Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds surprised fans with a gig on the roof of a Brighton record shop.
The band emerged on top of Resident Music, in Kensington Gardens, in the North Laine, at 11am today (Friday 31 July).
They played a cover of Cosmic Dancer by T Rex along with a selection of their own fan favourites.
They started the set with Train Long Suffering from their 1985 album The Firstborn Is Dead, which the Australian singer, 68, last performed in Brighton in the year of its release.
As the song finished, Cave shouted over rapturous applause: “Thank you. Fucking Brighton. What a thing to be doing.”
Cave then went to the piano for his cover of Cosmic Dancer which was accompanied by a violin solo from bandmate Warren Ellis.
The band also played Henry Lee, with backing singer Janet Ramus taking PJ Harvey’s part of the song. And Cave gave a shout out to his wife Susie and son Earl who were watching on the balcony of the shop.
Cave, who is due to perform in Preston Park tonight, finished with a singalong rendition of Papa Won’t Leave You Henry.
At the end of the performance, he said: “See you tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Resident Records, for this best fucking record shop in the world.”
Visitors to Brighton railway station today were greeted by a “welcome to Brighton station” message recorded by Cave.
He has returned to the town where he used to live for the concert, with support from the Flaming Lips, English Teacher, Cate Le Bon and Warmduscher.
The record shop has hosted a pop-up shop for the band in the run-up to the gig, enabling fans to send letters to Cave’s Red Hand Files blog – which includes answers to fans’ questions – as well as purchase exclusive items.
The Duke of York’s Picturehouse cinema is also due to screen five films selected by Cave with a special pre-recorded introduction by the singer over the weekend.
