Nick Cave @ The AO Arena, Manchester

Sometimes you get dragged along to a gig, feeling nonplussed about it all, only to be completely floored. That’s exactly what happened to me with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the AO Arena in Manchester (November 5, if you need the date for your diary).

Despite having seen over 3,600 bands in my time, I was completely overwhelmed by this one. It wasn't just a concert; it was an event—an experience so intense it was almost biblical. Mindblowingly incredible, and instantly secured a spot in my top ten of all time. It's genuinely hard to find the words to do it justice.

I was told by a friend to make sure I got a good spot on the floor and close to the front. Now I know why. The intensity up close was something else.

Cave himself works the room like a demented maestro or a magnetic proselytiser. Pacing up and down his altar, he spent most of the two-and-a-half-hour show leaning right down to the audience. He clasped hands, sang directly into upturned faces, and created this electric, spiritual connection with hundreds of people simultaneously. As the reviews said, he was the "living, live-wire conduit" between the band and the audience.

The sheer range of the performance was stunning. On one hand, you had moments of fury and fervent conviction—the band hitting an ear-splitting crescendo on tracks like "Jubilee Street" or a furious, relentless rendition of "The Mercy Seat." These louder moments provided the cathartic, almost primal energy you expect from a rock titan.

But then, he'd pivot. Sitting alone at the piano for songs like "Into My Arms" or "I Need You," the show stripped back to a devastating, deeply personal emotional depth. You could feel the collective catch of breath in the massive arena. It was pure tenderness, and it genuinely left people visually moved.

And the band? The Bad Seeds were phenomenal. Warren Ellis, looking like a true force of nature, contorted into a kind of ecstatic rapture on the violin and electronics, constantly elevating the material.

The whole thing was a powerful voyage, balancing chaos with profound moments of grace. I went in lukewarm, and I left knowing I had witnessed something truly special—a masterpiece of performance art that transcended the simple concept of a "gig." You simply have to see it to believe it.

Oh... and I bumped into this geezer...