Saw Nick Cave last night doing something quite extraordinary... 'Conversations with Nick Cave'.
Three hours of him taking questions from the crowd, interspersed with solo piano renditions of his songs and covers. It was quite remarkable. Began with a rendition of a poem I guess he's written about being Steve McQueen. And then, in Melbourne Town Hall, with just a grand piano, two mics in front of the gigantic organ backdrop, he began taking questions from the crowd.
There were silly ones, some of which he laughed and answered, some of which (will you come to our small outback town and perform) that he said a resigned 'yes' to and then moved on. It was pretty thrilling to watch. He discussed grief, and my absolute highlight of the night came from a mother who'd also lost a son, thanking him for breaking down the barriers to that discussion, and talking about people's fears in broaching the subject to the bereaved. And he spoke about the 'terrible beauty' of grief, the amazing, wondrous, life-changing things that can come to you at the bottom of the pit of grief. That's what has always made Skeleton Tree so amazing to me. Most of the songs were written prior to Arthur's death, but it still feels very palpably about that, which is incredibly strange and weird. But you have this dark, desolate, depressing record, but then it ends on two astonishingly uplifting songs in Distant Sky and Skeleton Tree. I wonder if those songs are what he's talking about when he talks about the terrible beauty of grief.
He also talked a lot about faith, and I thought his answers to questions about his relationship with God and religion were beautiful - essentially it was, for me to exist and do what I do, I need belief in something more than myself. It's fundamental to who he is. And so he believes, but he knows he might also be wrong, and there might not be a God; but he's "not interested in the truth", he's got interest in the debate, for him it's all about the faith and the belief and I thought that was just wonderful. I don't personally believe, but have never and will never chastise individuals for their beliefs so long as they don't cause pain or suffering, because faith can be an extremely beautiful thing that delivers so much benefit to believers. And I thought the way he summed it all up was lovely.
He spoke about addiction, and how the tough reality is there is nothing you can do, and I'm not a good person to ask for advice, because people tried for 20 years to get me clean and it never worked, the only time he got clean was when he decided for himself that he'd had enough.
Other highlights included a question from a disabled bloke who couldn't speak well about what Nick Cave sees when he looks in the mirror, which Nick seemed quite humbled by.
Florence Welch (THE Florence) was in the crowd, and she stood up and began asking a question, giggling, all nervous, telling Nick that he had been the biggest influence on her career, and who had been his biggest influences (Chris Bailey and Elvis). To see a global superstar in Florence in hall just a fan like all the rest of us was amazing. Another fan dropped a letter to Nick over the balcony for Florence to catch and run up to hand to Nick. A real special moment.
Nick telling the story of how he wrote Gladiator 2: Christ Killer for Russell Crowe, but Rusty and Ridley Scott didn't like it so it got canned.
His favourite albums and perhaps the only ones he likes being From Her to Eternity and Skeleton Tree, because they're the only ones that resonate with him, the debut because it reminds him of a bunch musicians in a room with no idea figuring shit out and the latter because he can't remember recording it, and it captures a period in his life in posterity.
And also when asked about nostalgia tours, saying The Bad Seeds would never do it, unless it was Nocturama, which is widely hated by most of his fans. He said him and Warren have talked about getting the band on the road to play that in full, just to piss people off.
He spoke about how he is more gentle now, less abrasive than he once was, which endeared him to us even more.
He spoke about his relationship with Warren, which just seems like the most beautiful pure thing in the entire world, something I could listen to him talking about for hours on end. It seems like a beautiful expression of healthy masculinity, empathy, friendship and collaboration.
He spoke about Conway Savage, and how it's hard for The Bad Seeds to perform these days without him, because the chaos he bought to his piano playing they haven't been able to find since.
And then there was the songs - incredible versions of The Mercy Seat, Higgs Boson Blues (hearing a piano version of this was amazing!), Mermaids, Papa Won't Leave You Henry, crowd requests from nowhere (Stranger than Kindness) is his favourite in their catalogue, and he didn't write it - his then-partner Anita Lane wrote the lyrics and Blixa Bargeld the music) and then closing out with what may well be my two favourite Nick Cave songs, Love Letter and Skeleton Tree, was just such an incredible, heart-warming and hopeful way to finish, and the perfect way to close such a show out.
If it comes to a city near you, don't miss it.
That's beautiful.
