Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Perform ‘Skeleton Tree’ for the First Time in Seven Years as 2025 ‘Wild God’ US Tour Begins

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have kicked off their long-anticipated 2025 Wild God US tour, returning to American audiences for the first time since 2018. The tour began on April 15 at Boston’s Agganis Arena and included an emotional surprise — the first live performance of the song Skeleton Tree in seven years.

The opening night set began with powerful back-to-back renditions of Frogs, the title track from their 2024 album Wild God, followed by Song Of The Lake and O Children. The band delivered an expansive 22-song setlist, showcasing a range of material from across their extensive discography. Among the highlights were live performances of Carnage and White Elephant, songs co-created with long-time collaborator Warren Ellis.

However, the emotional centerpiece of the evening came during the first encore, when Cave and the band performed Skeleton Tree — the title track from their deeply personal 2016 album — for the first time since 2018. It followed a poignant sequence that included Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry and The Weeping Song. A second encore followed, featuring a rendition of the beloved classic Into My Arms.

The 2016 album Skeleton Tree was released in the wake of a personal tragedy: the sudden death of Cave’s 15-year-old son Arthur in July 2015. In a candid interview last year, Cave revealed that he regretted recording the album so soon after the loss. “That is the only album that made matters worse,” he said. “My mental health was made worse, because I did it very soon after my son died, and I shouldn’t have done.” He also spoke about the ongoing impact of losing both Arthur and his eldest son Jethro, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 31 after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. While Cave and his wife Susie Bick have found moments of happiness, he admitted there would never be true “closure.”

This tour is particularly notable for the inclusion of Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood, who is stepping in for longtime Bad Seeds bassist Martyn Casey, currently sidelined due to illness. Greenwood, who has previously toured with Cave during solo performances and the Carnage tour, also contributed to the new album Wild God. Speaking about his experience, Greenwood said, “It’s an awesome group of people to play music with… For me, it’s a really fun thing to do because it’s not Radiohead. There are a lot of different colours in the music, so I’m having a blast.”

Praising Cave, Greenwood added: “He’s such a great storyteller, and I really love his piano-playing… What a voice! He’s got the lot!”

The Wild God US tour includes 18 shows in total, with upcoming stops in major cities including Brooklyn, Detroit, Washington D.C., Montreal, Chicago, Portland, and Vancouver. The tour will wrap on May 14 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

The new album Wild God, released in 2024, has received critical acclaim. In a four-star review, NME described it as a bold evolution of Cave’s sound, noting: “Bad Seeds records are infamously loaded with gothic doom and gloom… But never has Cave been so freewheelin’ than on the giddy ‘Frogs’… With a lust for life, the once-dark prince is letting the light in.”

Fans can expect a tour filled with raw emotion, musical depth, and powerful storytelling — the hallmarks of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at their finest.