Tickets went on sale in March for Lou Reed’s European premiere of the entirety of Lou Reed’s 1973 landmark album Berlin. These rare European concerts will see Reed performing with a 30-piece ensemble including his band, a string and horn section, and a children’s choir. The selected European dates began in Brussels on June 18th, and include performances in Holland, France, Germany, Britain and Italy.

Lou Reed performed two UK concerts at the London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday June 30th and Sunday July 1st. Tickets for the London concerts went on sale at 9am on Friday March 16th.

The Berlin European concerts are being hailed as a rare insight into one of music’s greatest minds, a labour of love and an integral part of rock history. “I only do this every thirty years,” says Reed. “One time, one time only. You can tell your kids you saw Lou Reed’s Berlin.”

The New York Times called the album “one of the strongest, most original rock records in years.” Rolling Stone named it, “the Sgt. Pepper of the 70s.” The same magazine—among many others—attacked Reed for the work: “There are certain records that are so patently offensive that one wishes to take some kind of physical vengeance on the artists that perpetrate them. Reed’s only excuse for this performance…can only be that this was his last shot at a once-promising career.” Reed never performed Berlin live.

Thirty-three years after the release of the album, Reed launched the world premiere of an electrifying theatrical concert version of Berlin at St. Anne’s Warehouse, New York City (December 14-17, 2006), followed by three performances at Australia’s Sydney Festival (January 18-20, 2006). The entire Berlin song cycle was performed live. Reed and his band were accompanied by a string and horn section and a children’s choir, amounting to a 35-piece ensemble.

Sydney Festival, January 2007.
Photo credit: (c) Adam Taylor

As in the making of the album, on the European tour, Reed will collaborate with an all-star creative team including musical direction by the original producer, Bob Ezrin—who produced the Berlin album, and record producer Hal Willner, whose most recent works include the Leonard Cohen tribute concert I’m Your Man (now a theatrically released documentary film and an album on Verve Forecast) and Lucinda Williams.

Similarly to the New York and Sydney concerts, the European performances will be directed and set designed by Reed’s friend, the renowned painter Julian Schnabel.

Reed will be joined onstage by friends and favorite collaborators including singer Katie Krykant, bandleader Rupert Christie (keyboards), Steve Hunter (guitar), Fernando Saunders (bass, vocals), Rob Wasserman (stand-up bass), Tony 'Thunder' Smith (drums), brass and strings arranged by Hal Willner, featuring the London Metropolitan Orchestra and the New London Children's Choir.

Le Monde – Lyon, France concert review
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All Gigs - Review of 'Berlin' gig in Manchester
www.allgigs.co.uk/../

musicOMH – London 'Berlin' gig review
www.musicomh.com

Jonathan Ross & David Walliams discuss Lou Reed's 'Berlin' London Apollo gig on BBC 6 Music
Click Here For The MP3

Financial Times - A Tale of Addiction Rehabilitated
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BBC 6 Music – London Apollo gig review
featuring a comment from Jonathan Ross
www.bbc.co.uk/../

The Herald – London Apollo gig review
www.theherald.co.uk/../

Glastonbury of the Mind – Gavin Martin's take
on the London Apollo concert
http://glastonburyofthemind.blog.com/

London Evening Standard -
London Hammersmith Apollo gig review
www.thisislondon.co.uk/../

Get Ready To Rock - London Hammersmith Apollo gig review
www.getreadytorock.com/../

Manchester Evening News - Manchester Apollo gig review
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/../

The Independent - 5-Star Review of 'Berlin' concert
at Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall
http://arts.independent.co.uk/../

France 24 - 'Berlin' Paris concert review
www.france24.com/../

Johnnie Walker interviews Lou Reed (BBC Radio 2)
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/walker/

Le Monde - Lou Reed, l'esthète dans 'Berlin'
www.lemonde.fr/../

The Sunday Times - Robert Sandall reviews
Lou Reed's 'Berlin' concert in Brussels
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/../

