News

John Cale is playing in Berlin on Sept. 7, 23h, after the screening of Abschied at the Berliner Ensemble theatre - see http://www.berliner-ensemble.de.

He's also playing Munich, Muffatthalle on Sept. 8, 21h - see http://www.artechock.de.

[Source: Burkhard Schleser]

Here are the currently known dates - all in Germany except where indicated.

• Sept. 7, Berlin, Buckow Theater am Schiffbauerdamm (with orchestra)
• Sept. 8, Munich, Muffathalle
• Sept. 9, Hannover, Pavillon
• Sept. 10, Cologne, Alter Wartesaal
• Sept. 12, Nurenberg, Hirsch
• Sept. 14, Bielefeld, pc69
• Sept. 15, Bochum, Bahnhof Langendreer
• Sept. 16, Leffingeleuren Festival, Belgium

[Source: Bruce]

UK Record Collector No. 253 (September 2000) has a review of Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume I: Day of Niagara by Steven Robinson.

Volume 11 of Japanese magazine beatleg (October 2000) has a 29-page Velvet Underground & Lou Reed Special incuding:

• After Hour - The Twilight of the Velvets
• The Lost VU Story by Fumiya Nakahara
• a selected discography by Shinobu Gotou and Fumiya Nakahara
• The Velvet Underground Bootleg Review by Fumiya Nakahara, Shinobu Gotou and Masato Yokohama
• an interview with Lou Reed about Ecstasy

September 10, Alter Wartesaal, Cologne (Köln), Germany

September 15, Bahnhof Langendreer, Bochum, Germany

September 16, Leffingeleuren Festival, at Leffinge (near Oostende), Belgium.

Plus, there is a rumor going around that John Cale will be playing a gig in Berlin on the 7th of September, at the seasonal start of the Berlin Ensemble. He is said to fill in the "last minute concert" spot at 11PM.

There is no confirmed USA dates yet but John will be playing San Diego and Seattle, USA, in September.

New VU tribute album by various Japan/USA artists and Gerard Malanga.

VU Tribute
2CD, Victor VICL-60588-89

Disc A
01. GERARD SAYS #1 / GERARD MALANGA
02. I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN / ZOOBOMBS (JPN)
03. SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND / OF MONTREAL (USA)
04. STEPHANIE SAYS / Nakako from SUPERCAR (JPN)
05. HEROIN / CHICAGO BASS (JPN)
06. AFTER HOURS / COIL (JPN)
07. I FOUND A REASON / THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR (USA)
08. GERARD SAYS #2 / GERARD MALANGA
09. SUNDAY MORNING / LUMINOUS ORANGE (JPN)
10. THE BLACK ANGEL'S DEATH SONG / SMILE KICK (JPN)
11. JESUS / PATE (JPN)

Disc B
01. I'LL BE YOUR MIRROR / SWARM'S ARM (JPN)
02. FERRYBOAT BILL / AHH! FOLLY JET (JPN)
03. GERARD SATS #3 / GERARD MALANGA
04. GUESS I'M FALLING IN LOVE - LOOP / JOHN McENTIRE (USA)
05. VENUS IN FURS / JIM O'ROURKE (USA)
06. THE MURDER MYSTERY / TAGOMAGO (JPN)
07. WHO LOVE THE SUN / HONEY SKOOLMATES (JPN)
08. EUROPEAN SON / THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL (USA)
09. CANDY SAYS / SEAGULL SCREAMING KISS HER KISS HER (JPN)
10. GERARD SAYS #4 / GERARD MALANGA
11. ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES / THE MUSIC TAPES (USA)

See also: http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp

See: http://www.volkerrenner.de/foto/theat/index.html

[Source: Julie Holroyd]

Summer's issue (#21) of Japanese magazine THE DIG has a 91-page Andy Warhol & The Velvet Underground special with interview, rare photographs, album discography, singles, solo works, etc.

The latest issue of ICE magazine lists a September 19 release date for a Velvet Underground CD called "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection" on the Mercury label.

Issue no. 252 (August 2000) of Record Collector magazine (UK) has a review by Kingsley Abbott of Rockin' On Broadway - The Time, Brent, Shad Story, a various artists collection which includes 4 pre-VU Lou Reed songs - see below.

Rob Norris from the American rock group the Bongos played a part in the history of the Velvet Underground (see his Velvet underground story "I was a Velveteen" which first appeared in issue#1 of KICKS Magazine back in 1978 and the Feb 2000 issue of MOJO Magazine for starters). Rob has two records just released - his first solo CD and the first CD of his new band OmU.

Rob Norris Morning Becomes Electric
http://www.theorchard.com/artistlink.cfm?artist_id=nor5

"As one might expect from a guy whose resume includes the Velvet Underground (see Feb 2000 MOJO) and the Bongos, Rob Norris knows the value of a raucous guitar sound and a unforgettable hook. That he can find such things in source material as eclectic as the Upanishads is pretty astounding; that he plays, sings and produces everything on this--his solo debut--makes it all seem amazing." --Thomas Anderson (Austin, TX) Journalist (MOJO, Trouser Press, Musician, Creem)

"Rob Norris, the cosmic, dark and mysterious bass player of the Bongos has released his own solo CD. The Bongos were 1980s pop rock and roll band that defined 'The Hoboken Sound' and Norris was the band's silent spiritual father. Now he has re-emerged as if he was never gone. His CD of original tunes retains the exuberant pop sensibility of the Bongos, but with a pure Norris otherworldly vision that is ageless." --David Cogswell (Hoboken,NJ) Journalist (Fortune, Travel Agent) and author of "Chomsky for Beginners"

OmU Improvising
http://www.theorchard.com/artistlink.cfm?artist_id=omu1

"Their first CD "Improvising" shows off OmU's exciting and upbeat side, with blistering psychedelic jams that circle like musical mandalas, leading the listener into extended reveries and reflections, not to mention the urge to get up and dance. Omu is something fresh and different on our musical scene, with diversity enough to draw just about everone in. From trance inducing drone to full-tilt rock 'n' roll, it all sounds great Highly recommended." --Daily Freeman (**** 1/2 stars)

"In January of 2000, OmU became the first non-Cuban band ever to play at the Casa de las Tradiciones (roughly the equivalent of Maxwells in Hoboken) in Santiago de Cuba, one of the most musical cities on earth." --Woodstock Times

"OmU plays upbeat, techno-esque, trance music to dance to... hypnotic, hip-swaying, structured improvisation." --Chronogram

Both CDs are available at online at the above Orchard web pages with RealAudio sound.

From 1962 through 1965 John Cale, Tony Conrad, Angus MacLise, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela participated in a collaborative ensemble that articulated the Big Bang of "minimalism." Utilizing long duration and precise pitch, they forged an agressively mesmerizing "Dream Music" - denying the activity of composition and elaborating shared ideas of performance and improvisation. However, the many rehearsal and performance recordings from this period were repressed, and remained inaccessibly buried until this moment. With the recent discovery of an additional cache of tapes, now restored and digitally remastered, the world can step inside the Dream Syndicate for the very first time.

Inside The Dream Syndicate
Volume I: Day Of Niagara (1965)
John Cale - Tony Conrad - Angus MacLise - La Monte Young - Marian Zazeela
Table of the Elements TOE-CD-74

Original recording: New York City, 25 April 1965. John Cale: viola, Tony Conrad: violin, Angus MacLise: percussion, La Monte Young: vocals, Marian Zazeela: vocals.

"In the beginning there was the Drone, the primordial, mind-splitting hum generated by the strings and revolutionary lost-chord Zeitgeist of 1960's group the Dream Syndicate." - ROLLING STONE

"These recordings are (part of) a library of effort that represented, for Tony and I at least, a labour of love. The power and majesty that was in that music is still on these tapes." - JOHN CALE

French Rock & Folk magazine issue 396 (August 2000) has a review of last Lou Reed's show at L'Olympia in Paris by Thomas Nirschl.

Rockpalast Bildarchiv Lou Reed Special 24.04.2000 - a collection of photos of Lou Reed's recent show in Dusseldorf.

Lou Reed video interview at Rock Universe - Lou discussing Pass Thru Fire, Time Rocker, Ecstasy, etc.

Lou Reed live in Japan - see UDO's WebSite for concert information (in Japanese).

