Festival Review: All Points East // Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Victoria Park, August 2022
For the final day of All Points East 2022, the stage is set for the dark lord of poetic punk to make his return; the enigmatic raven of powerful writing, Australia originating, Brighton residing, it’s the turn of Nick Cave, and his Bad Seeds.
The individual day festivals, which have been running in East London’s Victoria Park over the last two weekends, have so far seen the likes of Gorillaz, Kraftwerk, and The National headline. The final Sunday hosts an array of talent throughout the day, before closing with a performative spectacle from an artist like no other.
Captivating writers being top priority today, South London’s Kae Tempest is as mesmerising as they come. Taking to the main stage, the rapper/poet/spoken word artist’s work is from the heart. Their latest album, The Line Is A Curve, produced by Dan Carey, drives the majority of the set, as a body of work which channels their recent journey with identity and the self, it’s a heartfelt, confident representation of the artist for who they truly are, and every ounce of this emotion comes out in their performance. As album opener “Priority Boredom” plays out with its synth-based beats – a sound which has become more prominent on this record – the sun beats down as the fierce words beat from Tempest’s chest. The set is a masterclass in gripping an audience – mixing heaving electronic beats with lyrics so poetic that you don’t want to miss a word, Tempest taps into pain, into love, and into raw emotion in a way that any being with a beating heart can relate to. In the moment they recite the magnificent “Grace”, a spoken-word piece that closes The Line Is A Curve, it feels as though London comes to a standstill around us. Silence grips every person lucky enough to share this moment, and you could hear a pin drop. The literal stunning performance is ended with “People’s Faces”, from The Book of Traps and Lessons; a song so moving and hopeful that it’s hard to put into words. As the lyrics and feeling hit home you see people in the crowd naturally move to hold each other – friends, loved ones, we all feel the same closeness, the human connection that Tempest speaks of so tenderly, and it’s impossible not to well up.
After that emotional bombardment we hit up the North Stage tent to catch the fierce fire of Jehnny Beth. The Savages frontwoman takes on a formidable role in her solo work. Through heavy EDM-laden rock, she translates important feminist messages into a slick and serious punk rave. With input from her backing vocalist and keyboardist, the effortlessly cool Malvina Meinier, and guitarist partner Johnny Hostile, the set is a wild spectacle for the early afternoon.
The ethereal soft space sounds of the legendary Spiritualized fill the air for a short time after, before a large majority of people head back to the East Stage for the latest Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood project, The Smile. With the recent release of their album A Light For Attracting Attention, it’s good to see the two of them still rocking out with feeling, and it actually looks like they’re really enjoying what they’re creating with this venture. Along with Greenwood’s interesting, experimentalist instrumentation, Yorke’s instantly recognisable vocals reverberate around the stage.
Over on the Ray Ban-sponsored West Stage, the impossible rich vocals of Michael Kiwanuka take over. Supported by supreme backing musicians and vocalists, there’s a whole new depth brought to the Mercury Prize-winning London folk-soul artist’s music. Perfect for a dazed dance in the sunset, tracks like “You Ain’t The Problem” and “Hero” are right at home in the festival setting.
On to the main attraction of the night, the cool slim man perpetually in a suit, Nick Cave himself is adored from the moment his pointed shoe hits the stage. Opening with energetic Abattoir Blues favourites “Get Ready For Love” and “There She Goes, My Beautiful World” he’s backed by singers that reach celestial hights to sound much like a gospel choir. Crowd engagement is a thing he does like no one else. Always having completely devoted disciples at the front of the crowd helps, and he gets right down to talk to individuals and make personal connections between each strutting song of his extensive career-spanning set.
As a long-time man of artistic range, songs like “From Her To Eternity” harken back to the band’s harshly punky roots, as a genre he hasn’t shied away from in his later years. In the first of many tender moments, “O Children” brings out the singing from the crowd, moved to “lift up [our] voice” to be one with the emotion presented onstage. The skilled performer only becomes more impressive when also showcasing his pianist capabilities, while still engaging the crowd, as on “Jubilee Street” he literally runs between the keys and front of stage to capture every moment of the song that he can. Throwing himself between his two loves, the piano and the audience, he’s an enthralling storyteller, and backed by the creative genius of Warren Ellis it’s no wonder their music has been constantly evolving yet has still kept up such a cult following. Along with other long-term members of the Bad Seeds they crash into the bluesier side of things with “Tupelo” from 1985 album The Firstborn Is Dead. The constant dialogue with the crowd makes you realise how down-to-earth the artist still is, despite the pedestal he’s held on by many, he’s regularly asking people if they’re okay, and he often has funny and sassy quips to reply to his adoring fans.
The now hugely famous Peaky Blinders theme, “Red Right Hand”, makes a massive impact with the crowd belting every vicious word back to him, while Tender Prey’s “The Mercy Seat” is a classic raucous Cave moment, before a beautiful pause with “The Ship Song”, a love song from the depths of a heart so explored. It’s a privilege to feel the love that resonates with this song, and it really is hard to grasp the range that this artist has.
For the encore, the most delicate love song ever written by a goth, “Into My Arms”, is another key moment in the day to hold your loved ones close. Their latest album makes one of few appearances with “Ghostseen Speaks”, but it’s no wonder when they’ve got such a deep pool of beloved material to dip into. Allowed to fit in one final song, they finish with the enigmatic track from 1990 album The Good Son, “The Weeping Song” and we get another great singalong.
It's been a day full to the brim with emotion, and with a headliner who stands the test of time and is still evolving after nearly 40 years, it’s felt like a very special performance to behold.
Words by Alice Jenner
Photography by Ant Adams
