Having lit up ATP Australia with his iconic bands The Saints and The Laughing Clowns, Ed Kuepper has joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The revered guitarist takes the spot of Mick Harvey, who recently departed the band after 25 years. Kuepper will be inducted into his new fraternity with a world tour in late-2009.

In the meantime, he’ll appear at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, as well as playing two intimate soirees with The Laughing Clowns. It’s fair to say Mick Harvey won’t be losing sleep over this replacement.