Nick Cave has revealed how the parents of Love Island contestant Luca Bish helped him and his wife through the “unspeakable” tragedy of losing their son Arthur.
Cave’s 15-year-old son died accidentally when he fell from a cliff near the family’s East Sussex home in 2015 after taking the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
In his latest Red Hand Files blog entry, the Australian musician was asked what the “major difference” is between him and his wife Susie when he revealed his unlikely connection to the current ITV2 contestant.
The Bad Seeds frontman shared: “Susie watches Love Island and I don’t.”
Cave then discussed his family’s close bond with Luca’s parents, Maria and Michael, which developed as a consequence to Luca’s friendship with their late son Arthur and twin brother Earl.
He penned: “Luca was a school friend of our twins, Arthur and Earl. As a consequence, Susie and I became friends with Luca’s parents, Maria and Michael. Maria is an antique dealer. Michael is a fishmonger. Luca is a fishmonger too.
“After Arthur died, in the early days of that terrible, chaotic first week, Maria turned up on our doorstep with a tray of lasagne and basically looked after us. She barely said anything to us.
“She made us cups of tea. She cooked for us. She was just there. She was the one constant through a time of horror and confusion, when scores of despairing and commiserating people came and went.
“We will never forget her kindness. Even in the first week, when the world seemed suddenly and shockingly defined by an unspeakable and distorting cruelty, Maria reminded us that there was good in the world.
“She also served as a lesson in how to deal with grieving people – you don’t need to say anything, just do something; make them a cup of tea, cook them dinner.
“To this day Michael brings fresh fish around to our house, drops it off and leaves without a word. He pretends to charge us for it, but we know that he doesn’t. These people, Luca’s parents, are as good as people get, and they love their son, Luca.”
Cave concluded: “So, Susie watches Love Island and cheers him on, and hopes that he will win. I also hope that Luca wins, and wins soon, because then I can get the f**king TV back. Love, Nick.”
Arthur’s death inspired Cave’s subsequent albums, Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen, as well as 2016 documentary One More Time With Feeling.
Tragically Cave’s son Jethro Lazenby, from a previous relationship, died in May aged 31 - seven years after Arthur’s passing.
The singer recently thanked fans on his blog for sending their “condolences and kind words”, writing they were “a great source of comfort”.