• October 25, 2000, AKASAKA BLITZ, Tokyo
• October 26, 2000, SIBUYA public hall, Tokyo
• October 27, 2000, SANKEI hall, Osaka

[Source: Shiroh Kouchi, LOU REED Guitar Archive]

John Cale has done another soundtrack for a film screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It is a German film entitled Abschied/Farewell, directed by Jan Schütte, and is a dramatic film about the last day in the life of Bertolt Brecht.

Also another film at Cannes, A la Verticale de l'Eté (At the Height of Summer), the third feature by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung (who previously made The Scent of the Green Papaya and Cyclo), features on its soundtrack songs by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground.

[Source: John Gianvito]

July's issue of Record Collector (no. 251) has a review of the recent CD reissue of Lou Reed's Rock n Roll Animal by Peter Doggett - p. 155.

Review of Nico Icon - part of the Velvet Underground TV special tonight (see below) - by Guillaume B. Decherf in Libération #5947, June 30, 2000, p. 50. Plus one photo.

"La vie tout en excès de Nico."

Velvet Underground special tonight 9pm on Canal Jimmy cable TV with Top Bab with Lou Reed 1996, Curious, Nico Icon and Pop 2.

Just released in Japan by Polypop/Universal, the "VU Original Jacket Collection" series including:

• The Velvet Underground And Nico - POCY-9001
• White Light/White Heat - POCY-9002
• The Velvet Underground - POCY-9003
• VU - POCY-9004
• Another View - POCY-9005
• Nico - Chelsea Girl - POCY-9006

All CDs come with an exact repro of the original cover artwork! The Velvet Underground And Nico has a gatefold sleeve with peelable banana sticker (!) and big black sticker covering Emerson on back (!!!). The 6 CDs are available individually or also reunited in a special box.

Now available:

Walter De Maria - Drums And Nature

This new CD includes two long minimalist music pieces - Cricket Music (1964) and Ocean Music (1968) by Walter De Maria who was the drummer in the pre-VU band The Primitives.

Reed takes a walk on warm side by Brett Milano in Boston Herald, Saturday, June 24, 2000.

"Lou Reed, Victoria Williams at FleetBoston Pavilion, Boston, last night."

Saint-Cyr - Musique de John Cale
Archipel 35/Virgin France 8 49545 2

1. Opening Theme / 2. Ironic Trumpet / 3. Stately / 4. Esther (J.B. Moreau) / 5. Opening Theme N°2 / 6. Pillar Theme / 7. Pillar Themen N°2 / 8. 2nd Theme / 9. 2nd Theme N°2 / 10. War Time / 11. War Time N°2.

Original film music produced, written and arranged by John Cale.

Salon.com Brillant careers - Lou Reed by Chris Colin, May 16, 2000.

"The Velvet Underground founder gave us heroin, the exalted transvestite and euphoric nastiness. Who knew salvation could sound so good?"

Lou Reed scheduled to appear on Conan OBrien 12:37aPST 21/6/2000.

The reissue of John Cal's Vintage Violence is planned for August with 3 extra tracks: Wall, Fairweather Friend (alternate take), and Short Story.

Rockin' On Broadway
The Time Brent Shad Story
Ace Records CDCHD 758

contains Lou Reed's earliest commercial recordings with the Jades in 1958, as well as two intriguing solo sides dating from 1962, issued here for the first time - Your Love and Merry Go 'round.

Get it at CDnow!

In cooperation with BMG/Ariola Belgium and in full cooperation with the Lou Reed Management, the Belgian (Flemish) magazine Humo has released a Lou Reed - More than the Best Of, 1972-1986 double CD. The album goes now on sale and will only be released in Belgium and Holland.

Humo selecteert
Méér dan het beste van Lou Reed 1972 - 1986

CD 1: I can't stand it / Lisa says / Vicious / Perfect day / Walk on the wild side / Satellite of love / Men of good fortune / Caroline says / How do you think it feels / Intro + Sweet Jane (live) / Heroin (live) / Kill your sons / Sally can't dance / Nowhere at all / Kicks.

