Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Live God (PIAS) (13th Floor Album Review)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds return with Live God, an album that captures the communal energy of the acclaimed Wild God Tour.
Across 18 tracks, late career Cave has offered with this tour what he termed “an antidote to despair” as he transforms arenas into houses of worship. Some live records feel like souvenirs but this one sounds more like a testament to the immersive experience of live concerts.
Live God documents the 2024-2025 tour performances across UK, Europe and North America. This period follows Cave’s ongoing evolution from growly gothic showman to gospel-tinged homilist. The tour showcases 2024’s studio album Wild God, which demonstrated a shift toward more light and transcendental themes, building on the 2022 book Faith Hope and Carnage, Cave co-authored with Terry O’Hagan.
Despite Cave’s reputation for meticulous craftsmanship, Live God avoids the temptation to over polish; the production preserves the raw emotion and immediacy of his live shows without sacrificing listenability.
The setlist itself creates a storyline. Frogs leads off with the now classic narrative structure and choral backing then Wild God lifts that approach to the next level building with an affirming climax.
Midway, the pace softens into a reflective core— Conversion, Bright Horses, Joy, I Need You—where Cave takes a conversational tone and the band lets space do the talking. The final movement- White Elephant, Oh Wow Oh Wow (How Wonderful She is), the always stunning Into My Arms and closer As the Waters Cover the Sea—lands like a hymn and an acclamation.
There’s thought applied in the way Cave threads a selection of fan favorites through the newer material. Oh Children feels like a very natural choice, From Her to Eternity and Tupelo bring Old Testament thunder, Red Right Hand remains a scene stealer, live staple Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry still drives, I Need You is a deep emotional excursion and Into My Arms has emerged as the signature song we will remember him by. Set against the ecstatic tilt of Wild God, these songs feel less like throwbacks and more like old friends invited to share in a special occasion.
Thematically, Live God radiates hope and resilience. Recent songs embrace life’s ecstatic chaos in contrast to the darker themes captured in earlier material. Cave’s lyrical arc feels like a pilgrimage- from the darkness of From Her to Eternity to the consoling grace of As The Waters Cover The Sea. It’s a song sequence that balances drama with poise, and it holds together because the band plays like they personally believe.
The musicianship of course is superb. Long time collaborator, Warren Ellis moves between ethereal shimmer and feral scrape. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood’s bass is a dark river underfoot. Jim Sclavunos and the rhythm section keep the pulse taut and supportive. The gospel-infused vocal textures lift choruses into the rafters and lend Cave’s sermons a communal gravitas. It’s not just a band performing – it’s an assembly of shared experience. Cave’s voice oscillates between preacher-like fervor and tender vulnerability, and his piano work underpins everything, an artist in full command of his craft.
Live God documents Cave’s ongoing journey towards performances that can hold both darkness and exaltation. For those of us who first discovered Cave the Punk in the late 1970’s it has been quite a ride. “An antidote to despair” sounds like something compelling to behold and this record reflects that the Wild God Tour probably delivered its share of transformational audience experiences.
Live God is more than a souvenir live album – it’s a invitation to share in Cave’s ongoing emotional evolution. It captures a band in top form, embracing energy while maintaining their trademark intensity. For long-time fans, it’s a triumphant reaffirmation and for any newcomers it would be a very accessible initiation.
John Hastings
Live God is released Friday, November 5th via PIAS
