“Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party”. Legendarily Dangerous

A long time ago, before Nick Cave became the leading poet of rock and the creator of hit songs sung with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue, he was the vocalist for the band The Birthday Party. The group gained fame, among other things, for their aggressive, even dangerously energetic concerts, and was one of the main bands of the alternative scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s. After several documentaries about the singer himself, someone—specifically the documentarian Ian White—finally decided to tell the story of the band fronted by Cave, which not only laid the groundwork for his later career but also had a significant impact on the rock and post-punk scene. Hence, “Mutiny in Heaven”.

The Birthday Party existed from 1977 to 1983 (under the name The Boys Next Door until 1980), first operating in the musicians’ hometown of Melbourne, later relocating for two years to London, and eventually disbanding in West Berlin. Besides Cave, the band included Mick Harvey (guitar, later drums), Tracy Pew (bass), Phill Calvert (drums), and Rowland S. Howard (guitar). The latter, alongside Cave, was the band’s main creative force, equally responsible for compositions and lyrics. The Australian group left behind four studio albums (one under The Boys Next Door), the same number of EPs, several post-breakup compilations, and a live album. But most importantly, The Birthday Party left a legend of being a wild, untamed band, both in their artistic explorations and way of being.

“Mutiny in Heaven” (the film’s title is borrowed from the last recording made by the band for the “Mutiny” EP) reconstructs the band’s history, from their humble beginnings in Melbourne clubs, through the traumatic emigration to England, legendary U.S. tours, up to the Berlin phase and the breakup. Although White constructs the narrative mainly from the musicians’ and collaborators’ statements, he manages to keep the use of “talking heads” (a common pitfall in music documentaries) relatively low. Yes, Cave, Harvey, Calvert, and Howard (Pew tragically died in 1986) speak to the camera, recalling the band’s history, but we more often see archival footage, with voice-overs layered on top. Some segments are illustrated by specially created comic animations, which not only add a dynamic charm to the story but also distinguish the film stylistically.

Importantly, “Mutiny in Heaven” features plenty of music. It serves as a backdrop to various episodes of the story, brought to the forefront so that viewers can fully experience what it’s all about. We can not only hear the commentary but also see performance clips or music videos, allowing us to verify the off-screen narrative. Interestingly, the band members’ comments are mostly, if not entirely, archival. This may partly be due to the desire to balance the narrative between the band’s former leaders, and to counterbalance Cave’s voice with that of Howard, who died of cancer in 2009. However, the living members also appear in recordings from several years or even a decade ago, giving the film the feel of a collage compiled from existing sources rather than a typical reminiscence program with veterans sitting down to reflect. Thanks to this approach, “Mutiny in Heaven” doesn’t strive for ultimate truths, instead offering a story drawn from the memories of its main characters.

This concept allows for flexibility in what is presented or left out. While the film paints a clear, understandable chronicle of the band’s rise, development, and fall, it avoids overwhelming the viewer with dates and names. The filmmakers are more focused on evoking the spirit of a band that consciously sought to remain misfits in the industry they operated in. In this context, one can overlook certain inaccuracies, shortcuts, and omissions. However, White and his team can be criticized for nearly completely ignoring Anita Lane, Cave’s longtime partner, who also co-wrote several The Birthday Party songs. While she appears in a few photos, there are no captions or comments identifying her. Perhaps she became an unintended casualty of the effort to prevent the narrative from being dominated by the band’s most famous member, Nick Cave, towards whom the story already gravitates. Regardless of the reasons, it’s a shame that there was no room for Lane, especially since White put significant effort into highlighting the contributions of all band members. In the end, this effort is somewhat successful—though we won’t learn of Anita Lane’s role, by the end of “Mutiny in Heaven”, we’ll understand that just as important as Cave’s dark lyrics were Rowland Howard’s lyrical inspirations, Mick Harvey’s technical prowess, and Tracy Pew’s wild energy (and hips).

As a work aimed at a potentially broader audience than just the band’s devoted fans, “Mutiny in Heaven” offers an intriguing story that provides a solid understanding of the phenomenon of a band that once proved “too radical for New York,” spicing up its factual journey through dates and headlines with plenty of juicy anecdotes. Many people know Nick Cave, but thanks to White’s film, a wider audience has the chance to get to know The Birthday Party, a band formed by unique and talented artists who brought him to the stage. And it’s certainly worth discovering The Birthday Party, not only for their incredibly interesting music but also for the distinct personalities of its creators. Together, they formed a wild organism, whose story is told in “Mutiny in Heaven”.