Some might have thought it strange to find Nick Cave filed under literature at the Belfast Festival at Queen's, but not the faithful gathered at the Elmwood Hall on Friday night, who love him in all his roles - as poet, writer and, of course, musician.
From the outset Cave stated that he was terrified of performing alone, but he needn't have worried. He started an hour of readings and songs with a reading of the "flesh made word", a reflection on the New Testament, articulating how the creative imagination feeds the soul. This thought-provoking piece of prose was also an autobiography of Cave's chequered life.
When Cave moved to the grand piano and viciously attacked its keys for a brave but implausible version of Dead Joe, a song from Cave's first band, The Birthday Party, the crowd were willing to play along. Cave then read sections of his novel, And The Ass Saw The Angel, his striking writing style displaying intelligence and ferocious humour. Back at the piano, he sang some intimate songs, including the melancholic The Mercy Seat and the beautiful love song Black Hair.
The performance ended with an appearance by Kylie Minogue, who joined Cave for a duet on Still Your Face Came Shining. It may sound like an unlikely alliance, but this stunning duet was the best song of the show.
Throughout the evening, Cave was informal, frank and open, as if he was conversing with friends. There was no sign of the morose performer of old; quips from the crowd were met with quick-witted retorts from Cave, and digs at the sound engineer, which might have been irritating in different circumstances, simply added to his eccentric charm.