Murder Record Shocks

From a Queensland Newspaper

Victims of crime have attacked a national youth radio station concerning its promotion of a record about murder and death.

Government-funded Triple J radio station has been promoting a record by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as its album of the week.

The station has been advertising the record as "the musical side of homicide". The music features songs written about shooting, strangling, bashing and stabbing victims to death.

Queensland Victims of Crime Association president Ian Davies said it was disgusting.

"If they were only singing songs about the injustices of families after homicide it wouldn't be so bad, but this is just people making money out of somebody else's misery," he said.

Mr Davies, whose daughter Shari was the victim of a vicious attempted murder, said there was always the risk someone might be influenced by images of violence.

Triple J assistant programme director Robert Scott said the station was reflecting what the audience wanted.

"We haven't had any other complaints. Nick Cave is a high-profile Australian artist... there's a lot of interest," he said.

"Where do you draw the line? There are musicians creating works of art all the time".

"There's been a case in the States recently where (young Australian rock band) Silverchair were held responsible for the death of a teenager. They (the band) have had to mount a defense. People always have the option of turning the radio off".

Record label manager Janet Dawes said if the album was approached like a book of short crime stories, that was what it was designed to do".

Festival Records, which sells the album in Brisbane, said the album carried a parental-guidance sticker.

Thanks to Rick Smith.