Conversations with Nick Cave

Five stars

Brighton Dome, Friday, June 28

It’s not every day you get the chance to be up close and personal with your idols, but that’s how Nick Cave has been giving back to his fans.

You might have wondered whether you were in for a night of self-indulgent musing.

He began with a long monologue of prose in near darkness but went on to introduce the night as an open floor Q&A – and what he described as an exercise in intimacy that brought back the terror of performing that he has conquered.

He wants closer connections to his audience and it was already clear there was no self-indulgence to be found here.

During the straight three-hour set he took questions from the audience – encouraging them to be bold and challenging, and nothing was out of bounds.

His love of Brighton – which he says is “home” – came through in a lot of the discussions, even referencing a controversial headline The Argus had given him where he’d called Brighton a cultural desert.

He claimed he’d actually called it a cultural dessert – rich, creamy, sweet... to which the audience laughed out loud.

There were of course a fair amount of darker moments during the conversation especially when it came to his past and the grief he’s encountered.

He talked of his years of drink and drug use explaining how neither helped nor hindered his creativity, although towards the end of the abuse he found he was definitely creating less.

He openly and emotionally spoke about the death of his teenage son.

He sees these fan sessions as a form of group therapy and explained how the support he had received had saved him.

Brighton got a special treat when he agreed to play the Bad Seeds 15 Feet Of Pure White Snow after telling the audience he has never performed it before.

This had to be a singalong and he jokingly warned it might be a disaster.

It’s clear he cared about his responses to his audience, often saying “I’ll play that for you” when a question involved one of his beloved songs.

We saw a vulnerable side to this rock star and it was a privilege to hear him putting his personal side on display.

He’s given his fans what can only be described as a wonderfully unique experience.

Colette Orwell