Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds watching The Cure perform live at Way Out West festival
Music

Goth Rock Royalty! Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Fanboy Hard Over The Cure at Way Out West

Warren Ellis shared backstage snaps of the Bad Seeds watching Robert Smith crush his headlining festival set in Sweden.

By Rae MitchellPublished Updated 2 min read

Pure rock legend solidarity! Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds proved they are still massive music fans at heart after being spotted eagerly cheering on fellow alternative icons The Cure during a major festival weekend in Sweden. Both legendary groups performed on the same evening at Gothenburg's famous Way Out West festival. Cave and his bandmates delivered a mammoth two-hour set on the Azalea stage earlier in the evening. But rather than packing up and slipping away in private cars, the group stuck around to watch Robert Smith and company close out the night with a sprawling, hit-packed performance on the adjacent Flamingo stage.

What did Warren Ellis say about The Cure?

Bad Seeds multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis later shared a peek behind the scenes by uploading a carousel of photos and video clips to his social media page. The candid images showed members of the Bad Seeds along with their road crew standing together, totally engrossed in The Cure's massive headlining show. In an enthusiastic caption accompanying the post, Ellis made no secret of his lifelong admiration for Smith and his band. He revealed that his fan status dates back four decades, having first caught the post-punk icons live in concert back in 1984. Ellis showered the headliners with praise, writing about how incredible the songs and musicianship were throughout the night. Expressing deep admiration for Smith, Ellis declared him "the best" and promised to keep attending their concerts again and again in the future.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds watching The Cure perform live at Way Out West festival
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds watching The Cure perform live at Way Out West festival

Does Nick Cave like The Cure?

This public display of admiration follows Cave's own public praise for the group earlier in the summer. Writing on his popular fan-interactive website, The Red Hand Files, the Australian frontman reflected on the concept of growing older in the music industry. Responding to a question regarding the downsides of becoming an aging rock figure, Cave fondly recalled a sweet moment in Odense, Denmark. He recounted coming across an older married couple wearing matching Cure shirts, pointing to it as a charming reminder of the enduring power and comfort found in classic music culture. The shared respect between two of dark alt-rock's biggest titans provided an unmissable highlight for festival attendees, proving that real legends always respect each other's craft.

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People also ask

Where did Nick Cave and The Cure play together?
Both bands performed on Friday at the Way Out West festival held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
What did Warren Ellis post about The Cure?
Warren Ellis shared backstage photos and videos of the Bad Seeds crew watching The Cure's set, praising Robert Smith and recalling his first time seeing the band in 1984.