I've started to forget how many Nick Cave gigs I've been to - Nick Cave live at the Glasgow Hydro

If you are ever lucky enough to have a chance to see nick cave play a live show, grab it.  He's a great performer and with any band, or solo, he always delivers.  He's always got the goods.

I'm a pretty fortunate guy and I've now seen Cave so many times that I even forget entire shows.  I first saw him in 1998, at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh festival.  It was him and a piano, reading some stuff from his introduction to the Bible.  He played a couple of songs he had 'just written' (Into my arms and love letter) before they were recorded and I think someone also played some violin.  I don't really remember.  It was long ago.

I first heard Nick Cave as the singer for the Birthday Party.  A free cassette tape came with an issue of Vox magazine and it contained a bunch of Peel sessions including Big-Jesus-Trash-Can and I was hooked by the swampy, drunken Jesus Lizard like noise.  A few years later a friend played me Murder Ballads and I was hooked.

Since then I saw Nick Cave with the Bad Seeds in the Glasgow academy (2004 and 2008), at the Barrowlands (2013) and in a solo show (that had completely escaped my memory) in 2015.  Every single show has been a cracker.  Ever show has been different but similar.

The Hydro is the biggest gig that he has played in Glasgow.  He opened with a few newer songs from the Skeleton Key album that I own but have yet to listen to.  We then got Higgs Boson Blues, From Her to Eternity and Tupelo.  The band were loud and aggressive.  Tight but with a loose feel.  Cave was having fun, laughing with the audience, jumping into the crowd and being an excellent master of ceremonies.

Into my arms remains a personal favourite and he played a beautiful version with the crowd singing along.  On another new song a 40 foot projection of a female singer appeared above the stage to take the lead vocals.  It was a bit of a U2 moment but it worked in the Hydro.  They also played a nice version of the Mercy Seat.  I have a Mercy Seat tea towel.  It is a personal favourite.

In true Bad Seeds fashion the encore included Stagger Lee which featured about 40 audience members dancing on stage along with the Weeping Song and Push the Sky away.

My ears are still ringing. Nick Cave is 60 but he is still one of the best front men out there.  Brilliant band and I really hope to see them again.  If this is stadium rock I can live with it.