Live Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

An air of expectation hung heavy over Perth Arena as the murmuring crowd waited for tonight's audience with master storyteller, Nick Cave. They erupted as the arena lights dimmed and The Bad Seeds made their way slowly out onto the stage. The band broke into Anthrocene, from the sombre 2016 album Skeleton Tree, as the man himself emerged and made his way to a stool at centre stage to thunderous applause.

As they continued on with Jesus Alone and Magneto, also from Skeleton Tree, Cave rose from his stool and moved closer to his adoring audience. At times almost disappearing into the crowd, he appeared to be some manic preacher intent on whipping his congregation into a fervent religious frenzy, their hands desperately reaching out of the darkness to touch his greatness and he, in return, reaching out to touch theirs.

With the crowd still soaking in the mournful, heartfelt lyrics of the preceding songs, The Bad Seeds moved on to the rumbling Higgs Boson Blues before launching into an electrifyingly discordant version of From Her To Eternity. The crowd had barely caught their breath before Marty Casey's familiar bass line signalled the beginning of Tupelo, during which Cave appeared to momentarily forget a couple of lyrics, which was instantly forgiven considering the sheer volume of the man's work.

The tone of the evening was then brought back a little with Jubilee Street and The Ship Song, with Cave on piano, which had the entire crowd singing along. "I'll remember this one because it's easy," he quipped from the piano. "Just like you," came the reply from a member of the crowd. "You're a funny guy… Seriously," was Cave's answer before playing the opening chords of the beautiful Into My Arms, a song that seemed all the more touching and poignant following the well-publicised loss of his son Arthur in 2015.

It was then back to songs from Skeleton Tree with the haunting Girl In Amber followed by I Need You, which saw Cave return briefly to his seat in centre stage, his rich baritone vocals paired exquisitely, yet almost painfully, with the backing vocals from The Bad Seeds. The tempo then picked up once again with Red Right Hand from 1994's Let Love In and The Mercy Seat, which started with Cave singing along to George Vjestica on acoustic guitar. It then built to an all out crescendo that saw Warren Ellis become some crazed, demented soloist on violin as he mercilessly thrashed his instrument and shredded his bow to the delight of the crowd.

Distant Sky was a truly touching duet with Danish vocalist Else Torp, who was projected onto the rear of the stage while Cave sang at the piano. Although most of the lyrics for the Skeleton Tree album were completed before the loss of his son, Cave singing, "They told us our gods would outlive us but they lied," sent a decided chill down every spine in attendance. Finishing up with Skeleton Tree, Cave graciously thanked the appreciative throng before making his way off stage, leaving The Bad Seeds on stage to soak in the applause.

After a brief break, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds thankfully reappeared for what proved to be a blistering encore. After once again thanking the crowd and introducing "the greatest band in the world" they launched into The Weeping Song, which again had the audience singing and clapping along.

Stagger Lee saw Cave get up close and personal with the audience once more, grasping hands and leaning into them as he seemed to channel the "bad muthafucka" persona of the title character, delivering the lyrics with a seething vitriol that perfectly matched by the intensity of the band.

The final song of the evening, 2013's Push The Sky Away, was a tremendous end to an outstanding evening. Gone was the manic preacher, replaced by a more soothing Cave, who now gently touched the outstretched hands while tenderly urging his congregation to "keep on pushing, push the sky away".

After a final thank you to the crowd, Nick Cave was gone, leaving The Bad Seeds to finish what was a truly sublime performance that proved without a shadow of a doubt that even after so many years and 16 albums, he is still a master showman who continues to develop and to reach deeply into the souls of his audience.