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Harry Howard & The Near Death Experience
‘There is no questioning the pedigree that Harry Howard grew up with. Born in Melbourne, he cut his teeth on the emerging post punk scene watching his brother (Rowland S. Howard) team up with Nick Cave and the Boys Next Door and become the Birthday Party. (*Harry even co-wrote ‘Several Sins’ for the LP Junkyard and did an English tour with The BP on bass). It was a time of change and Harry moved to London and met future band members Dave Graney and Clare Moore of the Moodists. Invited by Mick Harvey to join Crime and the City Solution, he began (in earnest) a lifelong marriage to music. He hit the road and the studio, recording with Crime and then These Immortal Souls along with brother Rowland, touring with both not to mention Lydia Lunch’s Shotgun Wedding. Hell, he mercilessly toured Europe, Australia, the US, Iceland and beyond! Just listening back to this stuff makes my skin crawl. Harry was a go to bass guy for so much more than he’s been credited for.
Fast forward and after what must have been a mind-blowing experience (an MBE?) he returns to Melbourne for family reasons. Playing in Christian High Art Boutique, then Pink Stainless Tail, he seems happy enough to just sit back and play small venues and not give a goddamn, playing music for music’s sake because it’s in his blood now. Then a true near-death experience seems to kick-start a whole new chapter. Writing songs like a maniac, he plays some demos to Dave and Clare (London, The Moodists, remember?). All of a sudden he has a band, the songs are that good. Long-time partner Edwina Preston gets dragged (spitting and hissing) into the mix and it produces a special tension lyrically that fuels the fire. Ed sings duets that seem to spell out love won and love lost, between the two the band becomes a force, something that captivates. Ed’s untrained keyboards and stylophone moves the band away fromnormal and creates a razor edge (that means sharp, kids). The first album fires some vivid emotions that we all deal with in relationships set to some searing music and served with a provocative humour. It gels with the press and radio (yes, they dig it).Then the follow up, Pretty. The band stretch out a bit, hitting different styles and conjuring different moods. Hell, it’s even more consistent than the debut. “I’m not here to muck around,” says Harry. After being a side man involved with some highly influential artists (hip-cats, real hip), Harry has moved into a space of his own. The NDE as his killer card. “I’m the Devil,” he sings, “I’ve got the Old Man blues,” he bawls, the world is made of “Lies,” he croons. “Remember when you wanted to live?” he enquires. History is Linear, young dears. Maybe this is Harry Howard and the NDE’s time.’
‘They are unique, No question about that and that’s what drew them to me in the first place’
Loki Lockwood (Spooky Records ).
www.harryhowardandthende.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/pages/Harry-Howard-and-the-NDE
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Großzügige Spende erbeten!