All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story

Edition excerpt from All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story (2023): An examination of some of rock'n'roll's most iconic figures—The Velvet Underground & Andy Warhol—and the loaded push-pull relationship that distorted their lives and echoed throughout popular culture. Many cultural critics would agree that Andy Warhol gave the Velvet Underground their break simply by bringing them under his wing. While they reached a certain level of notoriety and local celebrity in their time and have since acquired a lasting cult following, their success was in large part fostered by Warhol’s patronage. But at the time, this relationship was muddied by a certain level of codependence and an insatiable appetite for fame and irony, leaving Reed to ponder quietly: Would we have succeeded without Warhol's help? This doubt begins to spread like a malignant force, eventually leading to the band’s undoing as they break away from Warhol and, perhaps, give up their golden ticket to success. Explore the story behind the group The New York Times called "arguably the most influential American rock band of our time," through good times and bad, as captured in emotive style by multi-award winning artist Koren Shadmi (Twilight Man, Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater).