The Film Music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

Overview

When The Proposition unleashed its outback western onto cinema screens, it did so with a distinctive sound, all thanks to Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. When The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford explored the death of an American outlaw, The Road took viewers into a post-apocalyptic wasteland and West of Memphis pondered a potential miscarriage of justice, the Australian musicians again provided the soundtrack — as they did with Hell or High Water and Wind River's crime thrills, too.

Bandmates across several projects since the 90s — including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman — Cave and Ellis are Aussie icons, with careers spanning back decades before they started composing music for movies. But even if you've seen the duo play live countless times over the years, you haven't seen anything like the pair's latest show.

In two world premiere performances, as part of the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival on August 9 and 10, Cave and Ellis will take to the stage with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to perform pieces from all of the above film scores. Watch the talented musos work through their movie output, as paired with symphonic sound and conducted by Benjamin Northey — and prepare to witness something special.

Tickets for The Film Music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis go on sale at 10am on Thursday, April 11 on the MSO website.

Images: Matthew Thorne / Kerry Brown.