So as I type this review up I realise it has been 4 years and 4 days since I last attended a Nick Cave Gig. This time Nick was touring his Carnage album, his collaboration with Warren Ellis, minus the remainder of the Bad Seeds.
Maybe I’m just a miserable so and so. But as appears to always be the case when I see Cave I am in two minds beforehand. I had decided against buying a ticket for the tour, until after they were sold out…only then did I decide I wanted to go. Fortunately friends of friends came to the rescue and a circle seat was secured. Meaning for the second time at a Cave gig I would be sitting rather than standing.
I went to the Brighton Dome, the last leg of the UK leg of the tour, and one of Nick’s many hometowns, and also my own. Reviews from previous legs of the tour were high on praise and emphasised the setlist was predominately Carnage and Ghosteen. Neither of which would be amongst my favourites among his discography.
I love the Bad Seeds, each of them a fantastic musician in their own right and have noted other fan’s comments “Is Warren Nick Cave’s Yoko Ono?”. I find that unfair on Ellis and Ono. Ellis is of course both a fantastic musician and showman in his own right.
But there is no getting away from the change in Cave’s output since the tragic death of his son. I met with the friends of friends in a local pub before the gig to collect my ticket. And, as I commented to them, it would be impossible not to be changed by the death of a child, both as a man and as a musician.
The Dome is a fantastic venue and as I took my seat in the circle, I noted that for this event the stalls also were all sitting with no standing available. What was great as I took my seat was seeing several familiar faces sat around me. Friends and acquaintances with similar musical taste. I like to think excellent musical taste.
Before too long Messrs Cave and Ellis take to the stage to a warm rapturous welcome. As I say, in Brighton we consider Cave one of our own. And if Cave is an adopted Brighton son, then Warren is a brother from another mother. The two are joined on stage by a trio of backing singers; Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole and Janet Ramus and the superbly monickered Johnny Hostile who performed percussion, bass, drums and twiddled a lot of dials.
I must admit to not being the biggest Ghosteen fan and the night kicked off with 3 tracks from this album. However, I have said before Nick Cave is the only artist I got into on the back of a live album (Live Seeds) and again the disparity from the recorded and the live version in incredible.
Next up was Carnage, from the same album, and the dedication of this song to Brighton brought approval from the audience. Followed by another Carnage track, White Elephant. As I listened and got caught up to this any fears for the evening were dispelled. One of the highlights of the evening for me.
Next up were the eponymous album track Ghosteen, followed by Lavender fields.
Being a man of a certain age, one thing I note and appreciate from Mr. Cave is how age has changed him. The next track played was Waiting for you, which after some badinage with an audience member was dedicated to a very lucky “Billy”. Billy was clearly delighted and moved to have this exchange with his idol, and this rapport seems very different from the younger earlier version of Nick.
We then put aside the 2 latest studio albums for 3 tracks from neither album, a beautiful version of I Need You, the now ubiquitous Marc Bolan cover Cosmic dancer and another welcome outing of God Is In The House.
If GIITH had lulled the audience, Cave shook the audience out of it with a screaming version of Hand of God.
Next up were Shattered Ground, the hauntingly beautiful Galleon Ship (another personal favourite) and Leviathan.
Cave then showed both sides of himself during the performance of Balcony man, enciting those in the balcony to participate before declaring “that’s the worst version of this song, and the one that ends up forever on fucking youtube”.
The crowd were then thanked and bid goodnight before returning to the stage for an encore of Hollywood and the splendid Henry Lee, almost a duet with Janet Ramus and again a personal highlight for me as this was one of his older numbers I hadn’t seen performed live before.
Cave, Ellis, backing et al left the stage but returned for a second encore consisting of Into My Arms and Ghosteen Speaks. At the end Cave and Ellis embrace, and I love to see the genuine love and friendship between these two
£58 for the ticket and worth every penny, as always when I see Cave I left delighted. Again, albums l had stuggled to connect with came alive through witnessing them performed live. And as always when he plays Brighton I set off down Jubilee Street to return to my scooter for the ride home. N.B It was a 20 song setlist…just the one pint beforehand was enough.
Setlist
Spinning Song (Ghosteen)
Bright Horses (Ghosteen)
Night raid (Ghosteen)
Carnage (Carnage)
White Elephant (Carnage)
Ghosteen (Ghosteen)
Lavender fields (Carnage)
Waiting for you (Ghosteen)
I need you (Skeleton Tree)
Cosmic dancer (Marc Bolan Cover)
God is in the house (No More Shall We Part)
Hand of God (Carnage)
Shattered Ground (Carnage)
Galleon Ship (Ghosteen)
Leviathan (Ghosteen)
Balcony man (Carnage)
encore
Hollywood (Ghosteen)
Henry lee (Murder Ballads)
Second encore
Into my arms (The Boatman’s Call)
Ghosteen speaks (Ghosteen)
Tags: Bad Seeds, Brighton Dome, Carnage, Ghosteen, Johnny Hostile, nick cave, Warren Ellis
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