John Cale: Underdog in de underground

Not counting the AI-generated total rubbish biographies there haven't been many books about John Cale. Belgian author (and musician) Wouter Bulckaert's effort Underdog in de underground is a worthy addition to Cale's autobiography What's Welsh For Zen (co-written with Victor Bockris) and Tim Mitchell's Sedition and Alchemy. Part retelling of his all over the place career, part critical review of the extensive discography, Bulckaert is obviously a fan, but he doesn't turn a blind eye to the weaker spots and odd decisions made by a perennial outsider, restless musical seeker, collaborator, and producer.

John Cale: on working with Charli xcx

John Cale said some nice things on working with Charli xcx in an interview with Rolling Stone:

Energy and vivacity mixed with a real knowledge of music, far different from her own. An awareness of cultural shifts on the precipice — how to harness it all whilst not losing her own identity. She’s smart, fun, a bit of a whirlwind, and always curious. Yeah, it’s her laser-focused desire to absorb all that life offers — and try it on for size!

John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese on the cover of Charli xcx album

John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese are on the cover of Charli xcx 's new album Music, Fashion, Film, due for release on July 11. Cale teamed up with her for House, the lead single from her previous album Wuthering Heights, in 2025, contributing a spoken word part. The photo was made by Aidan Zamiri.

» charlixcx.com
» john-cale.com
» John Cale - Helping out (guest appearances)

The Velvet Underground Myth: their story told through press clippings

Grant McPhee has launched a website with contemporary press clippings about The Velvet Underground, organised by year. If anything, the bulk of the articles make it abudantly clear that the band was misunderstood by most writers during their short tenure.

Included are also links to a few in-depth essays he wrote on the most popular stories that have been making the rounds for decades. Did Beatles manager Brian Epstein wanted to manage them? How well did their debut album sell?

» thevelvetundergroundmyth.com

Chris Spedding: interview with Guitar World

Chris Spedding on stage with John Cale in 1975

English guitarist Chris Spedding has been a well-respected session player and sideman for 50 years. He picked some highlights for an interview with Guitar World. On working with John Cale:

I liked John because he was one of the few people who'd take a chance. He'd change tempos, keys and the order of songs because he was interested in improvising. Some of the other members of the band were kind of freaked out by that because it's not the rock 'n' roll thing.

Penblwyddyn hapus i chi! Happy Birthday, John Cale!

Penblwyddyn hapus i chi!
Happy Birthday, John Cale!

» john-cale.com
» fearisamansbestfriend.nl

John Cale: "Antarctica Starts Here" for "Haunts" VR experience in Cardiff

John Cale's Cale's Antarctica Starts Here is part of the soundtrack for Haunts, a "single user VR experience" at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, that runs from March 1 until April 12. The exhibition looks back at the Welsh party scene in 2006.

The year is 2006, Tony Blair is Prime Minister, Twitter has just been launched, and young people are quickly getting used to a world where social media and technology are beginning to take hold. 16-year-old Morgan, voiced by Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin), is searching to understand where he belongs, his journey set against the backdrop of a community in Llanberis - a small town at the foot of Snowdon in Wales.

» John Cale on Facebook
» fearisamansbestfriend.nl

Cover Me: Amsterdam

Watch Karla Manzur and Alejandro Escovedo performing John Cale's Amsterdam during a show at the Moody Theater on January 12, 2013, with Ephraim Owens and Elias Haslanger on horns and Brian Standefer, Susan Voelz and Bobby Daniel on strings. Alejandro Escovedo recorded a studio version for his Bourbonitis Blues album, released in 1999.

» alejandroescovedo.com
» Covering John Cale

Cover Me: Only Time Will Tell

In 2015 Eyelids, an American band featuring former and current members of Guided By Voices, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Decemberists, Camper Van Beethoven, and Boston Spaceships, covered John Cale's Only Time Will Tell on their self-titled EP.

