Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, featuring Conway Savage (second from right)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds today revealed that Conway Savage, who plays piano and organ, and provides backing vocals, has been absent from this year’s Bad Seeds tour because he underwent surgery that was “largely a success” for a recently diagnosed brain tumor.
In a note on Facebook, the Bad Seeds say Conway was diagnosed and underwent surgery shortly before the start of the band’s North American tour in May. Savage “currently is at home in Australia undergoing follow-up treatment,” the band writes.
“I’m sure you’ll all join us in sending our beloved Conway lots of love & very best wishes. We are missing him enormously. We send him all our love and thoughts.”
Savage, 57, joined the Bad Seeds in 1990 to tour The Good Son, and remained in the band afterward, performing on albums including Let Love In (1994), Murder Ballads (1996) and The Boatman’s Call (1997). He’s not featured on the most recent, and very minimal, Bad Seeds record — 2016’s Skeleton Tree — but did perform on 2013’s Push the Sky Away.
Below, read the band’s full statement.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
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I hope that Conway makes a speedy and full recovery. I will say that Toby Dammit (from Iggy’s band) has done a fine job filling in for him on this recent tour.