Kemp Town sets scene for Cave’s global scripts (From The Argus)

Kemp Town sets scene for Cave’s global scripts

3:40pm Friday 22nd February 2013 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

Nick Cave has described his adopted home as a “semi cultural desert”.

The Australian singer left his own hometown more than 30 years ago, but condemned Brighton and Hove as “as pleasant as it is limited” in an interview with a French magazine.

However, despite hailing from the home of Neighbours, the Melbourne singer settled in Brighton and Hove nine years ago having previously lived in London, Berlin and Sao Paulo.

He said: “I’ve been in Brighton for over nine years. It’s almost home. I say almost, because in my head, ‘home’ will always be Australia, even though I have not lived there for over thirty years.

“When I return to Brighton, after weeks of touring or recording, it’s nice, relaxing.

“Because the city is as pleasant as it is limited. It’s quiet to work, I’m left alone. It makes a change from London, a great city, sprawling, but that no longer works for me.

“The semi-cultural desert of Brighton suits me very well.”

Lawless premiere

Nick Cave premiered his latest film Lawless at the Duke of York’s cinema at Preston Circus.

The city has also inspired legendary films including Quadrophenia, Brighton Rock and Genevieve. Melbourne, by comparison is the birthplace of the Australian film industry which has produced such cultural highs as Crocodile Dundee and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Cave tells that much of the script for his movie was inspired by and written in Brighton.

He said: “It was all written in Brighton, down on the pier. The old pier. I sat there with my lonely typewriter.

“I wrote it as I do with most of my stuff, here in Brighton.

“And even though I am writing about something set in |Virginia, or Australia, or wherever, it’s basically written here in Kemp Town.

“That’s where it all gets done.

“My inspiration for the violent scenes? West Street on a Saturday night.”

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