Nick Cave’s performance at Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica ignited extraordinary scenes last night, with balconies erupting in waves, the entire audience dancing on its feet, and fans ultimately storming the stage – triggering significant security concerns. Security personnel maintained calm control throughout the unprecedented fervor. The concert, part of the Roma Summer Fest, repeats tonight.
Despite the chaotic energy, the core of the event centered on the intimate intensity of the Australian artist’s music. Cave appeared accompanied solely by Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, his collaborator since 2022. This minimalist approach proved potent; performing without his longtime Bad Seeds band but with Greenwood’s bass, Cave achieved heightened poeticism – a remarkable feat for an artist whose profoundly original songs are already steeped in personal tragedy. The sold-out audience responded overwhelmingly.
The concert unfolded as a continuous, increasingly emotional dialogue between Cave, seated at a solitary grand piano on an otherwise stark black stage, and the crowd. Dressed in his signature all-black suit, white shirt, and black tie, with raven-black hair, Cave was unusually conversational. He drew from his latest album, the Grammy-nominated “Wild God” (their 18th studio work), and classic tracks like the chilling finale, “Into My Arms,” which prompted a triple encore sung by the entire standing audience.
Cave, 67, shared reflections on his life and inspiration, from an Australian childhood devoid of appealing music. He revealed the personal story behind “I Need You”: “I wrote this song for my wife… I never compose thinking of people, but of moments, ideas, and circumstances I want to share and tell, because I need to talk about something. But this one I wrote for her, intending it as a gift during a difficult time.” The song honors Susie Bick, mother of his twin sons, one of whom died aged 15 in 2015. Cave also lost another of his four sons at age 31.
Discussing “Skeleton Tree,” Cave noted, “I wrote it in a dark moment, but it’s an incredibly sweet song, and the darkness stayed outside.” He described “Push the Sky Away” as embodying “absolute sweetness.” Conversely, tracks like “Balcony Man,” “Cosmic Dancer,” “Papa Won’t Leave,” “Girl in Amber,” and “Ship Song” ignited the audience, driving the balconies to their feet during the nearly two-and-a-half-hour landmark performance.
The concert repeats tonight.
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