Encore was a treat (for some) with Seasick Steve (down-home, hang dog, shanty king of the shebean), Suicide (MOJO winners, echo vocoder enthusiasts, scream core roustabouts of 40 years) and Grinderman all taking the stage on masse for a raucous, melodically painful, strangely hypnotic and ultimately bizarre confluence of styles. For Nick Cave, an oft-stated Suicide fan who in his Birthday Party days used to take the stage to the nightmarish strains of Frankie Teardrop, the chance to sing with the ageing electro terrorists was clearly the fulfilment of a decades-old dream. For the other big Suicide and Grinderman fans in the audience this was simply magic, for the rest it was quite the strange mess.
All in all the album itself is a solid companion while the live shows are welcome punches that caress rather than hurt. Welcome back boys.
