Has a song been chosen as the anthem for the Conservative Party convention this year? Because we would like to see how they could top our original apocalypse prophet, moon-faced Grinch Nick Cave and his dissonant orchestra of salvation. After all, the dog-house-fire meme is popular right now. The cost of living crisis, the energy prices, the political crisis, and the leaders’ complete lack of urgency are all present. And only Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds can find solace in disorder. When he is at his best, Nick Cave’s discography is a cosmic fusion of the elegiac and the enthralling—both elegy and ecstasy. The gospel choir that is currently present at so many of Cave’s live performances was also there at the two-hour set at the All Points East festival in east London’s Victoria Park.

A pair of back-to-back bangers is launched by him by kicking the air. The massive opening track from Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, “Get Ready For Love,” comes first. It features a flurry of thrashing, writhing chords that launch the song into high gear. Cave looks the same as he did 20 years ago in his recognizable unbuttoned suit and pallbearer pallor. He’s always a great performer, and this evening, while singing “There She Goes, My Beautiful World,” he actually falls into the sea of outstretched arms. An outstretched arm extends a can to him as he pulls back, wiping the sweat from his brow. When Cave looks into the sea of arms, he inquires, “What is it?” “No. A f***ing energy drink? No!”

The energy for this performance comes from Cave’s seemingly limitless stores. He immediately sings the elegiac “O Children” after the piano-slamming “From Her To Eternity.” Later, he sits down at the piano to play “I Need You,” an ethereal song from 2019’s Skeleton Tree, which was published in the wake of his teenage son Arthur’s passing. Online, where his journal-like posts and answers to fan questions frequently go viral, Cave is well recognised for his frequent sincere and intelligent writings. Onstage, though, he rarely sheds a tear, so when he does during the “just breathe” refrain of “I Need You,” it is an emotional and impactful moment.

The tortured “Tupelo” from 1985’s The Firstborn Is Dead has always had a gritty vibe, but its bouncy energy sounds more menacing with each passing year. Fans were drawn from the crowd for what may be considered the band’s only widely recognized hit, the Peaky Blinders-themed “Red Right Hand”, played a little later than usual. Kneel and serenade the audience. The set concludes with “White Elephant”. This is the only song from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ latest record, his Carnage from 2021, that sounds great live, thanks in part to the gospel choir. Then there are his four encores of “Into My Arms,” ​​”Vortex,” “Ghosteen Speaks,” and “The Weeping Song.” Cave makes the most sense live. And in our present moment, he’s also an artist who, excitingly, means life.

By Jonas Vikberg