Nick Cave Stuns in Concert Series: A Peak Performance Not to Miss!

The 2024/2025 season of Inrocks kicked off in Reykjavik, where we caught up with Nick Cave to discuss Wild God, the latest album by the Bad Seeds. The Australian musician was in the middle of a tour across Northern Europe, not with Warren Ellis and the usual group, but with Colin Greenwood (of Radiohead), in a stripped-down setup featuring just piano and bass. This arrangement allowed him to explore his expansive songbook in its most raw form. We were fortunate enough to attend two of the three gigs during his residency at the Harpa Convention Center, where his dedication to his songs and live performance was nothing short of breathtaking. “When I perform with the Bad Seeds in front of a large audience, doing all the usual antics, it feels different. There’s so much going on, both on stage and off. It’s often hard to remember what the song is really about. What I mean is, playing these songs on the piano night after night, not only brings me immense joy, but also reconnects me to their core essence. They speak to me differently, as if they hold something I might have forgotten,” he shared with us.

Meanwhile, the Bad Seeds have resumed touring, more vigorous than ever, and Nick has been indulging in “all those things I’m used to doing” — redefining rock history with his rendition of the classic Tupelo at the Accor Arena in Paris on November 17th. And although that concert by the badass Bad Seeds (alliteration) will be remembered, it was regrettable that Citizen Cave didn’t treat the French audience to his duet act with Greenwood, which seemed to unveil an unspeakable truth about the performer. Fortunately, the Days Off festival, held from June 28th to July 6th, wisely scheduled two consecutive nights featuring Nick and Colin at the retro-futuristic Philharmonie de Paris. Once again, it was evident that the artist never misses a chance to deliver a memorable show. This was confirmed by the typically well-behaved audience, who abandoned their assigned seats during the encore to gather at the stage’s edge, hoping to touch the king’s hand as if he could cure the royal touch.

Is an Oasis Season Upcoming?

As you read this, we are in Manchester witnessing the grand homecoming of Oasis at Heaton Park, with more than 80,000 spectators expected each night over five nights. This provides a perfect segue into our summer issue dedicated to the explosive Gallagher brothers of British rock. “Getting on stage, grabbing the cash, and running off isn’t my style,” Nick Cave had told us. Although the Gallagher brothers’ reunion is also financially motivated, we hope that, like their Australian counterpart, they are driven by a similar quest for transcendence.