Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Command Melbourne With Monumental Wild God Opening Night

The Wild God Tour opens its three night Melbourne stand with a transcendent homecoming performance beneath the city skyline at Alexandra Gardens

by Paul Cashmere

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds returned to Melbourne on Friday 30 January 2026 with a performance that felt both historic and immediate, opening the first of three shows at Alexandra Gardens as part of The Wild God tour. Framed by the city skyline and a near full moon, the night marked not just a homecoming, but a statement of intent for a band still evolving nearly five decades into its story.

The Wild God tour is built around the band’s 18th studio album Wild God, released in 2024, a record shaped by the formidable songwriting partnership of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. With Cave now in his late 60s, the material stands with confidence alongside his earliest work, underscoring a rare continuity of creative power. Of the album’s ten tracks, nine featured in the set, confirming the tour as a true showcase rather than a retrospective victory lap.

Opening with Frogs, Cave and the Bad Seeds established scale immediately. The song’s vast, rolling sound has drawn frequent comparison to late era David Bowie, and live it carried the momentum of something immense and unstoppable. Alexandra Gardens, more commonly associated with Melbourne’s annual Moomba festival, proved an inspired choice. To the best of current knowledge, the site has not previously hosted a concert of this scale, yet it handled the occasion with ease, offering space, atmosphere and a rare sense of occasion.

Support came from Aldous Harding, the New Zealand born singer songwriter whose career has grown steadily since her 2016 Flying Nun debut. Joined by bass clarinet, keyboards and later Kirin J Callinan on guitar, Harding delivered a restrained and quietly compelling set drawn largely from Warm Chris, setting a contemplative tone as the sun dipped behind the city.

When The Bad Seeds assembled on stage, the ensemble itself was striking. Alongside Cave and Ellis stood Jim Sclavunos, George Vjestica, Larry Mullins, Colin Greenwood and Carly Paradis, supported by a four piece gospel choir of Janet Ramus, T Jae Cole, Wendi Rose and Miça Townsend. Their collective presence lent the opening run of Wild God and Song of the Lake a ceremonial weight, heightened by Cave’s preacher like engagement with the crowd.

Cave was characteristically conversational between songs, his dark humour cutting through moments of intensity. A brief pause during Joy to address a medical emergency in the audience reinforced the sense of care and connection that underpins his relationship with fans. The show soon regained momentum through Carnage, the title track from Cave and Ellis’ 2021 collaboration, restoring focus and emotional balance.

Older material landed with undiminished force. From Her To Eternity bridged Cave’s early 1980s ferocity with his current grandeur, while Tupelo, introduced with its apocalyptic origin story tied to Elvis Presley’s birthplace, unfolded with biblical drama. Red Right Hand arrived as night fully settled over the Gardens, its ominous refrain echoing across the park as the audience joined in en masse.

As the main set closed with White Elephant, the emotional breadth of the performance became clear. The Bad Seeds remain capable of shifting from thunderous intensity to hushed intimacy without losing cohesion. That range has long defined the band, from Tender Prey through to Ghosteen, and continues to anchor their live identity.

The encore delivered moments of deep local resonance. O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is) honoured the late Anita Lane, a foundational figure in Melbourne’s post punk history and a former Bad Seed. The inclusion of Shivers, written by Rowland S Howard as a teenager and immortalised on Australian television via Countdown, was met with reverent recognition, a shared memory sung back to the stage.

Cave closed alone at the piano with Into My Arms, inviting the crowd into one final communal moment. It was a fitting conclusion to a night that affirmed Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds not only as one of Australia’s greatest musical exports, but as a living, responsive force whose relevance remains undiminished.

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Fremantle setlist 2026
Frogs (from Wild God, 2024)
Wild God (from Wild God, 2024)
Song of the Lake (from Wild God, 2024)
O Children (from Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, 2004)
Jubilee Street (from Push The Sky Away, 2013)
From Her to Eternity (from From Her To Eternity, 1984)
Long Dark Night (from Wild God, 2024)
Cinnamon Horses (from Wild God, 2024)
Tupelo (from The Firstborn Is Dead, 1985)
Conversion (from Wild God, 2024)
Bright Horses (from Ghosteen, 2019)
Joy (from Wild God, 2024)
I Need You (from Skeleton Tree, 2016)
Carnage (from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Carnage, 2021)
Final Rescue Attempt (from Wild God, 2024)
Red Right Hand (from Let Love In, 1994)
The Mercy Seat (from Tender Prey, 1988)
White Elephant (from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Carnage, 2021)

Encore:
O Wow O Wow (from Wild God, 2024)
Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry (from Henry’s Dream, 1992)
Shivers (Young Charlatans cover)
The Weeping Song (from The Good Son, 1990)
Henrey Lee (from Murder Ballads, 1996)
Into My Arms (from The Boatman’s Call, 1997)

Tour Dates
Saturday 17 January, Fremantle Park, Perth WA, Sold Out
Tuesday 20 January, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide SA
Friday 23 January, The Domain Sydney, Sydney NSW
Saturday 24 January, The Domain Sydney, Sydney NSW
Tuesday 27 January, RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane QLD
Friday 30 January, Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne VIC, Sold Out
Saturday 31 January, Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne VIC, Sold Out
Sunday 01 February, Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne VIC

Still to go:
Thursday 05 February, TSB Arena, Wellington Aotearoa New Zealand
Friday 06 February, TSB Arena, Wellington Aotearoa New Zealand, Sold Out

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Tagged as: Alexandra Gardens, Australian music, live review, Melbourne concerts, Nick Cave, The Bad Seeds, Wild God