Nick Cave is an artist who has successfully stood the test of time. For over 40 years now, the Australian artist has found his place in our ideal discography thanks to undeniable genius, boundless creativity and a talent that many envy. Nick Cave has made a name for himself with The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, as a solo artist, with Grinderman, and with his faithful collaborator Warren Ellis on the album"Carnage", and has also made a name for himself in the world of cinema. The Australian singer, songwriter and composer is notably behind a number of soundtracks. These include the"Peaky Blinders" series, as well as the films"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford","Blonde" and, more recently,"Back to Black".
But Nick Cave is also his baritone voice, recognizable among a thousand, his recurring, even obsessive lyrical themes, including death, religion, love and violence, and his infectious, incredibly generous and fascinating stage energy. To go and see Nick Cave live once is to take the risk of catching the virus, to the point of wanting to relive this spellbinding experience as many times as possible.
And that's exactly what happened for the many fans in attendance at theAccor Arena in Paris on November 17. On Sunday evening, the Australian artist gave the very last concert of his European tour, "The Wild God Tour". A large venue for the 67-year-old singer - his biggest Parisian venue to date - that some fans seem to regret. After all, many of them have already had the chance to see him in smaller venues: the Olympia in 1994, the Mutualité in 2004, the Casino de Paris in 2008, the Zénith de La Villette in 2013 and 2017, and the Salle Pleyel for"Carnage" in 2021.
For his first concert at theAccor Arena, the venue was sold out on Sunday evening. There are regulars and fans of the first hour, of course, but also the younger generation and many foreigners too, mainly English.
So it was to a packed Accor Arena that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds burst onto the scene at around 8.50pm. On stage were 6 musicians, including his brother-in-arms, the talented Warren Ellis, as well as Radiohead's Colin Greenwood, and four backing singers, dressed in sequined gospel robes.
As always, dandy Nick Cave is dressed to the nines: tailored jacket, shirt and tie, perfectly polished leather shoes and slicked-back hair. The first notes of " Frogs " echo through the room. It wasn't long before Nick Cave took possession of the stage with a vengeance. Incredibly charismatic and close to his audience, the singer quickly makes contact with his fans in the front rows. The audience's hands are outstretched towards the artist, who doesn't hesitate to touch them and shake several warmly. The show has barely begun and some fans are already in awe of the Nick Cave tornado.
The singer and The Bad Seeds follow up with the single " Wild God ", the eponymous track from the latest gospel-singing album. Nick Cave then improvises as a preacher, repeatedly hammering " Bring your spirit down ".
But the mass gradually transforms and becomes much more rock and explosive, when Nick Cave and his acolytes intone the heady " O Children ", with Warren Ellis playing violin standing on a chair, followed by the sensational " Jubilee Street ". Taken from the opus"Push the Sky Away" (2013), this song is about a girl named " Bee ", says Nick Cave, who is also a formidable storyteller during his concerts, sharing memories both painful and tender.
After a few notes on the piano, Nick Cave gradually raises the temperature before exploding with rage. He jumps, leaps and screams into his microphone. Moving from one side of the stage to the other, the singer stares his fans straight in the eye and points. Nick Cave throws down his microphone, and the audience goes into a trance. From now on, the wild beast is unleashed, and the intensity remains palpable for some time to come. And with good reason, the band continue their set with the excellent " From Her to Eternity ". Here again, Nick Cave grabs the hands of the audience in the front rows, even going so far as to bend over and kneel on stage. Much more than just a singer, Nick Cave is one of those rare artists who embodies his songs to perfection. His angular face grimaces. You can read anger and then suffering. " Cry, cry, cry ", he repeats several times to a captivated and fascinated audience. In fact, many of them offered him flowers on Sunday evening. Nick Cave even received a cuddly toy of sorts. " I don't know what this is. That's me," he says in an amused tone.
But Nick Cave also knows how to go from fury to tenderness to melancholy in a matter of seconds. The proof is in the gentle notes of the moving " Long Dark Night ", followed by the sublime " Cinnamon Horses ". There's also that moment suspended in time with the poignant " Bright Horses ", where Nick Cave's voice, mingled with those of the backing singers and Warren Ellis, swaying in his chair, touches us to the core. We can't forget " I Need You ", played solo by Nick Cave on piano. A song he dedicates to his wife Susie, present in the room.
But the mighty sound of rock soon returns, with two old Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds songs: " Red Right Hand ", from"Let Love In" (1994), and " The Mercy Seat " from"Tender Prey" (1988). It didn't take much more to raise the temperature at the Accor Arena, to the point of Nick Cave taking off his tie.
Nick Cave may be the center of attention, but Warren Ellis is equally impressive. The Australian multi-instrumentalist, who has lived in France for many years and pays his taxes in France, as he joked that evening, has that undeniable presence mixed with an assumed casualness. And between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the complicity is obvious and beautiful to behold.
Before leaving the stage, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds chose to perform " White Elephant ", taken from"Carnage". For the occasion, the backing singers are invited to come down from their podiums and join the front of the stage, so as to be as close as possible to the audience, alongside Nick Cave, proud to be so well accompanied on this tour.
Warmly applauded, the troupe leaves the stage. But the show isn't over yet. Nick Cave and his cohorts return for a single four-track encore. The set resumes with the heady " O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is) ", dedicated to Anita Lane, former member of The Bad Seeds. To pay tribute to the Australian author, who died in 2021 at the age of 61, images are projected onto the screen at the back of the stage, accompanied by a sound extract in which we rediscover the artist's voice. Profoundly beautiful and moving.
Back to the past again with the dynamic " Papa Won't Leave You, Henry ", followed by the unmissable " The Weeping Song ". Like a true orchestra conductor, Nick Cave launches a wave of raised arms into the pit, applauding frenetically and rhythmically. Meanwhile, Warren Ellis, armed with his violin, shakes in his chair. The communion is total.
After so much energy and sweat, Nick Cave chose to end this flamboyant and memorable 2.5-hour set with a solo piano performance of the sublime " Into My Arms ". The audience, still spellbound, choruses the refrain " Into my arms, oh, Lord. Into my arms ". Nick Cave seems moved, and touches us in return.
It is with the beautiful lyrics of this remarkable track that the poet Nick Cave decides to leave us, with this collective feeling of joy, sadness and hope, and this furious desire to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live in Paris as soon as possible!
Setlist
Frogs
Wild God
Song of the Lake
OChildren
JubileeStreet
From Her to Eternity
Long Dark Night
Cinnamon Horses
Tupelo
Conversion
Bright Horses
Joy
INeed You
Carnage
Final Rescue Attempt
Red Right Hand
The Mercy Seat
White Elephant
Reminder
OWow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)
Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
The Weeping Song
Into My Arms
