In celebration of The Velvet Underground & Nico’s 50th album anniversary, John Cale has enlisted a lineup of impressive artists to accompany him at the second anniversary show in May.
The show will be May 26 at Liverpool Waters, Clarence Dock in England, and the lineup includes the Kills, Clinic, Wild Beasts, Gruff Rhys, Nadine Shah and Fat White Family. It will be the second anniversary show, with the first having occurred last April at the Philharmonie de Paris in France. At the first show, Animal Collective and the Libertines accompanied Cale. According to Pitchfork, there will also be a third and final anniversary show, although the details of that show have yet to be announced. Just as he did in the first anniversary show, Cale will be performing the entire of the iconic The Velvet Underground & Nico album, this time on the open-air Clarence Dock in Liverpool, England.
The Velvet Underground & Nico is The Velvet Underground’s debut album, which was released in 1967 via Verve Records. Although the album was not well received in mainstream music at the time and largely ignored by music critics, it is now well renowned for its influence in rock and alternative music. The album features Cale along with Velvet Underground co-founder Lou Reed, along with Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. The German singer Nico is also featured on the album, who the band performed often with during their early years, notably at the instigation of their then manager, artist Andy Warhol. All of the tracks on the album were written by Lou Reed, with help from John Cale on the songs “Sunday Morning” and “The Black Angel’s Death Song.” All of the members of the band co-wrote the last song on the album, “European Son.”
In regard to the lineup, Cale chose artists who he felt aligned with The Velvet Undergound’s legend. Via Pitchfork, he stated, “It’s such a privilege to have this calibre of artistry about—its not that they fit the legend, rather the legend is part of each of them.”
The Kills have recorded several covers of The Velvet Underground songs, including “Venus in Furs,” and “Pale Blue Eyes.” Domino Records released their most recent album, Ash & Ice, in 2016. It was received by average ratings, and constitutes the 5th studio album in their discography. Also on the lineup is Wild Beasts, an indie rock band from the UK who are also on Domino Records. Their most recent album Boy King deals with themes of masculinity and modern-day pressure on boys and men. Fat White Family will also be performing as part of the lineup, which is a post-punk band from England who just recently in 2016 joined Domino Records. The sound of their debut album, Champagne Holocaust, is reminiscent to the lo-fi, steady sound of The Velvet Underground.
Read our initial announcement for The Velvet Underground & Nico anniversary show.
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