The support by Ed Kuepper and Jeffrey Wegener was really bad. It sounded like a jam without any direction or melodies. In all honesty the sound quality didn't do much to help them either.
KB-Hallen is normally not the worst sounding sports-arena in Copenhagen, but it did have some negative impact on Nick Cave's sound. It was however never hiding the fact that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds played one hell of a rock'n'roll show. Nick Cave is always the warrior in black dancing around like a mad man while singing, shouting and spitting his many words out. This time it was however with much more focus on rock'n'roll and guitars than it has been in recent years. Not one but TWO drummers (Yes!!) ensured a massive and very loud sound, and Warren Ellis is always one hell of a fantastic lunatic to listen to and observe, while he tries to kill his many weird instruments.
We had a lot of songs from the very good new album and most of them were just as good or quite often better than the album versions. Most impressive was We Call Upon The Author with a thunderous killer bass that quite literally kicked you in the stomach. Some people may have been complaining that it was too loud, but you will never hear me do that. Rock'n'roll was designed to be played at a ludicrous volume. It's as simple as that.
We also had great versions of two of my other favorites from the Dig, Larry, Dig!!! album: Lie Down Here(& Be My Girl) and Moonland. Also worth mentioning in the main set was a really good Tupelo a blasting Deanna and the all-time classic Red Right Hand. Nick Cave insisted on only playing The Mercy Seat once even though some dude did his best to try and make him repeat it. Great fun.
After a short break we had the first encore with 6 songs where Get Ready for Love was still excellent, although not quite as good as it was complete with gospel choir in 2004, where Stagger Lee will always be the coolest western song ever written and obviously a total crowd favorite, and then we had the fantastic surprise of hearing Lovely Creature, although the band sounded a bit unsure if they could really play it. Luckily they did and it was really cool and a highlight for me.
Actually we had expected the show to end after Stagger Lee judging from other setlists, but hell no it didn't. The boys came in for a second encore opening with a piano classic Into My Arms, and then we had two more songs before The Bad Seeds said their final goodnight.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds played a really great gig despite that they had some odds against them: Monday is never a great concert day in Copenhagen and Copenhagen's sports-arenas aren't really built for loud rock music. The band simply didn't care and rocked like hell. I would have loved a few songs from Grinderman which we didn't get, and to be honest I have seen a few gigs by Nick Cave that were even better than this one. But all in all it was well great enough to deserve their 5 stars out of 6, and I hope to see them again many times. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a live band that always deliver full value for your money.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds played a main set of 1h20 and 2 encores (0h30 and 0h15). Making it a total of appx. 2h05 effective playing time.
Rating: 
Band: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Venue: KB-Hallen, Copenhagen, DK
Concert Date: 2008-05-19
Support Band: Ed Kuepper & Jeffrey Wegener
Setlist:
- Night of the Lotus Eaters,
- Dig Lazarus Dig!!!,
- Tupelo,
- Today’s Lesson,
- Red Right Hand,
- Midnight Man,
- The Mercy Seat,
- Jesus of the Moon,
- Deanna,
- Lie Down Here(& Be My Girl),
- Moonland,
- The Ship Song,
- We Call Upon The Author,
- Papa Won’t Leave You Henry,
- More News from Nowhere
Encore:
Encore 1:
- The Lyre of Orpheus,
- Get Ready for Love,
- Hard On for Love,
- Your Funeral…My Trial,
- Lovely Creature,
- Stagger Lee
Encore 2:
- Into My Arms,
- Wanted Man,
- Nobody’s Baby Now
Ticket Price (DKK): 495
Ticket Provider: Billetlugen
Content Type: Concert Review
Language: 
Updated: 2008-05-20 18:56
Created: 2008-05-19 15:11
