Firstly, you might expect to see an audience of male paunches and balding pates, but in fact the demographic was surprisingly equally split between men & women, and an age range from mid-twenties upward is younger that anticipated.
Secondly, Cave is considered to write difficult, inaccessible songs, and his performance will be a test of endurance rather than a slice of enjoyment. In fact, he is a thrilling performer with a enthralling repertoire, almost constantly front of stage addressing the crowd animatedly.
Finally, he is a dour, miserable man, with a slightly scary edge. That's not so either, as his chuckling during 'Messiah Ward' confirmed - an amusement that stayed with Cave into 'Lyre of Orpheus', which he attempted to sing three times before exclaiming 'fuck it, we'll come back to that I think he dies at the end'.
Dressed in regulation black suit and white shirt, the Bad Seeds opened up with 'Abattoir Blues' and continued through 12 tracks from the latest album of the same name and it's partner 'The Lyre of Orpheus'.
During 'Hiding All Away' Cave's deep powerful voice dictates the melody over a dark simple backing track as he preaches at the crowd, pointing out individuals as if they were the subject of his story.
Recent single 'Nature Boy' is (naturally) well received with its 'ooh la la la' ending aping 'Come Up and See Me (Make me Smile)'. His next release, 'There She Goes My Beautiful World' is a hugely energetic performance of flailing legs and arms. There's also a potential hit in 'Breathless', a simple melody and accessible lyric that could easily capture the general public's attention if it could find some airplay.
After an hour it's off and back on again for an encore of 'The Best of ', 'Red Right Hand' drawing huge cheers. During 'Deanna' the side lighting projects the Cave shadow onto the side wall, trebling his already considerable size. It's a transfixing sight as the 20 foot monster rocks back and forth, front foot to back, but one that would keep your children awake for a week.
But the best is yet to come as Cave shows again what spectacular range of style he has. 'God is in the House' is simply beautiful, partly without any backing, and the silence is deafening. It's a similar story for 'Into Your Arms' where his tapping foot can be heard at the back of the auditorium.
Sandwiched in between these two though, is an awesome rendition of murder ballad 'Stagger Lee'. It's a song with a frantic narrative and backing to match, with a freestyle finale of two drum kits, electric guitar, two pianos, 4 backing singers and a violin, moulded together by an incessant dub bass line, leaving the audience open mouthed.
There was still time for 'The Mercy Seat', another song that heats up to a manic crescendo, before the lights went up, illuminating the stunned faces of an awestruck audience. The songs can be dark, but you should put aside your pre-conceived ideas and see the light where Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are concerned.
article by: Jonathan Haggart
published: 09/11/2004 10:14
FUTURE GIGS
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