Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
With many of Melbourne’s regular concert venues out of action due to the Australian Open, promoters have been forced to locate alternative spaces to fulfil the needs of the city’s insatiable music appetite. As the audience for night one of a three night stint for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds discovered, the Alexandra Gardens with its pretty skyline backdrop, on a balmy summer evening, is a gorgeous place to hold a concert.
It had been two years since Nick Cave toured Australia solo and nine since the Bad Seeds joined him, when they toured in early 2017 supporting their Skeleton Tree album. With rave reviews for their current Wild God tour preceding them, it was with much anticipation that the Melbourne crowd packed into the city’s regular ‘Moomba’ precinct to greet their homecoming king.
The night’s support act, New Zealand-born indie folk singer, songwriter Aldous Harding has garnered much attention since her debut album for Flying Nun in 2016, leading to collaborations with Marlon Williams, Perfume Genius and Sleeford Mods. Aldous strolled to the microphone, attired in Melbourne black chic and eased into the gentle ‘Passion Babe’ from her Warm Chris album. There’s an awkwardness or vulnerability about her performance, with protracted gaps between each of the six songs she delivered. Her stage presence feels equal parts playful and unsettling and it wasn’t until the crowd responded with appreciation that she cracked a smile, seemingly more in relief than gratefulness. Flanked by a bass clarinet and keyboard player, she was soon joined by Australian art rocker Kirin J Callinan on guitar, finishing with a wistful ‘Leathery Whip’.
Aldous Harding
Filing on stage, The Bad Seeds ensemble is an imposing bunch, featuring the great Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos, George Vjestica, Larry Mullins, Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood and Carly Paradis, plus four-person gospel choir, Janet Ramus, T Jae Cole, Wendi Rose and Miça Townsend. Their majesty was felt immediately on show opener ‘Frogs’ from the Wild God album, propelling a wall of sound with the momentum of a massive, unstoppable cruise ship. Meanwhile the sartorially splendid Cave, the preacher, the showman, came to the edge of the stage and provoked, stoking a fire that was only just beginning to ignite.
After a glorious version of ‘Wild God’, the album’s title track, Cave then shared his concerns about a mother and child in the crowd below him, seemingly too close to the action. “It’s where I land,” he warned her. “I don’t mind”, she said, to which Cave replied (with liability in mind I’m sure) “Somebody write that down!” ‘Song of the Lake’ and ‘O Children’ followed, showcasing the beautiful 4 piece choir. ‘Jubilee Street’ builds to a crescendo, plunging the band into full-on rock mode. With Cave’s constant goading, backed by the pure gospel backing voices, there’s a clear revivalist vibe happening. ‘From Her to Eternity’, further aroused the congregation as the band kicked into jam mode, with Warren Ellis letting loose on his fiddle and collection of wicked effects. The music intensified, bewitching the audience. This is what the Bad Seeds do best, it’s earnest and even demonic in its beauty.
In one of many humorous moments of the evening, Cave then introduced Ellis, who took to the microphone and in a passionate, perhaps over-exuberant manner shouted “My people, My people, My fucking people’ to the Melbourne clergy. Mockingly, Cave responded with “That was so beautiful … such humility … from the little guy from Ballarat”. Ellis then featured on the elegant ‘Long Dark Night’. ‘Cinnamon Horses’ is another stunning ballad from the Wild Gold album, embellished by the band’s angelic singers and the dramatic, percussive palette of Jim Sclavunos.
Cave introduced ‘Tupelo’ (the band’s second ever single) as a song about Elvis Presley’s hometown and told the story of how on the day he was born there was a massive storm where birds could no longer fly and no fish could swim. The performance of the song itself was heroic, highlighting the fire and brimstone dynamics the Bad Seeds are capable of. Like Springsteen’s E-Street band, Petty’s Heartbreakers and Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, The Bad Seeds are up there in the echelons of the world’s greatest bands and possibly the most versatile of them all. Every member feels every note, you can see it in their faces. They play with such intent and conviction.
