There was never any real doubt that Nick Cave and his Grindermen would deliver at this gig. It was their second gig in Denmark (I missed their first at Roskilde Festival 2008) so I hadn't seen them live before, but given the wildness of especially their first album and the intensity and live madness of especially Cave and Warren Ellis then it had to explode live.
They didn't disappoint. I've rarely seen Cave this determined and powered up. The man was mental. Ellis is always mental so that was hardly a surprise. Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos are deadly tight on bass and drums and ensured that the rock train didn't fall off the tracks.
Most of the songs from the first album exploded live like Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars) that fucking hit you in the face with an axe. No Pussy Blues was way better than on record and even a slower and more quiet track like Man in the Moon worked well in the mix. The songs from the new album (that I'm not the biggest fan of) also worked very well live. Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man, Worm Tamer and Heathen Child were all excellently performed.
Maybe I was a bit exhausted near the end (even if the gig only lasted for 1 and a half hour of high energy rock'n'roll assault). But I think Love Bomb lacked a bit of punch compared to the excellent album version and last song Grinderman never really moved me.
Apart from a few old sad reviewers I don't think most of the crowd gave a fuck that they didn't play any Bad Seeds tracks (apart from Palaces of Montezuma that sounds exactly like a Bad Seeds song.) The audience was fully able to understand and enjoy the fact that this was a kick ass rock'n'roll gig by Grinderman and not a gig by The Bad Seeds. It was mad, bad and dangerous and quite an experience to witness.
Rating: 
Band: Grinderman
Venue: Falconersalen, Copenhagen, DK
Concert Date: 2010-10-23
Setlist:
- Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man,
- Worm Tamer,
- Get It On,
- Heathen Child,
- Evil,
- When My Baby Comes,
- What I Know,
- Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars),
- Kitchenette,
- No Pussy Blues,
- Bellringer Blues,
- Palaces of Montezuma,
- When My Love Comes Down,
- Man in the Moon,
- Love Bomb,
- Grinderman.
Ticket Price (DKK): 420
Ticket Provider: Billetlugen
Content Type: Concert Review
Language: 
Updated: 2010-10-26 22:12
Created: 2010-10-19 21:53
