April 26th, 2025 – In support of an incredible new album, Wild God, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds rolled into Philadelphia for a sold-out performance at The Met. Forty-two years after their formation, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds sound more vital than ever. In many ways, it seems as if they’re just hitting their stride.
Photos + Review by Steve Cerf ( @stevecerf )
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds hit the stage with a roar of applause and cheers. Cave came out to fan frenzy and started playing immediately. They began with a trio from their latest creation, Wild God. “Frogs,” the high-energy, wild, and dark song about the end of the world, opened the show. Then right into the title track, “Wild God.” This powerful and spiritual composition about giving in to life’s wild side kept the crowd on its feet. “Song of the Lake,” with its dreamy lyrics dealing with memory and deep emotion, was a perfect change of pace. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are capable of overwhelming sensitivity and such dark, murky grit.
His performance at The Met fired up his faithful flock. Nick Cave repeatedly leaned into the crowd, pointing his finger and grabbing the hands of his followers like a maddened evangelist. Stabbing his fingers at his apostles in the front row, dressed in a tailored black suit, white shirt, and contrasting designer tie, he looked like a Southern Baptist preacher. It was a fire and brimstone performance by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
Apocalyptic and divine metaphors are the eucharist and wine that Cave has you hypnotically watch him dance, jump, and wail on stage. He is a preacher come to save us from our own damnation — but embedding a few depravities while he’s at it.
It’s great to find a 40-year-old band that can still evolve and maintain certain elements of their earliest work. His voice is as clear as ever. He got older but retained his cool. He shows no signs of slacking energy or creativity. In fact, he is on a hot streak with the release of Wild God. At 67, he proves that music is not a young man’s game.
The dynamism of his charismatic personality, the talented band behind him, and the quality of his music make you realize he is the real thing. It’s brilliant to see the interaction between him and the band — many of whom have been together for over 30+ years. Nick Cave is a very extreme and magnetic performer with lots of energy and clear solidarity with The Bad Seeds.
It was a fantastic performance. Sweaty, loud, and diverse. And it let a sold-out crowd be baptized by his music. He can shift so effortlessly from control to mayhem. His ability to translate grief and sorrow into well-put narratives is unequaled. Mixing the sacred and irreverent to exemplify new meaning with a punch. Unrelenting. Cave remains as magnetic on stage as ever.
I was a late bloomer to Nick Cave’s cult, but after his powerful performance – I am now a disciple.
