I love Nick Cave but had never seen him live before this gig. It was part of The Murder Ballads Tour, which is also one of my top two Nick Cave albums so was a fantastic way to experience my first Nick Cave gig. The gig was also notable for the very special guest appearance of Kylie Minogue who joined Nick onstage for “Where The Wild Roses Grow”. I have vague memories of PJ Harvey also joining him for a track – but that may have been another time I saw him.

Melissa, my girlfriend at the time, was a massive Nick Cave fan… moreso than I was at the time, and I really liked him so you can guess how much she did. We arrived at Brixton Academy on this sunny Thursday evening in time to see the support, Dirty Three – an Australian instrumental band consisting of Warren Ellis (who has collaborated with Nick Cave on a host of albums and movie/TV sountracks), Mick Turner and Jim White. I knew nothing of them at the time, although their 1996 album “Horse Stories” went on to be voted as one of the top three albums of the year by Rolling Stone magazine. I thought they were ok but they didn’t blow my socks off.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on the other hand left me sockless, so to speak. They were amazing and everything I’d hoped they’d be live. The set list was great, even though it left so many great songs out (which to be fair any normal length setlist would have to do for Nick Cave). The inclusion of Kylie for Where the Wild Roses Grow was fantastic, and very unexpected as I don’t think either of us thought she’d be appearing in a million years.

1. Stagger Lee
2. Loverman
3. Do You Love Me?
4. Red Right Hand
5. The Good Son
6. From Her to Eternity
7. Mercy
8. I Let Love In
9. Into My Arms
10. Black Hair
11. Where the Wild Roses Grow (with Kylie Minogue)
12. The Weeping Song
13. The Mercy Seat

Encore

14. The Willow Garden

15. Jack the Ripper

16. (Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For?

17.Thirsty Dog