Nick Cave.Photo: Ash Knotek/Shutterstock
Nick Cavelearned to lean on the support of his fans as he waded through the grief oflosing two of his sons.
The Australian rocker, 64, talked toThe New York Timesabout the tragic deaths of his15-year-old son Arthurin 2015, and his oldest son Jethro, 31,this past May, and said that playing concerts has helped him heal.
Cave said that after Arthur died, he was “thrust into the darkest place imaginable, where it was almost impossible to be able to see outside of despair.”
As he and his wife Susie grieved the loss of their son, the Bad Seeds frontman found solace in the letters that began to pour in from fans who’d been through similar experiences, and were willing to share the little things that helped them.
Nick Cave.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
That sense of relief has extended over the years, especially after dealing with the loss of Jethro, which Cave said is still “difficult to talk about.”
“The concerts themselves and this act of mutual support saves me,” he said. “People say, How can you go on tour? But for me it’s the other way around. How could I not?”
Though Jethro did not learn Cave was his father until he was around 8 years old, Cave said in a 2008 interview that he and his son had developed “a great relationship.”
Arthur, meanwhile, died in 2015 after falling from a cliff in Brighton, England. He left behind twin brother Earl, as well as half-brother Luke, whom Cave shares with ex-wife Viviane Carneiro.
The musician explored Arthur’s death and its effect on his family in the 2016 documentaryOne More Time with Feelingand albums including2016’sSkeleton Treeand 2019’sGhosteen.
A series of interviews between Cave and journalist Seán O’Hagan titledFaith, Hope and Carnageis out on Sept. 20.
source: people.com
