Nick Cave, the iconic Australian musician, has returned to his homeland for a highly anticipated tour featuring Colin Greenwood of Radiohead. This collaboration has sparked excitement among fans, as it combines Cave’s dark, introspective songwriting with Greenwood’s innovative bass playing. Tonight the duo play the iconic State Theatre in Sydney and Backseat Mafia was there to capture the performance.
Inside the Theatre, with its gilded golden walls glinting like the edges of some holy manuscript, you feel as though you’ve stepped into a sanctuary rather than a venue. The ornate decor, almost ecclesiastical, makes the space resonate not just with music, but with a kind of reverence. This place, so cathedral-like, proves a fitting tabernacle for the sombre, soul-stirring spectacle of a Nick Cave performance, where every song feels like a sermon and every lyric a prayer.
Cave strides onto the stage, clad in a dark suit, his black hair slicked back, exuding an aura of cool intensity. The capacity crowd welcomes him warmly, their cheers filling the air with palpable excitement. Cave walks to the front of the stage from where he waves and salutes the crowd and then makes his way to the grand piano and seats himself, poised and focused. To his side stands Greenwood, back to the audience, who accompanies him with subtle yet profound bass lines.
The opening song is ‘Girl in Amber,’ it strikes me—how achingly beautiful this song remains; its poignant lyrics hold the crowd in a spellbound hush, each word a thread weaving us together in shared mesmerisation.
The upcoming album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, entitled ‘Wild God,’ is eagerly anticipated by fans and critics alike. The Bad Seeds will be touring in support of the new album and whilst that is something to look forward to, tonight’s concert is undeniably outstanding, featuring two musicians in their prime, masterfully commanding the stage.
This is Cave’s second show at the State Theatre, next he will visit Wollongong, Canberra, the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Go HERE for tickets.
