Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds performed at Big Day Out twice, once in 1993 and the other in 1996. The former of the two performances came just after the release of their seventh studio album, Henry’s Dream, which saw the band pivot towards a harder rock sound.
Their 1996 appearance came a good 18 months after the release of their follow-up record, Let Love In, which remains one of the band’s most popular releases. As a result, punters were salivating at the prospect of seeing Cave and his Bad Seeds on the Big Day Out stage – one that also welcomed the likes of Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney and Beasts of Bourbon.
To the glee of all of us tucked away in self-isolation, Double J have released the audio of the set via Live At The Wireless. The performance was unforgettable, featuring resounding renditions of the tracks ‘Mercy’, ‘Loverman’, ‘Red Right Hand’ and ‘The Weeping Song’.
It also featured one of the most iconic duets to come together on one stage – Kylie Minogue joined Cave at about the halfway mark of the set. The two would go on to perform ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’, the lead single from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ ninth album, Murder Ballads, which was released just a few weeks later. Check out the live video of the performance below:
Listen to Nick Cave’s 1996 Live At The Wireless via Double J today. A version of this article originally appeared in Beat Magazine.
