Nick Cave – Hammersmith Apollo, London 07/05/08

09 May 2008, 13:22 | Written by Ama Chana

(Live)

“You cunts… You fucking London cunts…” Nick Cave spits in retaliation to the baiting single clapping of the crowd, egging the band to play a song. It’s all in good fun though. The crowd just want the music to keep flowing. The band have been halted in their tracks half way through their first encore. There’s a sharp clicking noise buzzing and it’s really peeving off fellow Badseed cohort Warren Ellis. The techies can’t seem to find the root of the problem, but not to worry, they’ll just carry on rocking the hell out of the crowd, relentlessly in the Apollo.

Before this annoying intrusion, it was going so well. Promoting his impressive 14th studio album Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!, Cave took to the stage as his band of Badseeds had already begun the opening bars of ‘Night of the Lotus Eater’, which set the tone for the obstinate garage-rock kick start they were going to unleash this evening, fuelled with filthy riffs and jovial contempt and disdain. The cry of “Get ready to shoot yourself!” never sounded so good. It’s no surprise really, given Cave’s recent excitement with Grinderman that he’s encompasses himself with more and more these edgy, raw and rudimentary sounds. He rips through ‘Midnight Man’ and ‘Today’s Lesson’, both songs which emphasis the rallying cry for people to get together and get down with the infectiously catchy lines of “Everybodies coming around to place!” and “We’re gonna have a real cool time!” respectively.

Later he would perform the darkly sinister fan favourite ‘Red Right Hand’ and you realise that throughout the performance, Cave is as animate as you could imagine this music making you, strutting in front of the audience, throwing a shape and gesturing to crowd. He almost could pass off as elegant version of Angus from Liars and if you squint your eyes you could almost see a less insane Iggy Pop pacing from one end to the stage to the other. Maybe.

The Dirty Three’s Warren Ellis, Cave’s Grinderman and film soundtrack composer partner (See: ‘The Proposition’ and ‘The Assassination of Jesse James’) provides the essential brutal feedback and boisterous effect-ridden noise as he plays violin, mandocaster, flute and hell, even the pedal loops which add those vital elements to the songs by adding that extra dimension. Evidence of this is notable in my personal highlight of the evening, the witty and raunchy version of ‘Lie Down Here (And Be My Girl)’. It sounds so physical and confrontational with its throbbing rhythms and primitive choruses, and I confess, I can’t help but let myself go to the wave of the fervent and passionately adoring fans.

[Download Nick Cave - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!]