With an etheral light bathing the lowered cinema curtain, the audience falls silent and a man takes to the stage to introduce tonight's event. Meanwhile, Lou Reed paces restlessly in the wings; he’s been waiting a while for this evening – 33 years, actually – and tonight even his mum is here to bear witness.
The gentleman making introductions is director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and the event is his filmed performance of Lou Reed’s ‘Berlin’.
Originally released in 1973, the record failed to be a hit in the wake of it's commercially successful predecessor ‘Transformer’ - and thus was never performed live.
The film picks up in December 2006 in St. Anne’s Warehouse, Brooklyn. It's here that Reed’s tale of Caroline, her lovers and their ultimate self-destruction is being brought to life and filmed under Schnabel’s direction.
The stage is dressed as the green hotel room in which tragic heroine, Caroline, lives. Also occupying the performance space is a seven-piece orchestra, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, a small flock of vocalists including Antony (of the Johnsons) and musicians such as Tony “Thunder” Smith and Steve Hunter.
The performance is intimately captured, focusing in on hands playing instruments and shared glances of glee: most of the musicians are grinning from ear to ear and even stoic Reed’s stern face eventually blooms into a blissful smile as he exclaims at one of many stunning guitar riffs, "Do that again! Oh my goodness gracious…"
As the narrative turns to despair, Reed is palpably moved as he speaks rather than sings 'Caroline Says II', barking angrily, “Why is it that you beat me?” Other notable songs include the poignant (and, unfortunately, timeless) 'Men of Good Fortune' and 'The Kids', which is underscored by the notorious cries of children begging for their mother.
Following the end of ‘Berlin’, the audience is treated to 'Candy Says', presented as a duet between Reed and Antony, and, in closing, the startlingly graphic Rock Minuet.
Schnabel’s film is one of the most beautiful rock documentaries out there at the moment. It's also a loving tribute to an album that has taken far too long to receive the respect it deserves.
LOU REED'S BERLIN IS AT SELECTED CINEMAS FROM JULY 25
Best new band in Glasgow, by a mile!
...Any more snooker cliches?
...Second track sounds like a more snarly mid-60s Who. Excellent.
...First one sounds like Sean Ryder having a flashback but second track is a killer.
...once you've drunk a bottle of Maker's Mark in Copehagen?
...The more I watch it, the more I like it.
...Sex on Fire is good once you've drunk a bottle of Maker's Mark in Copenhagen
...
PART ONE: A MULTIMEDIA UNIT
ARTROCKER: With the film, the visuals at the live shows and the instrumental aspects to the records, was it always the plan to be more than a simple garage band?
DAVE: Yeah, from our...
The Be Be See give us 'Artmocker' as promised in the current edition of the mag. " Our agenda is to make people dance, think, fight, fuck, laugh and cry"...
Weren't Nelson a soft rock band of the 80s? Am I confused? No matter.
...
Uber cool lo-fi drone rocking from ex-Electric Shocks two piece The Deathline. Here's what London Particular had to say about them...
...
nicely done Polls
did you actually catch site of Mr Reed in the wings? Did he come out to talk at all?
Post new comment