CD 2: Charley's girl / Coney Island baby / Rock and roll heart / Vicious circle / Street hassle / Leave me alone / I want to boogie with you / Teach the gifted children / The blue mask / Waves of fear / Legendary hearts / The last shot / New sensations / Doin' the things that we want to / Video violence / The original wrapper.

[Source: Charlie Poel, webmaster Humo]

June's issue of The Wire has a 6-page article where Biba Kopf looks beyond the Velvet Underground to the solo recordings of John Cale, Lou Reed, Moe Tucker and Nico.

Same issue has a review of The Velvet Underground Web Page!

Lou Reed is scheduled to appear on the Jay Leno show Monday night, June 5, 2000.

Check out Lou Reed special on http://www.rockpalast.de/schatz/special00.

3 June 2000 issue's of NME has a review of Lou Reed's show at Royal Albert Hall by Dele Fadele with one color photo by Angela Lubrano.

Lou Reed in Seattle, June 2, 2000:

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Small Town / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Riptide / 9. Rock Minuet / 10. Mystic Child / 11. Tatters / 12. Mad / 13. Romeo Had Juliette / 14. The Last Shot / 15. Set The Twilight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. Blue Mask / Encore: 18. Vicious / 19. Sweet Jane / 20. Perfect Day.

LeisureSuite.net has a review of Lou Reed's Ecstasy by Jordan Hoffman.

Doug Yule will appear tonight at Unloaded in Seattle and will play Candy Says, Beginning to Get it, and What Goes On - which will be a big finale jam type thing with several guitars, a couple of violins and whatever else can fit on the stage.

[Source: Sal Mercuri]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*****************************
Hothouse Cultivations Presents:

UNLOADED: AN HOMAGE TO THE WORK OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
Thursday, May 25th
The Crocodile Cafe
2200 Second Ave, Seattle, WA
9:30 p.m.
$8

Hothouse Cultivations is proud to present an evening celebrating the work of the Velvet Underground. Scheduled to perform: Voyager One, Kinski, Faith & Disease, Bugs in Amber, Harvey Danger, Gary Heffern, Emily Marsh, Rusty Willoughby, Marc Olsen, Vanessa Veselka... And a special guest appearance by DOUG YULE, former bassist from the Velvet Underground and a member of Lou Reed's touring band - back in the "Sally Can't Dance" and "Metal Machine Music" days. Yule will be backed by members of The Delusions, Red Stars Theory and Voyager One.

Visual Ambiance by Projectorhead and Seattle's Brashest & Sexiest Drag Candies. Emceed by The Stranger's Dave Schmader. Partial Proceeds Will Benefit Street Outreach Services and the Seattle Needle Exchange.

Simply Vinyl's new edition of White Light/White Heat is now available (Simply Vinyl SVLP 200). This is a limited edition, 180g virgin vinyl pressing with heavy quality sleeve.

Last night Lou was on TV at Jools Holland, BBC last episode! He did 3 songs Sweet Jane, Modern Dance and Rock Minuet.

See also: 'Has rock 'n' roll saved Lou Reed's life?' - Frank Wilson examines the evidence for musical salvation.

Orbit Music e-zine features currently a long review of Lou Reed's Ecstasy.

[Source: Jay Jay Walton, Orbit Records]

Launch.com offers streaming video of the Ecstasy Electronic Press Kit by John Cook with interview with Lou Reed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Salon's story on legend Lou Reed by Chris Colin.

"The Velvet Underground founder gave us heroin, the exalted transvestite and euphoric nastiness. Who knew salvation could sound so good?"

[Source: Cimon Starr, Associate Distribution Editor, www.Salon.com]

Lou Reed at L'Olympia, Paris, France. It was the longest show of the tour until now - almost 3 hours!

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Small Town / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11.Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twilight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. The Blue Mask / encore: 18. Sweet Jane / 19. Vicious / 2nd encore: 20. Perfect Day / 21. Vicious.

Lou Reed at the Carre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Small Town / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11.Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twilight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. The Blue Mask / encore: 18. Sweet Jane / 19. Vicious / 2nd encore: 20. Perfect Day.

Lou Reed at Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands.

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Small Town / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11.Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twilight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. The Blue Mask / encore: 18. Sweet Jane / 19. Vicious / 2nd encore: 20. Perfect Day.