The Guardian – 5-Star review of Berlin gig in Amsterdam
http://music.guardian.co.uk/../

BBC Music - 'Berlin' 2007 Tour Edition Review
www.bbc.co.uk/../

Virgin Media - 'Berlin' 2007 Tour Edition Review
http://musicnews.virginmedia.com/../

NME - Lou Reed Suggests There's Even More 'Berlin'
www.nme.com/../

MusicOMH - 'Berlin': 2007 Tour Edition Review
www.musicomh.com/../

BlogCritics.com - Lou Reed Takes 'Berlin' Back On The Road
http://blogcritics.org/../

Manchester Evening News - 'Berlin' 2007 Tour Edition CD Review
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/../

BBC Radio London - Robert Elms interviews Lou Reed
www.bbc.co.uk/../

The Bolton News - Manchester International Festival: Lou Reed
www.theboltonnews.co.uk/../

icCoventry - Lou Reed's 'Berlin' Takes A Tour On The Wild Side
http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/../

Daily Telegraph – Review of Berlin gig in Amsterdam
www.telegraph.co.uk/../

The Guardian - Lou Reed: The Day The Wall Came Down
www.guardian.co.uk/../

International Herald Tribune - Ressurecting 'Berlin,'
Lou Reed's Seedy Masterpiece
www.iht.com/../

BBC World Service -
Lou Reed Reprises Berlin Album For Major Tour
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/../

Today show (BBC Radio 4) - Lou Reed Audio Interview
www.bbc.co.uk/../

Room Thirteen - News Story
www.roomthirteen.com/../

Angry Ape - News Story
http://angryape.com/../

Undercover.com.au - News Story
http://undercover.com.au/../

Glasswerk - News Story
www.glasswerk.co.uk/../

The Telegraph Magazine - Iron Glove, Velvet Fist
(The Mick Brown Interview)
www.telegraph.co.uk/../

The Times - Berlin Interview
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/

Manchester Evening News -
UK Premiere of 'Berlin' At Manchester Festival
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/../

ABC News - Lou Reed Wows Sydney with Berlin
www.abc.net.au/

Sydney Morning Herald - Live Review of Berlin Concert
www.smh.com.au/

Music-News.com - Lou Reed To Headline
Manchester International Festival
www.music-news.com/../

Billboard.com - Lou Reed To Revisit 'Berlin' In Europe
www.billboard.com/../

NME.com - Lou Reed Anounces European Premiere Of 'Berlin'
www.nme.com/../

Uncut.co.uk - Lou Reed Brings Berlin To London
www.uncut.co.uk/../

Q4Music – Lou Reed To Tour ‘Berlin’
http://news.q4music.com/../

Playlouder.com – Then Reed Takes Berlin . . . around the world
www.playlouder.com/../

eil.com - Lou Reed On Tour
http://eil.com/blog/index.asp

Gigwise - News Story
www.gigwise.com/../

eGigs.co.uk - Two New UK Dates For Lou Reed
www.egigs.co.uk/../

Bacon Music - Lou Reed To Play Two Rare London Shows
www.baconmusic.co.uk/../

Drowned in Sound – Lou Reed Tours Europe With Berlin Album
www.drownedinsound.com/../

Rock Star Italy - News Story
www.rockstar.it/../

Indigo Flow – Lou Reed Brings Berlin Show To Europe
www.indigoflow.co.uk/../

AlbumVote.co.uk
www.albumvote.co.uk/../

Entertainment 4 Media.com - News Story
www.entertainment4media.com/../

Lou Reed / Luciano Pavarotti - Perfect Day (2001)
www.youtube.com/../

Official Lou Reed Site
www.loureed.com

Lou Reed - Official MySpace Page
www.myspace.com/officialloureed

Lou Reed Biography on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Reed

Lou Reed - New York City Man
www.loureed.nl

Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Animal
www.arrakis.es/~e.miquel/rnranimal/

The Lou Reed Forum
www.loureedforum.com

Lou Reed - Italian Fansite
www.loureed.it