Saturday 25 July 2009

Richie Unterberger's Velvet Underground book


On Tuesday night I went along to hear Richie Unterberger talk about his new book on The Velvet Underground. He’s been doing a libraries tour of London and surrounds, which shouldn’t be that radical, but is something of a new departure in this country. It happens a lot in the States and he actually suggested it to Jawbone who were initially sceptical. As it was there were close to 100 people at Swiss Cottage Library on a damp night.

The book is White Light/White Heat The Velvet Underground Day-By-Day. It’s the story of the band told as a chronology. I haven’t read it yet but I dipped in to see if the show I went to in October 1971 is mentioned (it’s not though adjacent ones are). It’s over 350 pages and there’s lots to read and a load of splendid black and white photographs.

Richie didn’t read as such. He told stories, showed clips, and talked through a slide show of photos. Finishing up with a couple of clips from the Bataclan Cale/Reed/Nico show of 1972. A very worthwhile enterprise for which thanks are due to Jon Mills of Jawbone (and Shindig) and Camden Libraries.

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