Words: Dale Maplethorpe
Sheffield city centre was taken over on Thursday 23rd September as people of all ages queued throughout the square with one thing on their mind: the retired Richard Nixon who has taken up surfing, Nick Cave. The Bad Seed leader came to the city as part of a tour with Warren Ellis following the release of their triumphant album Carnage, an atmospheric and dreary 40-minute LP filled with onerous synths and classic Cave vocals that depict Shakespearean-esque landscapes and emotions (I assume he likes to think).
The fact is this: Nick Cave’s music is fantastic. There isn’t anybody else who can do what he does; the intricacy with which his albums are put together, the narrative he weaves throughout and the harrowing vocal tone with which he delivers it creates truly awe-inspiring music. Live, though, the whole thing comes across as dull. The kind of music that would sound better if you closed your eyes and were willing to run the risk of falling asleep. The gig wasn’t good.
Cave came on stage to uproar as the theatre was on its feet before he had even spoken a word. He was accompanied by synth player and God lookalike Warren Ellis, bassist and drummer Johnny Hostile (yes, that’s his name) who looks about as hostile as a mild breeze, plus three backing singers who stole the show.
The whole thing just felt slightly out of touch. Cave ranting over a droning synth to a crowd who nodded along with every word like it made any sense. One track, ‘White Elephant’, sees Cave take a stance on the Black Lives Matter movement, which is about as cringey as you would expect a 64-year-old white man’s stance on such socio-political issues to be. As Nick prowls the stage screaming, “a protester kneels on the neck of a statue / the statue says ‘I can’t breathe’ / the protester says, ‘now you know how it feels’ / and he kicks it into the sea,” is almost parallel to a 5-year-old shrugging and asking, “why can’t we all just get along?” (Ask writer to qualify this before publishing) – ed.
Granted, there were a couple of saving graces.
Firstly, it was charming in parts. Cave’s interaction with his band as he encouraged Warren Ellis to receive applause and saying as the crowd’s reaction died down “Do it again” was fun to be a part of. Plus, when he asked for some audience participation in repeating a line, to which when it was done so without conviction replying, “Well, that is stirring.”
Secondly, the song ‘Hand of God’ was absolutely fantastic. The big sound, plus the screaming of Ellis and the backing singers punched your ears in the face in a way that I haven’t heard at a live gig in a long time.
Lastly, as previously mentioned, the backing singers were something to behold. Their angelic voices amongst the piano, calling for God and redemption and joy throughout the set was truly breathtaking. Even this though has to be taken with a pinch of salt as it all seemed a little out of place. The singers would interact with Cave during songs but it looked less like backing singers having a back and forth with their lead and more like a group of schoolchildren humouring their music teacher so they don’t have to do any work.
So, the gig itself was lacklustre, but it’s time to come on to the most frustrating aspect of it: the crowd. This crowd was the embodiment of the saying “give an inch, take a mile”. Early doors a couple people yelled, “happy birthday. Nick!” to which he thanked them, and after that the show was treated by many as a game of who can get Nick Cave to notice them. Heckles seemed to come thick and fast during any moments of silence, which Nick himself seemed to get tired of quickly.
The whole thing became so tiresome and boring that it made Nick’s set, which already felt too long, even longer. People on the front row, the middle and the stands yelled out in between every song to make the equivalent of someone stripping off to the waste and having “acknowledge me, Nick!” tattooed across their chest.
I’m a big Nick Cave fan and what makes his music so engaging is how well songs blend into one another and how they intertwine to create some kind of consistent narrative throughout his albums. It’s these elements that make his newest LP Carnage such a masterpiece. But it’s rubbish live: without consistency or the seamless blending of songs and with the accompaniment of one of the most annoying crowds I’ve ever been a part of. This gig, from start to finish, truly was carnage.