Warren Ellis’ haunting vocal began the atmospheric ‘Bright Horses’ from the Ghosteen album, a record which explored the passing of Cave’s son Arthur. It’s as sad as it is glorious. ‘Joy’ from Wild God was interrupted by a medical emergency in the crowd, which led to Cave stopping the show to ask staff for assistance. An elderly guy had collapsed just metres from where I stood but happily could be seen getting to his feet soon after and walking with staff for further investigation. The show and Cave however had lapsed in concentration and took a couple of songs to get back into the zone. It was the grace of the Cave/Ellis tune ‘Carnage’ that got us all back on track.
As darkness descended on the Alexandra Gardens and the grandeur of the city lights took full effect, it was a perfect time to present us with ‘Right Red Hand’. “You’re beautiful Melbourne,” Cave told us as the ominous bell-like backing of the song radiated around the park and we contributed superbly as a mass choir in yet another concert highlight. As we arrived at the pointy end of the gig, the big guns were appearing. ‘The Mercy Seat’ from 1988’s Tender Prey is such an intense but soulful song and its impact was well and truly felt in the hearts and minds of the Melbourne throng. ‘White Elephant’, another track from the Cave/Ellis album Carnage saw the band off stage for a break before the impending encore.
Returning to the stage Cave told us that they’d saved the next song specifically for Melbourne, which led into ‘O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)’, a song about Melbourne music identity and former Bad Seed, Anita Lane. ‘Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry’ was as epic as a Bad Seeds song can get, utilising the full band with Cave in stirring, sermon mode and Ellis dispatching distorted, magical haze from his fiddle. Upfront was a sea of hands reaching up to touch the man, yearning for his acceptance, even forgiveness in a communal frenzy of confession.
Cave then teased that he’d be playing a really old song, turned to guitarist George Vjestica, who clearly wasn’t ready and asked which song he was supposed to play, to which Nick replied Shivers! It couldn’t be could it? That would just be insane to play that song to this crowd. However, it seemed that George couldn’t get his shit together in time and to the dismay of the crowd, Cave suggested “that ship has sailed” and launched into ‘The Weeping Song’ instead. In that moment, we were not at all impressed with Mr Vjestica but were content with a stunning Weeping Song, in which Warren’s cutting fiddle added so much urgency and spirit to the tune.
Thankfully, next up George was offered a chance to atone for his sin and helped to deliver the most poignant moment of the night, a tune Cave told us was “Melbourne’s song”. Written by Rowland S Howard as a 16 year old kid, ‘Shivers’ was a tune we first heard on Countdown, a song the ABC tried to censor, a tune I heard in gritty venues in St.Kilda in the late 70s-early 80s. It’s a tune we never thought we’d ever hear Cave sing again, yet here we all were … decades of life behind many of us and now singing along with the great man, singing our song together, Melbourne’s song. It was a chilling, joyful moment, one I’ll never forget.
Yet the show was far from over. Backing singer Janet Ramus was invited down stage to duet with Nick on the mesmerising ‘Henry Lee’, a ‘Murder Ballad’ Cave first recorded with PJ Harvey. Nick then sent the band off stage for the final time to remain alone at the piano for an enchanting version of ‘Into My Arms’, inviting the crowd to sing along, which we did with passion.
The night’s show proved a couple of things. Firstly that the Bad Seeds are one of the finest rock bands to ever grace a stage and secondly, that Nick Cave is Australia’s (and more specifically Melbourne’s) greatest musical export. He left us many years ago as a musical altar boy and returned as the rock ’n’ roll Pope! Last night Melbourne came together to worship the man’s achievements.
SET LIST:
Frogs
Wild God
Song of the Lake
O Children
Jubilee Street
From Her to Eternity
Long Dark Night
Cinnamon Horses
Tupelo
Conversion
Bright Horses
Joy
I Need You
Carnage
Final Rescue Attempt
Red Right Hand
The Mercy Seat
White Elephant
Encore:
O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)
Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry
The Weeping Song
Shivers
Henry Lee
Into My Arms
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