Intoxicated Man & Pink Elephants Deluxe reissues

In early 2014 Mute Records will re-issue Intoxicated Man and Pink Elephants as a deluxe packaged double album. To celebrate this auspicious event Harvey intends to finally bring these interpretations to the stage with a limited number of special performances in the first half of 2014 featuring a 6 piece band, a string section and an array of guest singers. The reissues will have an early release in Australia in January 2014 to coincide with the Australian dates followed by a Northern Hemisphere release in April and shows in Europe late May/early June.

The Ministry of Wolves

Mick has collaborated with Alexander Hacke, Danielle de Picciotto and Paul Wallfisch as The Ministry Of Wolves to create songs for the theatre production 'Republik der Wölfe' to be performaed at the Theater Dortmund in the first half of 2014 Based on the writings of the Brothers Grimm, in particular Anne Sexton’s ‘Transformations’ (1971), the Pulitzer Prize winning poet’s reworking of the Grimm’s fairy tales, the album has been created as a soundtrack to theatre piece to be directed by Claudia Bauer. The album, Music From Republik der Wölfe will be released on 17 February 2014.

Mick has just released a new solo album on Mute. This is the former Bad Seed and PJ Harvey collaborator’s sixth solo studio album, and the follow up to 2011’s Sketches from the Book of the Dead.

FOUR (Acts of Love) is Mick Harvey’s sixth solo studio album, and follows 2011’s Sketches from the Book of the Dead. Harvey, renowned for his career with The Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is equally known for his soundtrack work (Chopper, To Have And To Hold, Australian Rules) and his production work (Anita Lane, Rowland S Howard and most recently PJ Harvey’s Mercury Prize winning album, Let England Shake).

The album’s release follows a series of dates including shows with Einstürzende Neubauten through Australia and his first ever solo New Zealand tour. Mick has also announced a performance of interpretations of the songs of Serge Gainsbourg at ATP’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs curated I’ll Be Your Mirror on 4 May. (Full details below, more European dates in support of the new album to be announced).

FOUR (Acts of Love) is a contemplation on romantic love - its loss, re-awakening, our  struggles with it and its place in our universe. The album is a song cycle, divided into 3 Acts. It was recorded at Grace Lane, North Melbourne and Atlantis Sound, Melbourne and features regular collaborators Rosie Westbrook on double bass and JP Shilo on guitar and violin.

Read the interview with Mick in The Age - and watch an exclusive performance.
Listen to I Wish I Were Stone at Mute.

Buy the album through Mute Bank, Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), JB Hi-Fi Online, iTunes and other good music stores.

Mick will be making a special appearance at the Spiegeltent series "The Story So Far" on April 8th.

Tour Dates Australian Summer 2011/12

Mick Harvey - Solo Shows

December 6th 2011.
Fremantle.
Fly By Night.

January 21st 2012.
Hobart.
MONA Festival Afterhours.

6th March 2012.
Melbourne.
Spiegeltent.

7th March 2012.
Melbourne.
Spiegeltent.

PJ Harvey Dates

January 13th 2012.
Perth.
Concert Hall.

January 15th 2012.
Melbourne.
Regent Theatre.

January 16th 2012.
Melbourne.
Regent Theatre.

January 18th 2012.
Sydney.
State Theatre.

January 19th 2012.
Sydney.
State Theatre.

January 21st 2012.
Hobart.
MONA Festival.

Performances February 2012

Having spent the better part of 2011 committed to PJ Harvey’s ‘Let England Shake’ concerts, Mick is looking forward to dedicating himself to playing more shows in support of his own 2011 album ‘Sketches from the Book of the Dead’. To this end he has booked a series of dates in Australia for March, finally following up the launch shows he played in Melbourne and Sydney last May and the one-offs late in the year in Brisbane, Fremantle and at the Queenscliff Music Festival.

A run of shows is also envisaged for Europe in September/October where it is hoped to play concerts for the first time in Scandinavia, Portugal, France (ex-Paris) and Siciliy.

The Australian shows in March kick off with two nights at The Spiegeltent in Melbourne and culminate with a run of shows in NSW at a “Remote Spaces” performance somewhere near Narrandera.

Mick Harvey - Solo Shows

March 6th 2012.
Melbourne.
Spiegeltent.

March 7th 2012.
Melbourne.
Spiegeltent.

