thought this is what THIS was here for? Good or bad? Knew nothing of any CRUSH? What are you on about anyway?

[@CircusOfHeaven]

haha.. it would be rather poor, after all they're both higher intellect beings than.. random rock stars ;)

[@diane869]

This interview made me dislike Nick Cave. Who is he but the insane screeching crazy man? I have always put Nick up to any Punk screamer as the best, but now his problem with Blixa? Haven't actually watched any of Blixa's yet, I assume it the same as Nick's, but hence, still not going to give Nick a kudo for saying looking dead and catlike? Heroin? Anyone? How long? Birthday Party? Shut it Nick and just say what you actually think!