10 years ago on February 18th, 2013, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds marked an evolution in their music by releasing the album, ‘Push The Sky Away’, a subtle and beautiful record that set the scene for ongoing sonic explorations ever since.
To celebrate this anniversary, their performance at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre, from February 21st, 2013, will be available worldwide to watch for free, for a limited time. The band played ‘Push The Sky Away’ in full followed by a set of classic tracks in the week of release. The concert was streamed worldwide on the night, live on YouTube.
A new website for fans to explore, dedicated to the album, will host the film and will feature more about the record, plus video, audio, imagery, lyrics and exclusive merchandise.
The Bad Seeds at the time consisted of Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos, Martyn Casey, Thomas Wydler and Conway Savage, with Barry Adamson and George Vjestica each joining for two tracks.
“Push The Sky Away was the start of a new, wild adventure for the Bad Seeds. The record opened up a whole different approach to the way we created our music. It was the beginning of a way of writing – a kind of controlled improvisation. Because of this shift, the record was to some extent divisive – but it was the necessary reinvention that the Bad Seeds desperately needed.
“For that reason Push The Sky Away continues to stand as one of my most loved of all the Bad Seeds’ albums.” – Nick Cave
Push The Sky Away played loosely with traditional song structures and unidentified instruments, with an atmospheric, weightless sound that has inhabited subsequent records like, ‘Skeleton Tree’, and ‘Ghosteen’, redefining what is possible for a rock band.
The album featured current live favourites ‘Jubilee Street’ and ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ interspersed with rich, lush yet sparse songs like opener and unsettling ballad ‘We No Who U R’, or the graceful title track, or ominous ‘Water’s Edge’ and its dark sonic undertow.
Acclaimed at the time as a band breaking new ground, it set the blueprint for a decade of creativity.
Push the Sky Away set list at Fonda Theatre:
1. “We No Who U R”
2. “Wide Lovely Eyes”
3. “Water’s Edge”
4. “Jubilee Street”
5. “Mermaids”
6. “We Real Cool”
7. “Finishing Jubilee Street”
8. “Higgs Boson Blues”
9. “Push the Sky Away”
Second Set
10. “From Her to Eternity”
11. “O Children”
12. “The Ship Song”
13. “Jack the Ripper”
14. “Red Right Hand”
15. “Deanna”
16. “Love Letter”
17. “The Mercy Seat”
Encore
18. “Stagger Lee”
