LimeWire Music Blog

Influential Australian guitarist Rowland S. Howard has passed away at the age of 50. While no official reports have been made by management, close friends confirmed that the guitarist has died in a Melbourne hospital after a lengthy battle with liver cancer.

During his career, Howard was notorious for his commanding use of feedback and distortion to create a distinctive, incisive style.  He was a founding member of The Boys Next Door, an Australian punk band led by vocalist Nick Cave. Howard was responsible for “Shivers,” an underground hit that put the band on the map.  As the band eventually morphed into post-punk luminaries The Birthday Party, the band’s style grew darker and more impenetrable, with Howard’s guitar leading a sonic onslaught on audiences and listeners. Keeping in line with The Birthday Party’s various collaborative efforts, Howard also performed a nightmarish duet of Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood’s  “Some Velvet Morning” with Lydia Lunch in 1982.

After the demise of The Birthday Party, Howard performed with Crime and the City Solution (with ex-bandmate Mick Harvey) and These Immortal Souls (with Swell Maps drummer Epic Soundtracks) before releasing his first solo record in 1999.  His second solo record, entitled Pop Crimes was just released this past October, sparking critical acclaim and several well-received shows.   His last performance occurred on October 29th at The Prince in St. Kildna.  After a long and difficult period of obscurity, Howard claimed he was enjoying a renewed interest in his career in his final interview for M+N.  “It’s very gratifying,” he said. “When I play live, nobody calls out for ‘Shivers’ any more, because they are too young to have any kind of historical attachment to it … It’s peculiar in a way, it just seemed to happen on its own accord. And it’s great, because no longer do I look out from the stage and just see a bunch of aging ex-junkies.”

On that note, let’s part with a handful of clips spanning Howard’s career.  R.I.P., Rowland.

The Boys Next Door- “Shivers” video, 1979.

The Birthday Party- “Junkyard” live on German TV.

Clip of Crime and the City Solution’s “Six Bells Chime,” featured in Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire.

Video for the These Immortal Souls single “Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)”

Live performance of Jay and the Americans/The Shangri-las’ “She Cried” in 1999.