Lou Reed at MCV, Eindhoven, Netherlands.

1. Paranoia / 2. Turn To Me [extended version: Turn To Me/Jam/Hey Bo Diddley] / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Small Town / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11.Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twilight Reeling / encore: 16. Sweet Jane / 17. Vicious.

Lou Reed at Alter Schlachthof, Dresden.

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Smalltown / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo Had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11. Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twillight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. The Blue Mask / encore: 18. Sweet Jane / 19. Dirty Blvd.

[Source: Walk On The VU]

Lou Reed at Lucerna, Prague.

1. Paranoia Key Of E / 2. Turn To Me / 3. Modern Dance / 4. Ecstasy / 5. Smalltown / 6. Future Farmers Of America / 7. Turning Time Around / 8. Romeo Had Juliette / 9. Riptide / 10. Rock Minuet / 11. Mystic Child / 12. Mad / 13. The Last Shot / 14. Tatters / 15. Set The Twillight Reeling / 16. Dime Store Mystery / 17. The Blue Mask / encore: 18. Who Am I / 19. Sweet Jane / 2nd encire: 20. Vicious / 21. Dirty Blvd.

[Source: Walk On The VU]

Michael T. Carlucci/Subterranean Records, NYC reports:

"After 12 years of subtle hinting at Robert Quine to find his notorious V.U. '69 tapes he has finally unlocked the vault and presented me with a 4 hour reel to reel of his "Best Of '69" which he recorded and made himself. For those of you who are not aware of these tapes, Quine, in the winter of '69 followed and recorded the band at least a dozen times. Lou would very often ask Robert if he was ready to record before the band would start. These tapes are going to be presented to Polygram for their VU Live Series. They sound as good as the official '69 Live LP tapes. Here's a listing of some of the tracks: Black Angel's Death Song, New York City (Follow The Leader, 10 min. version), Venus In Furs, Ride Into The Sun (Modulated Version), Waiting For The Man (with 3 new verses & Lou whistle solo), New Age (with 5 minute bass solo), Too Much, Can't Stand It, Over You, After Hours, Stickin' With You, 3 x Sister Ray's (one with 8 minute gtr. solo, one with a character intro, one that segues into Foggy Notion and back again), White Light, Foggy Notion, New Age, Rock &Roll, Heroin, What Goes On, Femme Fatale, Sunday Morning, & Some Kinda Love. As I said earlier, these are, according to Quine, the best versions of these songs that he recorded. There are complete shows, somewhere in his mess of cassettes. These have not been looked at since the transfer some 30 years ago. Who knows what state they might be in. All I can say is, the wait was well worth it. Let's hope that Polygram agrees so that everyone will get to hear the magic that the band performed. The only song to over-lap with the '69 live tracks is one of two versions of White Light, otherwise, no one has ever heard these before. The Sister Ray from Washington University in St.Louis is spellbinding. There are peformances from The Matrix as well as The Family Dog. There should be a meeting with Polygram, hopefully in the next few weeks, perhaps a month or two. They've been waiting for the transfer, it's now done.

And, I also located the person, with whom the deceased biker left the infamous Columbus '66 tapes with. He has the first generation reels of both the actual songs, as well as the improv material. Any other claim is to this is bull. Truth be told now, any of you who bought the Warlocks (aka VU) live '66 LP some 15 years ago, the tapes for that LP were (unknowingly) borrowed for it's release. The only other person that needs to be tracked down is Jamie Klimek (of Mirrors fame) for his master tape of Sweet Sister Ray, Heroin as well as the Live '68 tapes of Dougie's first show at La Cave. I've been sitting on a 2nd generation all these years. If Jamie is out there Polygram is looking for you.

All of this is very exciting. Unfortunately, these releases are riding on the sales of the first 3 Boston Tea Party shows sales. If they flop so does the rest of the project and no one will ever get to hear the Quine tapes. His feeling on the tapes are "Official/Legal or not at all". Keep your fingers crossed."

Lou Reed playlist in Rome: Mystic Child, Future Farmers Of America, Modern Dance, Sweet Jane, Vicious.

[Source: Walk On The VU]

Maintained by Olivier Landemaine
Last modified: October 26, 2008