Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live at Manchester Apollo
November 30, 2008
With people crammed into every square inch of the Manchester Apollo, there was a palpable sense of occasion when the lights went down and the Bad Seeds casually stroll on stage, before the anticipated arrival of their brooding front man, Nick Cave.
With his boot polished jet-black hair, droopy moustache and 1880’s style suit, Cave cuts an unmistakable figure as he saunters onto stage to greet his adoring public.
Despite a few years absence from a Manchester stage, it’s perfectly clear as the band crash spectacularly into Hold On To Yourself that Cave has lost absolutely none of his stage presence - twirling round, doing the odd high-kick, with finger pointing and hip-wiggling all present and correct.
The between-song banter was almost as good as the music, as Cave jokes with fellow band members. At one point, Australia’s finest export dedicates a song to a lucky audience member called John and over the course of the evening cheekily changes lyrics in order to name check his new friend.
The set list drew mainly on the Seeds brilliant new album, Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig! with the brooding Moonland taking the tempo down a notch while the funky Dig, Lazarus, Dig had everyone’s heads shaking in unison. We Call Upon The Author To Explain was another highlight, showing off those Cave moves to perfection, but perhaps the high point of the show was when Cave took to the piano for a heart-warming rendition of God Is In The House.
The rest of the Bad Seeds, including Cave’s film soundtrack cohort Warren Ellis and statuesque percussionist Jim Sclavunos, are bang on form, but it’s Cave who’s understandably the main focal point, throwing himself around the place for Get Ready For Love, before departing the stage for a well-earned break.
The generous 4-song encore included, Straight To You, The Lyre Of Orpheus, the innuendo filled Hard On For Love and Bad Seeds classic, Stagger Lee.
Scott Zverblis.