Nick Cave in concert at the Philharmonie de Paris: we were there, we tell you all about it

Published by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Photos by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Updated on July 7, 2025 at 12:31 a.m. · Published on July 6, 2025 at 12:31 a.m.
Deeply moving, gripping and overwhelming. This Saturday, July 5, 2025, Nick Cave was at the Philharmonie de Paris for the first of his two Paris concerts as part of the Days Off festival. Accompanied on stage by bassist Colin Greenwood, the iconic Nick Cave enchanted the entire Salle Pierre Boulez with his singular voice and a setlist that showcased the full breadth of his rich career. We were there and tell you all about it.

After the Salle Pleyel in October 2021, with his long-time sidekick Warren Ellis, Rock en Seine in 2022 and his explosive concert at theAccor Arena in November 2024, Nick Cave returned to the capital as part of the Days Off festival. The summer event, which in recent days has also seen the likes of Beth Gibbons, Draga, Kae Tempest and Block Party perform at the Philharmonie de Paris, welcomed Nick Cave for two exceptional, sold-out concerts on Saturday July 5 and Sunday July 6, 2025. We attended the first of these two Paris shows. We tell you all about this sensational concert.

At 8.05pm sharp, and without an opening act, Nick Cave took to the stage in the beautiful Salle Pierre Boulez at the Philharmonie de Paris. Before settling down behind his piano, Nick Cave takes a few seconds to greet the entire audience. This time, there's no performance with his bandmates from The Bad Seeds. Instead, a much more intimate solo tour, similar to what the artist had already offered in selected cities such as Reykjavík, Helsinki, Melbourne and New York.

However, for this new solo tour, Nick Cave has not come alone and has chosen to surround himself with the talented bassist Colin Greenwood, legendary member of Radiohead. As always, the dandy Nick Cave takes great care with his look. White shirt, tie, dark suit with short pants revealing his white socks.

Nick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconte

Alongside Colin Greenwood, who is also well-dressed, Nick Cave kicks off his 2 hour 15 minute set with the sublime " Girl in Amber ", and the always talkative Australian quickly takes to the stage to defend and explain this new tour. After a North American tour with The Bad Seeds, Nick Cave decided to continue the adventure, but accompanied only by Colin Greenwood, in order to offer more minimalist concerts and return to the very essence of each song, all with an ultra-pure stage design. On stage, the light is static, illuminating only the two musicians facing each other.

The two acolytes then take their places to perform the unmissable " Higgs Boson Blues " and " Jesus of the Moon ". It soon becomes clear that these re-orchestrations and Nick Cave 's distinctive voice will move us throughout the set. It's beautiful, spellbinding and incredibly moving.

Sitting behind his piano, Nick Cave doesn't hesitate to look repeatedly at his audience, deeply silent during each track, before exploding and expressing his joy at the end of each song.

The formidable musical journey through the singer and musician's impressive repertoire continues with several must-have tracks, such as " O Children ", written while watching his children play in the sandbox, " Galleon Ship " dedicated to his wife on the side of the stage, the phenomenal " Papa Won't Leave You, Henry ", written when he was living in Brazil, and the sublime and moving " I Need You ". Tears begin to flow as Nick Cave sings " Just breathe " continuously, to the point of breathlessness.

And that's just the beginning. The Australian singer, pianist and bassist continue to captivate us with other highlights, such as " The Ship Song ", the catchy " The Weeping Song ", " Joy ", taken from their latest opus with The Bad Seeds, and " Skeleton Tree ". A song described as " bittersweet " by its author, who confided on Saturday evening that he had stopped performing it because it was too difficult to play, referring to a complicated period in his life.

Hair stands on end as the first notes of " Jubilee Street " ring out, carried by the songwriter's singular, expressive voice. Unsurprisingly, the Australian singer and musician features many of the tracks released with The Bad Seeds. But this Saturday evening at the Philharmonie de Paris, Nick Cave also chose to play the beautiful " Man in the Moon " from his rock band Grinderman, as well as " Balcony Man", taken from"Carnage", the opus published with Warren Ellis. On this track, the audience in the balcony of Salle Pierre Boulez was invited to let loose and howl every time its author said " Balcony man ".

Through these minimalist versions, Nick Cave truly shows us his sublime compositions in a different light. As the artist explained at the start of the set, these re-orchestrations - with no drums, no guitar and no backing vocals - allow us to concentrate purely and simply on the songwriter's powerful melodies and lyrics, evoking his favorite themes, such as death, religion, love and violence. The intensity and fervor with which Nick Cave performs each track is deeply moving.

Shortly before 10pm, Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood receive a standing ovation from the audience. The two artists leave the stage before returning for a breathtaking encore. Nick Cave invites the audience to stand up and get as close to the stage as possible. The Australian artist began shaking many hands. " I feel better now," he says, before introducing the song he's about to play: a cover of Leonard Cohen's " Avalanche ", which inspired him so much. " If you want to dance to this song, I wouldn't recommend it," he jokes.

Next up is the beautiful " More News From Nowhere ", followed by T. Rex's incredible cover of " Cosmic Dancer ". Rex hit "Cosmic Dancer". Nick Cave brought the 2:15 concert to a close with the transcendent " Into My Arms ", which the audience sang along to, and left us shaking our heads one last time. Once again, Nick Cave showed that he is and remains an immense artist, a great songwriter and a true genius, able to turn a room upside down as well as move it.

Nick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconteNick Cave en concert à la Philharmonie de Paris : on y était, on vous raconte

Nick Cave at the Philharmonie de Paris, setlist for concert on July 5, 2025

  • Girl in Amber (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Higgs Boson Blues (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Jesus of the Moon (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
  • O Children (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Cinnamon Horses (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
  • Galleon Ship (track by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • I Need You (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Waiting for You (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
  • Joy (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
  • Papa Won't Leave You, Henry (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
  • Balcony Man (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)
  • The Mercy Seat (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • The Ship Song (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Man in the Moon (Grinderman song)
  • The Weeping Song (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Skeleton Tree (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Jubilee Street (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Push the Sky Away (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)

Reminder

  • Avalanche (Leonard Cohen cover)
  • More News From Nowhere (by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
  • Cosmic Dancer (T. Rex cover)
  • Into My Arms (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
Practical information

Location

221 Avenue Jean Jaurès
75019 Paris 19

Route planner

Accessibility info

Access
Metro line 5 "Porte de Pantin" station

Official website
daysoff.fr

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