Nick Cave entertained a sold out crowd at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre on Saturday night.

A jovial Cave joked that it was time for him to make amends with the city he grew up in.

Apparently, he said with a smile, he had made a few unflattering comments about Wangaratta.

Cave made headlines in 2014 when he said it was a “difficult place to grow up” and labelled it a “horrible town”.

But the 61-year-old had nothing but praise for the area during the gig, the first in a new format which sees Cave behind a piano and fielding questions from the audience.

He spoke of the way his childhood had shaped his life and his music, and of returning to his old house and other locations before the show.

“I can't really express how important this town is to me and the music I make,” he said. 

Cave said many people had approached him and spoke of his parents, while others in the audience knew the musician while he was growing up. 

A former music teacher was in the crowd. 

In between songs including Into My Arms, Mercy Seat, Higgs Boson Blues and a Leonard Cohen cover, Cave shared varied stories from his career.

Meeting and recording with his hero, Johnny Cash, was a huge highlight in his career, and his first and last albums his proudest achievements. 

He joked that he planned to return in another 50 years.