» Eyelids on Facebook
» Covering John Cale

Cover Me: Andalucia

In 2020 American multi-instrumentalist and singer Andrew Bird covered John Cale's Andalucia on his Hark! album. Abigail Portner created the animated video.

» andrewbird.net
» Covering John Cale

Charli xcx & John Cale: House

British singer-songwriter Charli xcx and John Cale teamed up for House, a Gothic song that will feature in the soundtrack for the remake of Wuthering Heights, which will be in theatres in February 2026. It is a nifty mix of spoken word, distortion and drones, following Cale's statement that "any song has to be both elegant and brutal". It that keeps lingering long after the song has finished. The video was directed by Mitch Ryan.

Charli XCX & John Cale: new single "House" on November 10

British singer-songwriter Charli XCX reached out to John Cale to hear his opinions about the songs she wrote for the soundtrack for the remake of Wuthering Heights, which will be in theatres in February 2026.

The seeds for this collaboration were sown when she heard Cale say that "any song has to be both elegant and brutal" in The Velvet Underground documentary. One of her tracks clicked:

We started talking specifically about ‘House.’ We spoke about the idea of a poem. He recorded something and sent it to me. Something that only John could do. And it was … well, it made me cry.

House will be released on November 10.

» charlixcx.com
» john-cale.com
» John Cale - Helping out (guest appearances)

John Cale: New York 2025/11/02 setlist

John Cale performed at at Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, USA - November 2, 2025. Billed as Steam on Glass – evolving sound clouds as part of the Unsound Festival. A supposedly improv section called Hold a Chord and Sing and Barracuda were on the setlist, but were not played.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, keyboards, guitar
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Joey Maramba: bass
Deantoni Parks: drums, synths

Setlist:

1. Shark-Shark
2. Captain Hook
3. Chums of Dumpty
4. Leaving It Up To You
5. Archimedes
6. Broken Bird (snippet)
7. Frozen Warnings
8. Hey Ray
9. Big White Cloud
10. 1000 Years
11. Mailman (The Lying Song)
12. If You Were Still Around
13. Company Commander
14. My Maria

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale setlists

"Paris s'eveille" screening in New York; score by John Cale

Paris s'eveille, a movie directed by Oliver Assayas with a score by John Cale, will make its long overdue American screening debut on November 4 at BAM in New York. The footage has been restored - fingers crossed they also spend some time and money on the audio.

John Cale: "Steam on Glass" In New York

On November 2 John Cale will present Steam on Glass @ Lincoln Center in New York:

Cale presents Steam on Glass – evolving sound clouds, exploring noise, improv, and experimentation while tracing his New York City lineage. He showcases his vast repertoire of songs, from the academic experimentation that led to the formation of The Velvet Underground to his multi-genre stepping stones and current works.

Tickets go on sale on September 10.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale on tour

John Cale: songs used in TV series "Poker Face", "Hacks" & "Too Much"

John Cale songs are popping up in mainstream TV series this year.

Barracuda is the closing song in Whack-A-Mole, episode 3 of the second season of Poker Face, an American murder mystery TV show, aired on May 8.

Paris 1919 is used in Mrs. Table, episode 6 of season 4 of the American comedy show Hacks, aired on May 8.

A short instrumental bit of You Know More Than I Know is used in Pity Woman, episode 2 of the comedy series Too Much, which debuted on Netflix on July 10.

» John Cale on Facebook
» fearisamansbestfriend.nl

John Cale: Adelaide 2025/07/12 setlist

John Cale performed at Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide, Australia - July 12, 2025. Part of the Unsound 2025 Festival. No encore:

After a lengthy pause, the band came back on stage to play an encore but Cale, once he had resumed his seat at his keyboard, strangely apologised to us all for his effort in ‘Hallelujah, or whatever it was’ (a song he did not actually play) before leaving the stage once again, without playing a note, his band looking confused and sheepish as they unplugged and, anticlimactically, followed him offstage and into the wings.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, keyboards, guitar
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Joey Maramba: bass
Deantoni Parks: drums, synths

Setlist:

1. Shark-Shark
2. