March 7, 2013 14:11

Lou Reed turns up to public playback of his album 'Transformer'

Iconic frontman surprised fans at New York event

Photo: Linda Covello/Press

Lou Reed surprised fans in New York this week when he made an appearance at a playback of his seminal album 'Transformer'.

Fans for the former Velvet Underground frontman had gathered in a New York bar for a playback of the LP on Monday night (March 4) and were shocked to see a familiar figure in the room. The vinyl listening session was the first of its kind in New York, with organisers High50.com having enjoyed success with the idea in London.

High50.com Founder & Creative Director Robert Campbell said Reed appeared to listen to the album, before later discussing with fans the album's best moments and wider cultural significance: "Lou Reed is a hero of mine and of many of our readers, so for him to unexpectedly attend our first US event was a rare treat," he said. "Music plays a significant role with this 50+ generation, and the aim of these events is to recapture the experience of the LP by listening to it on vinyl with friends, and in the way it was always intended. There’s no better album to launch in New York than Lou Reed's 'Transformer' and to share it with the man himself was incredibly special."

The high50.com New York launch is the US's first taste of the format with UK listeners regularly attending Soho House branches in the UK to hear albums such as Pink Floyd's 'The Dark Side of the Moon' and 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders from Mars' by David Bowie since 2011.

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