Velvet Underground legend John Cale has named his line-up to mark the 50th anniversary of the band’s iconic self-titled album.
Liverpool will be the only European date to mark the half-century since The Velvet Underground & Nico’s release at the Sound City festival on May 26.
The Kills, Gruff Rhys, Clinic, Nadine Shah, Fat White Family & Wild Beasts to join John Cale live on stage at one-off performance
The Kills have always cited the album as a major influence and the veteran garage rockers have been named among the artists collaborating with Cale.
Also featuring will be Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys, a fellow acolyte who mistook Cale’s band for a Welsh punk-rock outfit when heard John’s accent on The Gift.
Local representation will come in the form of Clinic, doyens of the art-rock movement and clearly influenced by the early experimentalists like The Velvets.
Nadine Shah will join the line-up as the perfect substitute for the late Nico while the visceral Fat White Family will deliver the whirling chaos and Wild Beasts will provide an art rock sensibility worthy of one of the world’s most important albums.
“It’s such a privilege to have this calibre of artistry about,” said Cale.
“Its not that they fit the legend, rather the legend is part of each of them.
“Stand back Liverpool – here we come!”
Cale will bring the reimagined show to Liverpool’s docklands, facing towards the Atlantic Ocean and New York City, the birthplace of the Velvet Underground.