London Alexandra Palace
Even when fronting the post-punk car smash that was The Birthday Party in the early 80s, Nick Cave was always a cut above his peers. Back then it was violence and a sonic intensity that transcended performance, music and art to become a whole new entity. Fast-forward through the decades and Cave has extended beyond his core constituency to add author, scriptwriter, actor and film score composer to an ever-growing CV. But it’s arguably in the last decade that he has escaped the gravitational pull of convention and set an agenda purely on his own terms.
Cutting through the white noise of social media, his online Red Hand Files have seen Cave communicating directly with his fans as he deals with the weightier matters of the day. You want to know about God, relationship issues and grief? Then go ask Nick. Likewise his Conversations With Nick Cave shows saw him straddling gigs and confessionals to deliver performances of raw intensity, while expanding his cross-generational fan base and filling arenas the world over.