I was way, way back, as we were with our 11yo boy (who thought he was great too), but his presence was so stark even from that distance. For such an event, the sound was something else too. I left there vowing that the next time they play in Brighton or London, we're going to see them. Last time...
I'm super-jealous, but it sounds as though you've put in the hard graft to extract a few gems. I saw Cave and Smith on Sunday in Victoria Park. Cave, especially, was fantastic
He's way out at the top of my list of unseen acts. But he doesn't play much. I think his last European 'tour' was back in 2008 when he played two nights in a small boulevard venue in Paris. I do like his response when questioned on why he doesn't play live much: "Gotta keep 'em keen."