I had the chance to see Nick Cave for the second time last night, although Birmingham's gig was quite different to the last time I saw him. In Wolverhampton, Cave had several musicians with him, including a gospel choir on backing vocals. This time, the performance was stripped down to Cave on Piano (with occasional guitar fiddling: "I got that guitar as a Christmas present"), Warren Ellis on Violin (which doesn't just mean playing with a bow, btw), Jim Sclavunos on drums and Martyn Casey playing bass. Personally, I thought the more minimal ensemble suited Cave. It made most of the songs far more personal, and all the more affecting as a result. Highlights were a superb slowed-down, moody version of Stagger Lee, a strikingly vicious rendition of Henry Lee, and a particularly passionate version of Mercy Seat. That said, I don't think Cave failed to impress all night; he was humorous and relaxed, yet at the same time fiery and intense. I'm reasonably sure that within his field, he is without equal. Nobody can create the kind of intense noise that Cave and band can. More importantly, nobody can effectively combine those staggering outbursts of noise with movingly quiet, almost delicately fragile moments. Here are a few tracks I recall (I know I've missed a few, West Country Girl, for a start):
- Stagger Lee
- God is in the House
- Mercy Seat
- Weeping Song
- Abattoir Blues
- Babe, You Turn Me On
- Red Right Hand
- Henry Lee
- Rock of Gibraltar
- Tupelo