March 13th 2012.
Newcastle.
Lizotte's.

March 14th 2012.
Kincumber (NSW).
Lizotte's.

March 15th 2012.
Sydney.
Notes.

March 17th 2012.
Narrandera (NSW).
Remote Spaces.

Tour Dates Mid-Late 2012

Having spent the better part of 2011 committed to PJ Harvey’s ‘Let England Shake’ concerts, Mick is looking forward to dedicating himself to playing more shows in support of his own 2011 album ‘Sketches from the Book of the Dead’. To this end he has already played a run of shows in Australia during March and booked a series of concerts in Europe for September/October. The current list of confirmed dates looks like this-

August 24 2012.
Castlemaine.
Bridge Hotel.

September 13 2012.
Oslo, Norway.
Cafe Mono.

September 14 2012.
Trondheim, Norway.
Blaest.

September 16 2012.
Oslo, Norway.
Emmanuel Vigeland Mausoleum.

September 18 2012.
Götebog, Sweden.
Stora Teatern.

September 19 2012.
Helsinki, Finland.
Kuddes Linja.

September 20 2012.
Turku, Finland.
Dynamo.

September 21 2012.
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lille Vega.

September 22 2012.
Malmö, Sweden.
Babel.

October 5 2012.
Nîmes, France.
Hacienda.

October 12 2012.
Palermo, Italy.
Zsa Zsa Mon Amour.

October 13 2012.
Catania, Italy.
Lomax.

October 18 2012.
Vienna, Austria.
Wuk.

October 19 2012.
Ebensee, Austria.
Kino.

October 21 2012.
Budapest, Hungary.
A38.

October 22 2012.
Zagreb, Croatia.
NKC Park.

October 23 2012.
Belgrade, Serbia.
KC Rex.

October 25 2012.
Istanbul, Turkey.
Babylon.

October 27 2012.
Milan, Italy.
Dal Verme Teatro.

After a year of great variety* and since returning to Melbourne in late October after a successful tour of Europe, Mick is finally getting back to working on new material for his next album, and is preparing material with Sophia Brous for her debut album to be recorded early in 2013. Special appearances have been set up for Einstürzende Neubauten's February shows in Australia, and there is also a chance Mick may make guest appearances with the reformed Crime and the City Solution, as their and Neubauten's dates intertwine around the country. Additionally there are 3 shows set up for New Zealand in late March - Mick's first solo excursion across the Tasman. Mick will be joined on the Einstürzende Neubauten shows and in New Zealand by Rosie Westbrook on double bass and JP Shilo on guitar and violin.

2012 saw the release of Bambi Lee Savage's 'Darkness Overshadowed' produced by Mick and featuring Rosie Westbrook on double bass and James Cruickshank (The Cruel Sea) on guitars and keyboards. Recorded in late 2011 at Atlantis with David McCluney it is a collection of beautiful mood pieces with a bite to them and well worth checking out. Available through Amazon and iTunes.

Clare Bowditch also released her new album in September on which Mick played bass on most of the basic tracks with Clare on piano/guitar and Marty Brown (the producer) on drums in their Coburg studio in early 2012.

* Various other one-off activities during 2012 included -

January - Finishing PJ Harvey dates with Australian Tour.

February - A 6 song Young Charlatans set at the St. Kilda Bowlo, Ballroom reunion night.

March - Filmed 3 songs in Loene Carmen's living room with her and Loius Tillett - video now online.

April - 5 shows in Melbourne and Sydney with The Nearly Brothers. Recorded album with Portuguese singer Mazgani and John Parish in Bristol UK.

June - Opening of 'Transmission' in Campbelltown NSW featuring collaboration with artist Rachel Scott. Drummer for Cramps set at Community Cup playing with Blue Ruin and JP Shilo.

November - Filling in on bass for Clare Bowditch at the World Music Expo.

December - Meredith Festival as part of Sophia Brous's band and also playing with her at 'Key of Sea' at Hamer Hall.

Mick played and produced two songs under his own name and another as a member of The Amber Lights for the recent JLP Sessions Project album. Released in April 2012, the album features tracks by other luminaries such as Mark Lanegan, Debbie Harry, Barry Adamson, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch and Bertrand Cantat. Mick was accompanied on his tracks by the redoubtable JP Shilo.