Billed as a Nick Cave solo show GOD was bolstered by a bassist, drummer and violinist and played to a sold out Gateshead Sage (it looks like a giant shiny metal and glass shell on the banks of the renovated Tyne; incredible UK venue) last night. They played a solid but intimate set which flowed easily between intimacy (”Lucy” and “The Ship Song”) and intensity (”Christina the Astonishing”).

While the drummer went through several sets of sticks and Nick pounded the hell out of his piano, the Violinist (that Dirty Three bloke, I don’t recall his name) treated his instrument with total and utter abandon. Using it to play chords like a guitar, percussion, traditional violin lines and feedback / noise he played a blinding set. Anyone who felt they might miss Blixa’s free-jazz approach to aural damage and noise as melody, were shown the error of their ways by the first chorus.

An ugly “Henry Lee” and a fairly upbeat “God is in the House” kept the pace moving nicely, and considering the gig was an all seater, the room was full of energy and an epic “West Country Girl” and monolithic “Stagger Lee” were highlights amongst an amazing set. Cave took requests from the crowd in-between good-naturedly fending off calls for “Waltzing Matilda” and “Release the Bats” and being the only person in the building allowed to smoke (which he enjoyed even more as the smokers in the room eyed him jealously).

Even though the gig covered more of this new testament work rather than my personal favourite ‘eye for an eye’ era of Tender Prey he still managed an evil slower take of “The Mercy Seat” to keep us old tosspots happy.