I saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the first time in 2013 when they played a show at Strathmore Hall. I believe they were on tour in support of Push the Sky Away. Strathmore Hall is probably one of the best places to hear live music; the acoustics are amazing and there's no bad seat. It's more of a classical venue, but rock bands are always on the schedule so it wasn't crazy for the band to play there, but it wasn't normal either. I've also seen The Decemberists and Weird Al there. My favorite memory of seeing Nick Cave at Strathmore was overhearing the house manager's preshow speech to the ushers. Ushers at Strathmore are mostly retirees, so the average age is probably 70. He told them to wear their ear plugs since the show was going to be much louder than they're used to and to be prepared for lots of profanity. I had to hide my giggles, and remember an usher near my seat storming out during "Stagger Lee," and not coming back for the rest of the show.
If you don't know Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, well, you probably do, but maybe don't know you do. Their music has been featured on lots of soundtracks since the 1990s, most notably the original Scream, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part I, and Peaky Blinders. You may have seen them perform "Into My Arms" at Michael Hutchence's funeral. I would highly recommend checking out their music if you're looking for something new to listen to. My favorite albums are The Boatman's Call, Push the Sky Away, and Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. One of my favorite songs is "The Ship Song," which feels very appropriate for this month's theme.
I was thinking about the Strathmore show last night as I watched the movie 20,000 Days on Earth. The movie came out in 2014, but was made while Push the Sky Away was being recorded. It's a fictional take on Nick Cave's 20,000the day on Earth. There's a mix of performance footage, studio sessions, interviews (sort of), and Nick driving other people around in his car. Kylie Minogue, Australia's national treasure, makes an appearance as well. She was featured on the band's album Murder Ballads, and I'm pretty sure her fans still haven't figured that one out. The movie strange and fun and sad. Basically, it's Nick Cave. I randomly found it on Hulu, and I'm glad I did. Thanks, Hulu.
What made me think of the Strathmore show was the concert footage included in the movie. I've seen the band twice, and it wasn't until watching this movie that I realized Nick Cave is Goth Elvis. He's so mesmerizing to watch, and he has a very specific style and delivery, much like Elvis did. A lot of the band's music is dark and moody and incredibly poetic. Cave always wears a suit and a tailored shirt open at the neck. His dark hair is styled just so, and the way he connects with the audience, particularly the front few rows reminds me of concert footage of Elvis.
Anyway, there were a lot of really great quotes in the movie, and the theme of creativity and the creative process is the best part of the movie (and also Warren Ellis because he's wild and amazing). There's also a funny story about Nick Cave meeting Nina Simone for the first time that is true. Even if you're not a fan of the band, I would highly recommend the movie if you like music and learning about how artists work. Today's piece isn't my favorite quote, but it's the one that hit me the most. I had one of those weeks were I felt like I sucked at stuff, particularly at work. I really don't suck, but we all have our days. This quote made me feel better.
Details:
Stitches: back stitches
Thread palette: DMC 310, 3794 (2 strands)
Comments
Post a Comment