Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Her Majesty's Theatre, London
- You couldn't ask for more: a theatre suitable for a king for the European debut of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' latest album "Push the sky away". This venue is perfect for the Australian performer and his mates (among which we temporarily find again Barry Adamson as second drummer and keyboardist), who are joined by bowed string instruments players and a children choir.After the screening of a making of video of the album, at 20 past 8 pm the band gets on the stage to perform "Push the sky away" in its entirety.
From the first beats it's clear the are in a great mood and they really want to play their new material live. Moreover this new album is - probably - one of the best releases Cave and his associates put out in the latest years and the quality of the songs is clear also in the live dimension. "Jubilee Street" almost induces tears, with the voices of children to give the song an ethereal mood - and "Mermaids" has the same effect.
Nick Cave is a true force of nature: his style is flawless, but he also manages to joke with the audience and to explain the new album with deep words and to jump on the stage like a twenty-something.
"Push the sky away" closes the first part of the concert: the choir leaves and the Bad Seeds switch to their historical repertoire. "From her to eternity", "The mercy seat", "Red right hand", "Deanna", "The ship song"... and then a standing ovation calls them back on stage for the closing "Stagger Lee", from the legendary "Murder ballads".
SETLIST:
We No Who U R
Wide Lovely Eyes
Water's Edge
Jubilee Street
Mermaids
We Real Cool
Finishing Jubilee Street
Higgs Boson Blues
Push the Sky Away
From Her to Eternity
Jack the Ripper
Red Right Hand
Love Letter
Your Funeral... My Trial
Deanna
The Ship Song
O Children
The Mercy Seat
Encore:
Stagger Lee
[by Ercole Gentile]