Doctorama: Nick Cave awarded honorary doctorate

DrownedinSound always thought Nick Cave looked like the type of man who should have a degree and clearly Caulfield Campus of Monash University agree, the establishment Cave dropped out of in 1978 awarding him an honorary doctorate.

The surly Bad Seeds, Grinderman and solo star abandoned his Diploma of Art and Design 30 years ago to focus on the band that would become The Birthday Party, then called The Boys Next Door, reports ThisIsNowhere.co.uk.

Now a fully-qualified Doctor of Laws as well as Rough Trade's first ever Counter Culture Icon, Cave was positive about his experience at the University, then known as Caulfield Institute of Technology.

“I’d come out of Caulfield Grammar School which was very sports-orientated and to be interested in arts at the time was swimming upstream. To suddenly go into this environment where there were a lot of like-minded people talking about art was incredible for me.

“I sat around and talked with a lot of third year students in the park and didn’t really hand in a lot of work,” he continued. “But what I learnt from those conversations was enormous. I’m eternally grateful that I failed because it pushed me into a different area. You learn what you love in those years.”

Heroin or Jesus? Or both? Either way, Caulfield are clearly proud of their one-time drop out.

“Nick Cave’s substantial achievements in the creative arts and in raising Australia’s profile internationally make him a worthy candidate for recognition by Monash University,” said Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins. “In addition to his musical contributions, Nick Cave has shown an outstanding ability to contribute to writing and acting - he is truly an extraordinary creative talent.”

Not that we like bum him, or anything, but DiS can do nary but agree. Huzzah, and all that.