Nick Cave brings Carnage to the Capitol

Playhouse, Edinburgh 20.09.21

The second night of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis tour in Scotland, having seen them the previous night in the Music Hall in Aberdeen, I wondered if the intensity could be matched. I had always felt that every Nick Cave gig was an immersive experience and the 90 minute drive gave me time to reflect on last nights experience. Euphoria would best explain my mood as I parked up in the multi-story, I would experience the gig, “One More Time with Feeling” [sic]. Walking to the venue, I spoke to Kerry from South Africa, she had struggled throughout lockdown but made the pilgrimage to Edinburgh to see Nick Cave for the very first time live. My drive now palled into significance as I almost envied her naivety. She was almost overcome by emotion even at the thought of what she was about to experience. She would not be disappointed.

The Playhouse in Edinburgh had a queue at every door as the security staff processed the customary paperwork that now goes with attending concerts. The Playhouse, more a theatrical venue these days, still brings back many memories of previous concerts. The air was filled with anticipation and you could see it in the eyes of the patrons as they descended the carpet stairs to the stalls and begun the search for their seat. The iconic sight of the piano front and centre, the solo chair alongside for Warren to wield his wizardry and a single bare looking drum kit were complimented by three naked microphone stands overlooking the piano.  The stage looked moody, dimly lit in a royal blue haze, almost like looking into a fish tank but I had the feeling, we would be the ones being watched as Cave historically stares into the audience, like a possessed demonic Mona Lisa. Cave has that unnerving quality of engaging with his audience. Like walking into a department store and feeling the security guard watching you. The now familiar Cave/Ellis movie soundtrack intro music faded and the audience roared as the lights dimmed.

The “Conversations” tour and the “Idiot Prayer” performance had acclimatised most of the audience for what was to come and the last two albums, “Ghosteen” and Carnage” provided the backdrop for the evenings script. No “Bad Seeds” other than Warren Ellis were in attendance.

Warren Ellis and Johnny Hostile wasted no time in taking up residence on the stage before T Jae Cole, Wendi Rose, and Janet Rasmus joined them. Cave strode onto the stage with purpose and acknowledged his audience in true fashion with his now customary waves. 

“Spinning Song” and “Bright Horses”, the first two tracks from Ghosteen, gave the much needed antidote to the revellers in the audience that had waited so long to hear them played live. Warren Ellis was crouched over his Korg keyboard and almost in a world of his own. Cave customarily looked to his muse almost for reassurance but there’s an empathic bond between them now. Ellis, Cave’s right hand man, has all but erased those halcyon days when Blixa was seen as Cave’s go to guy.

The irony of the opening lyrics are almost self-professed as Cave delivered “Once there was a song…. About the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll” – “With his Black Jelly hair, he crashed onto a stage in Vegas”. Strangely, no reference to Edinburgh as Cave had swapped the lyric the night before in Aberdeen. I took this as an early sign that the larger venue brought a different experience with his audience. Aberdeen, a much smaller venue did feel more intimate. The opening tracks from Ghosteen endeared the crowd to the Cave/Ellis mantra and they are hooked as the voracious nature of the applause acknowledges the musical direction Cave has taken. With the trilogy of albums, Push the Sky Away/Skeleton Tree/Ghosteen challenging their fan base, Carnage has tested their resolve even further.

The title track “Carnage”, from Cave’s latest album, elevated the intensity and musical delivery as the live drum kit hammered the song home. “White Elephant” saw Cave stare down the crowd for the first time and his menace reminded those who might have doubted his lyrical sabre has been replaced with a synthesiser.

The hypnotic title track of “Ghosteen” had the crowd mesmerised. The vocal harmonies brought an uplifting quality and led perfectly into another track from the latest album. There was a real reverence and beauty about “Lavender Fields”,  it gave the backing singers the chance to shine. The Church or Cult of Cave was in full flow as they sung “There is a Kingdom in the Sky”. Cave directed his choir and the congregation lauded his direction.

The rendition of “Waiting for You” was heart-wrenching. Cave’s vocal cords strained to deliver “Waiting for you…. To return”. The heartbreak continued with “I Need You” as Cave finished the song with the repetitive “Just Breathe, just breathe, just breathe….” 

Finally, Cave engaged with the audience as he thanked them and responded to the inevitable  banter and it brought some light relief from the gravity of the evening. Cave baited the audience to acknowledge his good friend Warren Ellis and Ellis threw his arms out as he blew kisses to the crowd.

There was a further break from the heart wrenching songs with the T. Rex classic, “Cosmic Dancer”. Up next was the Cave classic, “God is in the House”. It gave Warren Ellis the perfect platform to show why he is the perfect compliment to Cave and such an endearing character. His dexterity on the violin was applauded by the audience.

The red lighting and dramatic chanting hypnotic chorus of “Hand of God” brought out the drama and animation to Cave’s performance on stage. He rallied his choir into a frenzy. The main set closed with “Balcony Man”, the final track from “Carnage”. Cave playfully changed the lyric to “Balcony Girl” to acknowledge the screams of one excited fan The final message from Cave being “What doesn’t kill you just makes you crazier”. The crowd knew there was much more to come as the false horizon had not yet been reached.

As Cave and Ellis returned, the applause was rapturous, and the brief standing ovation subsided into seated wonder as the epic song “Hollywood” from Ghosteen begun with the throbbing rumble of the bass as it reverberated throughout the venue. Highlight of the evening, it was 15 minutes of pure musical indulgence.

The recognisable “Henry Lee” saw Nick duet with Janet Rasmus. Any memory of his duet with Polly Harvey had been replaced by the beautiful haunting rendition. Cave took the opportunity to acknowledge the applause and introduce his fellow musicians Johnny Hostile on Bass, Drums and Keys, backing singers Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole, Janet Rasmus and of course, the unmistakeable figure of Warren Ellis. The next song was introduced as being about Edinburgh, much to the elation surprise of the crowd, but of course, we were treated to “Albuquerque” from Carnage, still an uplifting moment but without the actual reference to the capital.

The audience stood up and demanded another encore. Cave was a solo figure when he returned and took pride of place at the piano. He begun to play the recognisable “Into my arms” and the crowd noise drowned out those opening bars. The evening ended with Cave singing “I am beside you, look for me” from the song “Ghosteen Speaks”. Cave and Co stood up and acknowledged the plaudits from the audience. A final curtain call to wave to the enthusiastic crowd. The carnage was over, back to the controlled chaos of leaving the venue but with the same feeling of euphoria. 

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis UK tour continues in Sept/Oct