Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Nick Cave, Awal Recordings 2020.
This is the final review of recordings done by Nick Cave during the COVID lockdown period.
In 2020 Nick Cave performed a live concert at Alexandra Palace in London which was filmed and streamed globally to ticket holders in July 2020.
The cinematography was done by Irish film maker Robbie Ryan and, although it was originally envisioned to be a one-off event, Idiot Prayer was released in extended version in cinemas, and as a live album, in November 2020.
The film is the final episode of a trilogy of films that includes 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), and One More Time With Feeling (2016).
The film and album evolved out of a stripped-down tour, Conversations, that Cave undertook in 2019 where he performed bare bones versions of his songs with just piano backing.
Once COVID took hold he decided to turn the Conversations material into a live-streamed performance.
He approached Robbie Ryan who had done the cinematography for his two previous films and the project took shape.
In many ways I like most of these raw versions of his songs better than the original Bad Seeds versions because it places more emphasis on his remarkable lyrics.
The performance was recorded in one take with two cameras and there was no director so Nick Cave and Robbie Ryan in effect directed the filming through the editing process.
Because the whole thing was done in one take, with no overdubs or re-runs, we get a warts and all experience including a bum piano note that has Cave laughing at the end of the song.
The album and film reveal what a mesmerising performer Nick Cave is.
He holds us spell-bound by the power of his simple but effective piano playing, wonderful baritone voice, incredible songs, and hypnotic personality.
He truly is a living treasure.
