Melbourne International Arts Festival

Legendary member of The Velvet Underground and acclaimed composer John Cale performs his seminal solo album, Paris 1919 and dips into his extensive songbook in a spectacular live performance accompanied by members of his band and Orchestra Victoria.

Cale's footprints are stamped all over the past four decades of musical history. Through co-founding The Velvet Underground and the music he has made as a solo artist and in collaborations, he has acquired a deserved reputation as a pioneering, influential force in modern music.

Frequently considered Cale’s best and most accessible recording, 1973's Paris 1919 is an orchestra art-rock album inspired by the Treaty of Versailles. It blends rock, soul and classical sounds with quietly anthemic songwriting and shifting instrumentation for a collection of songs Cale describes as "an example of the nicest ways of saying something ugly". This performance is for one night only and is sure to be a hit of this year’s Festival.