Velvet Underground member, John Cale, led a legendary tribute to former bandmate Nico, through his Life on the Underground: A Tribute to Nico concert. Nico, who would have been 75 this year, died in a tragic bicycle accident in Ibiza in 1988.
Cale describes his friend and bandmate as, “having this very naïve, beatific view of the universe on one hand, and being tough and dominant on the other. She didn’t put up with shit from anybody,” on the liner notes of the Velvet Underground box set, Peel Slowly and See. Cale collaborated with several artists during his performances, as they gave their respects to the late singer. Meshell Ndeogecello performed a rock-styled version of Nico’s “Frozen Warnings” alongside Cale. Other performers included Joan As Police Woman, Stephen Merritt, and Sharon Van Etten, described by Rolling Stone as, “perhaps the closest to sounding like Nico.”
Check out a fan-shot video of artists coming together to sing “Ferrara”
Mark Lanegan singing “Roses In the Sun” (fan-shot)
Cale will continue to remember his musical past at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where he will perform his 1973 album, Paris 1919. To read more about this performance, click here.
Leave a Comment