Another storming night from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and another gig for which I have far too few memories.

In an unusual turn of events for my late 30-something self, I actually made it to two gigs in a month in October 2013! Having thrilled to Alison Moyet less than a fortnight earlier, here I was once again to witness Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Hammersmith Apollo (as evidenced by my ticket, not quite yet re-christened as “Eventim” Apollo). This was the site of my two incredible Bad Seeds shows a decade earlier, so no doubt it was another brilliant night. However, you will know the drill by now. This is all I wrote in my diary:

‘Dinner at a Japanese restaurant then back to the Apollo for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds! Who were amazing.’

Eight long years had passed since I’d most recently seen Nick, at Alexandra Palace in 2005 with my Glam Best Friend, and this gig in 2013 was another night out with her. What I can remember of it is that we stood near the back of the heaving, sweltering throng, and it was a gig full of the power and intensity that you would always expect from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The band were touring their latest album “Push The Sky Away”, and what I heard of it sounded incredible, though I was still not far enough out of my 30-something musical apathy to have actually bought a copy and listened all the way through.

Other memories of note from this night: It was the last gig – so far! – that Glam Best Friend and I would attend together, although at our recent, extremely-long-overdue catch up we made tentative plans to head out gigging together once again in the not too distant future. Also, the smartphone era had arrived, and so from now on these posts will be adorned with dodgy early iPhone pics! Here is my stunning photographual evidence from this night:

Amazing.

The good news is, the next time I saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I would be fully into my 40-something midlife-crisis gig-crazed mode, and I have a full report of their 2017 show at the O2 to share with you as gig no.146, coming soon! (Well, soon-ish.)