I saw the great Nick Cave play Vicar Street on Saturday night. The full contingent of Bad Seeds didn't make it so the tone of the gig was dominated by the moody piano ballads that Cave has been turning out by the dozen for the last few years. Nick, sporting a new slimmed down streamline haircut (male pattern balding perhaps?), stayed behind the grand piano for the duration of the set while Warren Ellis danced like a dervish and turned out sounds from a fiddle rarely heard this side of a Les Paul. Highlights were the stunning version of 'God is in the House' and ' The Singer' - in tribute to Johnny Cash. A rendition of Fred Neil's 'Dolphins' was unexpected but the crowd were kept happy by favourites 'Into your Arms' and 'The Mercy Seat' (an ultra laid back version at that). A satisfactory gig, although I was disappointed that he didn't roll out 'Babe I'm on fire' - a song that surely was written to be played live as a concert encore.