John Cale
"See, the beauty of Cale in the beginning was that he really didn’t know very much about rock. In fact, he knew next to nothing. So, if you turned him loose on an instrument he wasn’t able to play any kind of cliched anything because he didn’t know any of the cliches. It was all original."

Sterling Morrison

Fear Is A Man's Best Friend (Est. 1999) is the ultimate unofficial John Cale website
Fear Is A Man's Best Friend - John Cale

Live reviews

Berlin 2004-02-08

Cale in Berlin 2004

Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
Review by Einar Stenseng

John Cale performed live music to avantgarde filmmaker C.S. Leigh's new movie, Process, in Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt on Sunday February 8th. The screening of the movie was in conjunction with the Berlinale International Film Festival.

Cale in Berlin 2004

Cale sat on stage, in front of the big screen, surrounded by television monitors showing different close-ups of his face singing and speaking. On the sides of the big screen (showing the actual movie) were also two smaller screens; one showing buildings being bombed (as seen from the bombing airplane), another showing yet a close-up of Cale.

Most of the music (which I presume was also composed and performed (piano) by Cale) was on playback. Cale only added a bit of synthesizer, some breathing, screaming, reciting, singing (bits of "Over Her Head") and, at the very end of the movie, some gorgeous, loud noise generated with an electric guitar.


» Fresh Cale

Paris 1919 Order the remastered and expanded Paris 1919 album (2LP, CD) via Domino Records
The Academy in Peril Order the remastered and expanded The Academy in Peril album (LP, CD) via Domino Records
FacebookInstagram

» Got a review?


© 1999-2025 Hans Werksman