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NEWS THAT CELEBRATES THE GODS
Patricia loves you even more than her own creations.
This newsletter is dedicated to the passage of Hurricane Cave, which struck the Accor Arena on November 17. I apologize in advance because this mass was held only in Paris. But it must be understood. Nick is 67 years old and cannot reasonably stop in every city in France to deliver his message. The world is his playground, and this world must have the chance to see him in the flesh without requiring Cave to endure overly lengthy tours.
And yet, it was daunting to see him take on a venue as vast as Bercy. 18,000 souls to sway, held captive by the tip of his microphone and his O'Cedar-like antics. It took him only a few seconds for his audience to grasp the magnitude of what was to unfold over the next three hours.
Nick Cave is quite simply the greatest living performer I’ve ever seen on stage. Probably the greatest songwriter as well. A year earlier, I had seen the Arctic Monkeys in the same venue, and they had left me rather bored. These guys should take a stage internship with Cave to feed off the fury of their elder, his immense generosity, and his joy in doing his job.
While they seem to trudge along with little enthusiasm, heart, or purpose other than promoting their latest record, hoping to generate streams and sell some merch at the exit, Nick Cave is driven by a mission: to transcend his audience and give them an unforgettable experience. To remind everyone that an artist must give their all on stage. That’s the pact he signed for the privilege — and audacity — of presenting himself to an audience.
Nick Cave has many assets, each more remarkable than the last. But his most radiant quality, unlike other bands and singers stuck in a repetitive loop, is his ability to renew his discography and seamlessly incorporate new songs into the concert setlist. He can do this because his new songs are wildly powerful.
I recall, for example, the last Phoenix concert at the Olympia. As good as it was, the shadow of Wolfgang Amadeus loomed large over the audience’s desire and excitement, and most of the time, they just lined up its tracks without much surprise. The same goes for Arcade Fire, who ended their Parisian set with Wake Up. All of this is just an admission of weakness, showing that artists are and make themselves prisoners of their own mythology. This is not the case for Cave. He unfolds his past, present, and sometimes future repertoire without fear of losing his audience. Cave is confident, and that is precisely why he amazes us.
