Lou Reed – Live at The Ritz, New York, 1986

This filmed live concert captures Lou Reed at The Ritz, in New York, on 16 July 1986, the first of two sold-out nights at the East Village venue. The full concert supports the tour behind Mistrial, the former Velvet Underground leader’s fourteenth studio album, several of whose songs appear in the set (Mistrial, The Original Wrapper, Video Violence, Tell It to Your Heart). On stage Reed works with a tight band: longtime bassist Fernando Saunders, Rick Bell on saxophone, Woody Smallwood on keyboards and J.T. Lewis on drums. The setlist blends expected classics – Sweet Jane, Satellite of Love, Walk on the Wild Side, Street Hassle, Rock & Roll – with mid-1980s material. Shot and originally broadcast for television, this 1986 live document shows Reed in sharp form, guitar in hand, delivering a nervy, direct reading of his catalogue. A reference recording for anyone following the artist on stage in New York during this period, and a clear snapshot of how the Mistrial-era band framed both the newer songs and the enduring standards.