Parallel Kingdom

Bats migrate across the twilight. A fingernail moon hangs between city buildings. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds emerge from the parkland of The Domain below singing “O Children.” Each night, Cave’s introduction changes. At first, he talks about how the song has followed him around, its meaning shifting over the years. On the second night, Cave’s introduction is rawer: he extolls the beauty of Sydney and warns people “not to fuck it up” for those that follow us. “Maybe that’s all the song really means,” he says, with a shrug.