NICK Cave paid tribute to Brighton as he headlined a major music festival in Spain.

A large picture of the West Pier was projected onto a screen during the singer’s performance at Primavera Festival in Barcelona.

The memorable moment occurred as Cave played his song Girl In Amber from 2016 album Skeleton Tree.

The show was described as “powerful” and “flawless” by festivalgoers.

One such onlooker was Dominic Smith from Brighton, a regular at Primavera.

He said the West Pier projection was proof of the influence Cave has taken from his hometown Brighton.

“The impact the city has had on his music was clear for all in Barcelona to see,” he said.

“It was clear just how much the city means to him that he chose to show this image at such a high-profile event and put it alongside a deeply personal song.”

In an interview with GQ Magazine last year, Cave said he was planning to leave Brighton for Los Angeles following the death of his son, Arthur, in 2015.

“Mostly, we just find it too difficult to live here,” he said.

“Everyone here has just been so great, and that’s in a way half the problem.

“When I go out in Brighton these days, there’s a sort of feeling that we’re all in this together.

“And it’s just a little bit too intense for me. It’s too many memories, really.

“We’ve really tried. But it’s just beyond us, in a way, to remain.”

Cave and his family have not relocated to America yet, and his Primavera set was a reminder of the ties that keep him in Brighton.

Mr Smith added he was proud to see the city represented at the festival.

“It was really fantastic to see the iconic image of our beautiful city take centre stage at this globally renowned event,” he said.

“As someone who has lived in Brighton for a long time, I felt proud to see our city up there.”

“There were a few English people in the crowd and I heard them pointing out and saying, ‘look it’s the West Pier’”.

Cave will perform at Victoria Park in London tomorrow at All Points East festival.