Nick Cave, The Playhouse, Edinburgh

No support act tonight for Nick Cave In Concert at Edinburgh’s Playhouse (Scotland’s ‘Broadway’ apparently, a whole street of theatres in one) so the near-capacity crowd were aware from the off that they’d be getting a lot of the man himself.

Taking to the stage a little after 8pm Cave & band (including regular cohort Warren Ellis) received a rapturous welcome from the clearly hardcore audience and with little in the way of fanfare started in to a set peppered with songs from throughout his career. Stretching from Leonard Cohen’s ‘Avalanche’, from the first Bad Seeds album, through to Push The Sky Away's ‘We Know Who U R’ via ‘The Lyre Of Orpheus’, ‘Mercy Seat’, ‘Jubilee Street’, Brompton Oratory’ and plenty more both well known & less frequently played. All of this was gratefully lapped up by the eager fans.

Although sat behind his piano for the greater part of the set Cave ventured out to the front of the stage for a few numbers and pressed the flesh with some of those lucky enough to be in the front row. Warren Ellis managed to deliver some pretty fiery fiddle and guitar work whilst remaining seated for the entire gig. Anyone expecting to witness the Nick & Warren show, as seen in the recent bio-pic 20,000 Days On Earth, was though set to be disappointed. Indeed banter of any sort was at a minimum – a recurring joke about someone in the front row being scared of Cave’s shoes, an “I’m Spartacus” moment when a number of fans claimed a dedication and amusing absent mindedness when it came to song choices were about your lot. This was Cave the performer stripped back to the essentials, rather than the raconteur version.

Two encores were performed so there was ample time to include ‘Breathless’, ‘No More Shall We Part’, ‘God Is In The House’, ‘Jack The Ripper’ and ‘People Ain’t No Good’ before the well satisfied throng was disgorged on to Leith Walk and back into the unseasonably chilly night. 

Further photographs from the show can be found here.