LOU REED.

Description

May 1975 Japanese concert tour program 

Large original concert program produced for American musician and songwriter Lou Reed’s July 1975 Japanese tour, presented by Udo Artists, Inc. The 4-date tour kicked off with three consecutive shows at the Nakano Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo on 7th, 9th and 10th July and ended at the Welfare Pension Hall in Osaka on 11th July, 1975. This was Reed’s first visit to Japan. The tour caught him at an incredibly chaotic, transitional, and avant-garde peak – embarking on the tour right around the exact same week his polarizing, noise-art masterpiece Metal Machine Music was unleashed upon the world. Despite Reed’s reputation for being notoriously prickly and confrontational with journalists and fans during the mid-70s, the audio legacy of this tour tells a completely different story. Backed by a razor-sharp band featuring keyboardist Michael Fonfara and saxophonist Marty Fogel, the group defied the cold, mechanical vibe of Metal Machine Music and instead played with an explosive, soulful, jazz-rock energy. Bootlegs from the Sun Plaza shows reveal a highly engaged Lou Reed who actually seemed to be having fun. The performances featured a surprisingly “show-tuney”, piano-heavy arrangement of “Walk on the Wild Side”, a funked-up, saxophone-driven version of “I’m Waiting for the Man”, and an expansive, throat-shredding medley of “Rock and Roll” melting into “Leave Me Alone”.

In original illustrated dull-coated wrappers, staple bound, 25.5 x 36.2 cm, 28 pp. All text in Japanese. In excellent complete condition, tightly bound and clean.