Most of the times I try to find a title that will amuse me, this one is an exception.
Last time I saw the Velvet-Underground was today, while driving home I put the VU double live (titled live MCMXCIII), and saw them all, saw how Lou Reed can't help but sing around the music and rhythm of Venus in furs , how Maureen Tucker bears her big soul in her small voice singing After hours, how John Cale's waits so much till dropping his huge voice in All tomorrow's parties (Ok, I didn't see Sterling Morrison..., but did see Nico...)
And the love-hate energy of Lou-John, no doubt who leads the show, no doubt where is the fight, the huge love-hate relationship, but I guess I was really just driving and imagining...
And I really saw Lou Reed twice, both times were in Paris, both times I came for Laurie, and I guess he did too.
First time, a double concert of Lou and Laurie with a surprize guest - John Zorn, from which I remember their Pale Blue Eyes version, he was heavy, tired, and had an unforgettable presence of the real Godfather of all music that made me in my youth.
Second time, this year, an intimate evening with Laurie Anderson, where he turned up, assisted to stage to read a half hour long Eulogy for his college professor - Delmore Schwarts.
The evening before, the Laurie Anderson performance started with a beautiful violin, disturbed by horrible static noise, she smiled, apologised to the audience, and said she will fix it and restart in a minute,
When he read his poem on that evening, the pages were mixed, and lord, was he angry... shouted at the poor I-don't-remember-who who was responsible that his papers are not in the right order, and left in rage, only to come back ten minutes later after the poem was reprinted,
I remember the sense of urgency in his reading, and in Laurie's performance and talk, and I knew it is the last chance to see him.
Compassion and anger, that's what the two brought, both exact and strong.
I made two drawings of him reading, in the dark, while listening to him, accompanies by teh most delicate sounds by Laurie, while he read the Eulogie.
Can't find teh drawings now, will attache them when I do,
I know he won't read it, and neither will she, but just wanted to say my private goodbye,
