When Nick Cave returns to Melbourne there is always a sense of pride that one of our greatest heroes has returned, the prodigal gothic prince back to where it all began.

And on Friday night's show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl there was no shortage of love from the crowd. Impassioned fans yelled "welcome home" and "we love you, Nick".

It was interesting that even before Cave stepped onto the stage the crowd was rapturous with applause.

The band entered first and wild man Warren Ellis was greeted with an ecstatic response. His grin is full of mischief and energy hidden amongst that impressive beard.

There is a lot of love for him amongst the crowd.

Moments later Nick Cave slid onto the stage lithe and debonair in a perfectly fitted midnight blue suit.

His hair jet black and smooth, his crisp white shirt unbuttoned in the most casual and considered fashion.

He was handsome, brooding and chic all combined in a potent mix.

The music was foreboding and hypnotic, casting a sombre spell over the beginning of the show.

The opening number, Anthrocene from 2016's haunting album The Skeleton Tree, was a pulsing and mesmerising beginning.

Cave sang, "I hear you've been out there looking for something to love," and indeed we were.

Raw emotion reflects personal tragedy

Cave's performance seemed cathartic. ( Supplied: Nikolitsa Boutieros )

It is hard not to come to this concert and the album that precedes it without some sense of emotional baggage.

The Skeleton Tree is the first album made since the devastating personal tragedy Cave has weathered in the face of losing his son in 2015.

Despite the fact that many of the songs from the album were written before this event the emotion is still embedded in these beautiful, meditative and haunting tales of loss, love and hope.

Cave's voice and the music surrounding his lyrics are slow, tremulous and swelling with skittering sounds and aching voices.

The darkness synonymous with Cave's lyrics is right in front of him yet there is a strong sense of hope and light that shines through and that is what is so remarkable about this concert.

I was prepared for an evening that may have indeed been sombre and emotionally stark. However we were all in for a surprise.

The second song in was Jesus Alone, another from The Skeleton Tree, and as Cave stood centre stage supported by his exceptional band he cried out the heartbreaking lyrics "with my voice I am calling you" and the song concluded with a incredible moaning which saw his voice ascend into a high register; it was reaching out into the night healing and searching sending shivers through the crowd. It felt truly cathartic.

It was at this point the show built upwards and outwards and Cave launched into the 'Pentecostal rock saviour' we know and love.

As soon as the bassline started for the legendary From Her To Eternity from 1984's album of the same name the audience was electrified.

The drama and disjointed rock 'n' roll chaos of this track was as fierce as it has ever been.

Cave was spitting and snarling and stalking the stage. Sweat began to drip as he evoked the anarchy of early Bad Seeds in the best way.

His interaction with the crowd was warm and trusting. Early on in the night he lent down and kissed a desperate male fan, to much delight.

He was like a musical missionary reaching out and touching the hands of his disciples. Leaning over them into the audience supported by their writhing hands. He had the crowd in his fury.

Passion and ferocity

Cave was spitting and snarling and stalking the stage. ( Supplied )

It was so enlivening to see Cave perform with such passion and ferocity.

His movements and performance captured the spirit of early Elvis Presley and Iggy Pop albeit in his own dark and dramatic way.

It seemed neither age nor experience has haltered his volcanic stagecraft. After only just recovering from Eternity the band launched into Tupelo, which built to a furious crescendo.

The joy in watching Warren Ellis thrash his violin with such conviction and drama was thrilling.

Several bows looked as though they were sacrificed to the gods of rock throughout the night. He was a constant exuberant presence shepherding Cave throughout the night.

There were moments when the tempo slowed for some of Cave's most gorgeous ballads — The Ship Song and Into My Arms were both moments where Cave could sit at the piano and show another side to his majesty.

He encouraged the crowd to sing along to the chorus of Into My Arms, commenting that it would be hard for them to remember the verses, however it seemed the audience knew every word.

The moment when the huge crowd was in unison singing the tender chorus to Into My Arms was truly beautiful. Hard rock 'n' roll types swaying next to reformed goths, young and old alike. It was glorious.

Each song that followed seemed to build like a bonfire, flickering and sparking up the night.

There was a warmth and power to each moment. From dark classics such as Red Right Hand and The Mercy Seat through to the touching and fragile duet Distant Sky from The Skeleton Tree which featured Danish vocalist Else Torpe via digital projection.

When Cave sang the heartbreaking lyric, "They told us our gods would out live us/But they lied" it was full of aching tenderness and the audience were humbled by both his words and his devastating performance.

The encore was full of favourites including The Weeping Song and Nobody's Baby Now.

And Cave was generous to the end, serenading the crowd with the demonic intensity of Stagger Lee, which they had been chanting for throughout the night.

And as magnetic and intense as it was, it was the final performance of the night, the title song from 2013's Push the Sky Away that was the true gift.

Urging the crowd forward to "keep pushing the sky away", gentle and harmonious.

It was a message full of hope and transcendence, the ultimate survival for emerging from dark times. And it seems we need this message now more then ever.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

January 27th

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Melbourne