The underground’s archduke of art-rock, John Cale, helped reshape the DNA of modern music back in the late ‘60s, wielding a droning viola and a fiercely avant-garde attitude as a founding force behind The Velvet Underground. While Lou Reed supplied the sleaze, it was Cale who summoned the chaos.
Beyond Velvet mythology, Cale carved out a ferocious second act as a producer, overseeing landmark debuts for proto-punk legends like Patti Smith, The Stooges, and The Modern Lovers — and cementing his status as one of rock’s great disruptors.
Now, the Welsh-born pioneer is back on the road. Joined by a crack trio, Cale’s latest tour dips into fresh material while digging through his sprawling solo archive — from the lush melancholy of 1973’s Paris 1919 to his spectral collaborations with fellow Velvet Underground outlier, Nico. Expect a sonic onslaught, all underscored by garish visuals blitzing across the stage.
Cale’s latest album, 2024’s POPtical Illusion, has earned raves from The Guardian, The Wire, and Rolling Stone — the latter declaring it “another gem” packed with grim yet playful energy, welding synths, guitars, and electronic beats into a fire-lit dystopia.
Cale will be performing at Sydney’s City Hall on 10 July 2025 and will also head up Unsound’s 2025 program.
