LIVE REVIEW: CELEBRATING LOU REED, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO @ THE TRIFFID 26/01/26

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Rod Fletcher

Lou Reed was a true master of his music, writing and art, and he was one of the most profound influences on modern culture. Lou Reed brought a new, gritty realism to songwriting and rock, focusing on urban life, drug addiction, prostitution and the LGBTQ+ scene of New York City. His work focused on compassion for marginalised individuals. He brought a poet’s sensibility to songwriting, often creating fully fleshed out characters within minutes, and he is considered a foundational figure in alternative, punk and art rock genres.

The 11 musicians who brought the ‘Celebrating Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground & Nico!’ to The Triffid accepted the challenge to bring Lou Reed’s music and songs to life for the sold out crowd interested in his songs.

Lou Reed has a huge back catalogue. Each singer brought their own version of how they saw and engaged with Lou Reed and his work. Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens) had a personal connection with his music as a teenager. Dave Graney (The Coral Snakes) focused on the mid 1970s era. Mick Harvey (Bleak Squad, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Birthday Party) tackled the darker “slow and depressing” material. Rob Snarski (The Blackeyed Susans) had a personal connection with Nico and worked with Lou Reed’s band, and Melbourne based singer Stefanie Duzel delivered the iconic songs written by Lou Reed for her ‘Femme Fatale’ and ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’.

The fantastic all star backing band providing the instrumentation and rhythm of the night was Robbie Warren (Died Pretty), Barton Price (Models, The Winged Heels), Roger Mason (Models), Paul McDonald (Glide, The Gin Palace, Steve Kilbey), Mark Tobin (Caligula, The Gin Palace, Steve Kilbey), and Tom Hessman.

The evening had two sets of music. Each singer had about two to three songs each in both sets. This led to 25 songs being covered in a huge and diverse setlist.

Set 1 commenced with Dave Graney, who started the concert with a real upbeat delivery as he kicked things off with the statement of intent ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Heart’, then the fabulous ‘Vicious’ and the “deep cut” ‘Stupid Man’. Rob Snarski then took over the lead singer duties and delivered his take on the song about a drag queen from Long Island ‘Candy Says’ and followed it with ‘Satellite of Love’.

Stefanie Duzel then delivered the iconic songs ‘Femme Fatale’ and ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’. Mick Harvey then warned the crowd “the others will take you up and I will take you down” as he performed the serious anti war songs ‘Kill Your Sons’ and ‘Venus in Furs’ from The Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut album ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’.

Robert Forster closed out the first set with his interpretations of the big rockers ‘What Goes On’ and ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’. He then signed off and told the crowd that they would all be back for “Set 2 in 20 minutes”.

The first set covered a wide range of Lou Reed’s past eras: his work in bands like The Jades, The Velvet Underground, Metal Machine Trio and his solo work, along with albums including ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ (1967), ‘Transformer’ (1972), ‘Berlin’ (1973) and the acclaimed ‘New York’ (1989).

After 20 minutes The Triffid went dark and Set 2 began with Dave Graney performing the up tempo rock songs ‘Sally Can’t Dance’, ‘Charley’s Girl’ and ‘I Can’t Stand It’ in his signature style of robotic movements.

Rob Snarski then took over the lead singer duties again and focused on performing a lovely interpretation of ‘Caroline Says’ from ‘Berlin’, followed by the song that needs no introduction ‘Perfect Day’, and the crowd singalong was in full swing.

Mick Harvey was then in charge of the microphone, and he brought the dark back with the sombre dirge of ‘The Bed’, ‘I’m Set Free’ and ‘Street Hassle’. His straight reading and singing of Lou Reed’s lyrics was amazing. He became the conduit for the spirit of the songs, and for those three songs that I did not know well, he let the poetry out and the light into the soundscape. It was impressive, as getting that emotion across is difficult.

Robert Forster brought the performance home with the full rock treatment of the beautiful and disturbing ‘Pale Blue Eyes’. He then performed the classic songs that will transcend time. First up was ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. The crowd were at peak delight hearing these songs, as the singalong grew louder. They were also delighted with Robert Forster’s explanation of the impact on a 14 year old boy from Queensland and how he picked up the guitar. “Lou Reed delivered a world I knew nothing about but it sounded exciting!” as he launched into ‘Sweet Jane’.

There was a short “good evening” as the band left the stage. Then, as curfew approached on this Australia Day night, the band came back on stage for the encore of ‘Rock ’n’ Roll’, which is what the whole night had been about. The Triffid stage had 11 people squished onto it, and it was wonderful to see so many skilled musicians together playing rock ’n’ roll as a collective. I think Lou Reed would have loved it, and he would have been impressed that the 25 song setlist delivered a retrospective of his career that would satisfy the hardcore fan as well as someone taking their first taste of his music.

The team that delivered the ‘Celebrating Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground & Nico!’ gave fans an immersive musical experience that celebrated the skill of the songwriter and the expertise and talent of the musicians delivering his work. It was a fabulous evening.