Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Malahide Castle (Photos)

In their opening night of their European festival run, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds deliver a tight, powerful performance.
There's something disconcerting about seeing Nick Cave during daylight hours. And yet, given Ireland's location in the north Atlantic, it's remarkably bright when the dark lord and his not-so-merry men take to the stage just after 8pm, 'Get Ready For Love' blasting from the PA. The frontman himself makes reference to the too-godly hour, laughing "Is it as weird for you as it is for me?"
Cave Version 3.0 is the most comfortable, and possibly the most dynamic, frontman in rock 'n' roll right now.
Gone is the drug-addled punk pedlar of The Birthday Party and the sneeringly sardonic shaman of the early 2000s. Tragedy and time have changed him, leaving behind six-feet of skin, soul and sympathy.