Music

Nick Cave Performs Soulful Shane MacGowan Tribute, "A Rainy Night in Soho," in Ireland

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds performed a moving tribute to Shane MacGowan with "A Rainy Night in Soho" in Ireland, alongside rarities like the first "Stranger Than Kindness" performance in over ten years.

Rolling Stone·Jun 11, 2026·via Rolling Stone

Nick Cave Performs Soulful Shane MacGowan Tribute, "A Rainy Night in Soho," in Ireland

Good Seeds

See Nick Cave Sing Soulful Shane MacGowan Tribute, ‘A Rainy Night in Soho,’ in Ireland

The Bad Seeds also played some rarities at the concert, including the first performance of "Stranger Than Kindness" in more than a decade

By Kory Grow

Kory Grow

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June 11, 2026

Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan were close friends — close enough, at least, to try to cheer each other once with a duet of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” On Wednesday, Cave paid tribute to his late friend by performing “A Rainy Night in Soho,” a song by MacGowan’s band the Pogues , during a concert on MacGowan’s favorite island, Ireland. The concert took place at Malahide Castle & Gardens.

Cave, who is on tour with the Bad Seeds, played piano, singing MacGowan’s maudlin lyrics about taking stock of one’s life (“I’ve cried for all your troubles/Smiled at your funny little ways”) with a quiver in his voice. Violinist Warren Ellis played an equally soulful solo during a break from the lyrics. “Wow, all right,” Cave commented with a chuckle when he was done. It made for a loving elegy to MacGowan, who died in 2023 .