8saturday review Saturday July 28 2012 | the times TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, DAVID BEBBER theconversation ‘That’s aratherpubescent question, don’tyou think?’ Rude,paranoid, obtuse —Lou Reed is notadreaminterviewee.But graduallythe kingofNew York cool opens up to Will Hodgkinson abouthis ‘kindred spirit’ Andy Warhol,the powerofrockand thebeautyofthe Kindle ouReedisafamouslydifficultmantointer- the photographer and the make-up artist. likeIcanget right back intoit,”hecontin- ly unamused, “toput us in the same breath view.Asthe rock critic LesterBangs wrote He doesn’tget up.Hedoesn’t acknowledge ues. “I wanted to use the language of Ten- withall theseothergroups. It’s ajoke.” abouttheguidinglightoftheVelvetUnder- me at all. In his three-quarterlengthtrou- nessee Williams, William Burroughs, Hu- “ButIdidn’tmentionanygroups...” ground in 1973:“He fixes youwith that sers and leather jacket he looks likeabiker bertSelbyand Allen Ginsberg and put it “It’shilarious to even think of being rustybugeye,hecreaksandcroaksandlies hobbit. There is no chair free so Ihover intoarock song. Ithought that would be lumpedinwith that. Saying you’re aband in your face, and you’re helpless.”Inanin- abovehim,wishingIcouldstopgrinningin- amazing, the greatestthing, if youput from the Sixties, right there, and it’s start- terview forSwedishtelevision in 2000 anely; it mustbethe nerves. They sit there lyricsworthyofthatwiththat.” ingthe category bullshit. Jesus! Who do Reedsummeduphisfeelingaboutjournal- foranother tenminutes or so. Eventually, Isay how important thethird Velvet Un- youthink you’re talkingto? WasAndy ists in general: “They’re disgusting. Mainly Reed slowly rises—to have his photo- dergroundalbum has been forme, in parti- Warhol’sShadow Paintings a‘great song theEnglish.They’repigs.” graphtaken. He heads offtoone of the cular the gorgeously delicateballad Jesus. from theSixties’?” Youalwayshope to be the one who hotel’s long,stonecorridors. “I’veplayed Jesus with JimmyScott,”he “I wassayingthe Velvet Underground breaks pastthe nasty oldrock star and Firstit’sthe Czech make-up artist who says. Scottisthe jazz vocalistbornwith a didn’tsoundlikeabandfrom theSixties.” Lfinds the sensitive little boyinside—and ignites his wrath. “You’vemademelook geneticconditionthatgavehimahighcon- “Well, that’s one wayoflookingatit,”he anyone who could writesuch beautiful likeaf***ingzombie!” he growls, messing tralto voice. “Can youimagine what I’m says, either deliberately misinterpreting songs as I’ll Be Your Mirror, Jesus and Per- upthehairstyleshehasfashionedandwip- talkingabout? He’s kind of hard to make everythingI’msayingorfailingtohearit in fect Day musthaveasoul in there, some- ingoff the foundation shehas applied. records with, though. Iwent to see him at a the firstplace. He sighs. “I suppose you where. So when news comesthat the Then he posesfor the camera, pressinghis clubonce andjustbeforethesetstartsIfeel couldgetmoresimplisticifyoutried...” singer AntonyHegarty has asked Reed to fistintohis palm as if gearingupfor afight. this armaround my throat. It’s Jimmy. I’m When the interview wasarrangedIsaid appear at this year’s Meltdown Festival, Thenhe isready fortheinterview. choking, and he says: ‘I justfound out you that the half an hour offeredwasn’t which Hegartyiscurating, Iput in are- Iask him how he met AntonyHegarty, didn’twritethesongforme.’” enough. NowI’m wishingitwas only 15 questforaninterview. whose remarkable falsetto firstcame to What washis frame of mind when he minutes.His paranoia sucks the lifeout of Ahandful of demands come back from public attention in 2005 with the Mercury wroteJesus?“I’mnotsosurehowitgotwrit- you. Things improvealittle when he talks Reed’s people. He wants acover story; he Music Prize-winningalbum IAmaBird ten, put it that way,” he says, slowly.“That’s about the influence of Delmore Schwartz, wants to be photographedinblack and Now.Reedholds me with aresignedstare true of anyofthem. It’s likeitpassesright thewriterwhotaughthimatSyracuseUni- white;he wantsamake-upartist. Thegreat and says, in acalm, patient voice, as you through you. It justshows up and you’re versity, NewYork,andfromtherewesome- man of NewYork artrock is apparently as would to achild: “I wasdoingaversion of either in shape to takeitand do something how get on to the subjectoftechnology. vainasyouraveragerealityTVcontestant. EdgarAllenPoe’sTheRaven.Wewerelook- ReedtellsmehowmuchheloveshisKindle. Arrangements are made. Reed will meet ingforvoicessoyoucouldidentifythechar- “Screw Kindles,”Ireply,too exhausted me in Prague the daybefore he has acon- acters. Hal[Willner,Reed’sproducer] ‘It’snot just abunch to placatehim anymore. “How canyou certinthe city. The Czech capital has had a found this CD by Antonyand said: ‘Wow, compareaKindlewitharealbook?” special placeinReed’shearteversince the who’s this?’ We went to lookfor him. He of guys with loud “Thebook’sinthe writing,”hesays, trite- Velvet Underground became the unlikely wasabouttenblocksaway.” guitars. It’s thesame ly.“As soon as they find the artificial smell soundtracktothePragueSpringin1968,so Silence follows. Then Reed does some- appit’ll beperfect.” it’s possible that he might be in agood thingthat he’ll do throughout the inter- beat as theheart’ And from there something strange hap- mood. And there’ssomuch to talk about. view: he waits until Ibegin another ques- pens. LouReed, who has survivedheroin Reed has recorded everythingfrompop tion before he continuesansweringthe with it or youmiss it and it will never,ever and alcoholaddictions, who wasaposter perfection (Transformer,from1972) to me- one before. It might be apower play or it come back. That’s something I’velearnt. If boyfortransgression,turnsintoanice,nor- chanical noise (MetalMachine Music, might be simple bad manners, but in either youreally likesomethingyou’re hearingin mal, only slightly grumpy70-year-old. He 1975). He has all kinds of extra-curricular caseit’s extremelyannoying. your head you’dbetterput it down, says that his wife, the performance artist activities, from photography to t’ai chi to “There’ssomething astonishinginAn- because you’ve gotmaybe 30 seconds Laurie Anderson, hates Kindlestoo,and his range of spectacles(Lou’sViews). Then tony’s voice that anyone canfeel,”hesays, moreandthenit’s gone.” likes to spend an afternoon in asecond- there’s Lulu,the album he madelastyear justasIstartonaquestion on what Reed This really is betterthan Icould ever hand bookstore. Reed’s assistant says it’s youtalking to me? withMetallica,amelangeofmachopostur- willbeplayingatMeltdown.“Antonyisthe have hoped. Just then, Reed’s tour manag- time to wrap up,but he keeps talking: LouReed in Prague; ingand poetic pretension that receiveda real deal. It takes not even asecond to erandhisgirlfriendwalkpastandstopfora having aKindle means he no longer needs below,withAndyWarhol critical slamming. Besides,ifReedhates know it when youhear it.”There’sanother chat. They seem likeafriendly pair.“So to lug bags of books around or search for andfellow Velvet me,whocares?He hatesall journalists. longsilence. Ibegin to talk, which means have youbeen keepingthe musicians out his bifocals. Finally,something LouReed Undergroundmember The interview is at half-pastfive at that he does too. “Same thingwith Or- of trouble?” Iask, jokily.The tour manager trulycaresabout: anelectronicbook. Nico, circa1965 Reed’s hotel, aformer monastery around nette,” hesays,referringtothesaxophonist laughs —until he noticesReedglowering When the interview comestoanend we the corner from the Charles Ornette Coleman. “I was17, 18 and Iheard at me. “That’s arather pubescent question, head offindifferent directions. But down- Bridge. At four-thirty, himandDonCherrydoingLonelyWoman. don’tyouthink?”Reedsays. stairs we bump intoeachother again — wearingafreshly pressed Imean, theharmonicstothat...Jesus.” There are only twowords that Iwant to and he hugs me. He asks if I’d liketojoin shirt, Itakeacoffeeata He beginsto warmup.“Youdon’t have to saytothis and the second one is “off”,but him and his assistant fora(non-alcoholic) nearbycafé and think know anything,”hesays, talkingabout ap- since we’vebeen gettingonsowell Ireturn drink. We shoot the breeze with more Kin- about questions; afigure of preciation of great music.“Youhear it,you to the subjectofthe Velvet Underground. I dletalk.He couldn’t bemorecharming. European composure, ready feel it ...if youhavetothink about it,may- point out that the band sounded likenoth- Thefollowingnightheperformsastorm- foranything. An e-mail be it’s not so good. Itruly,truly believethis ingelse of its time. “I had akindredspirit in ingset with his youngband, not only play- arrives. Louwants to kindof music,this kindof rock,canchange Andy Warhol, whose message was: leave it ingextended versions of his greatestsongs move the interview your entire feeling. Guys with classical alone,”hereplies. “Don’t let them pretty it but also showing generositytohis musi- to five o’clock. It’s musicthat youhavetolistentoforan hour, up.InthestudioAndywasthegreatprotec- cians:hisdelightatthedoublebassist’ssolo five o’clock now.I twohours ...this stuffcomesout and you tor. They wouldn’t ask us our opinion. during Walk on theWild Side is palpable. runthroughthecob- hear it in tenseconds. It’s the vibe that’s They would say: ‘Mr Warhol, what do The only conclusion Ican come to is that bledstreets of astonishing, and that’s whyit’staken off. think of the album?’ His partwas to keep LouReedhates beinganalysed, which is Prague’sold town It’s not justabunch of guys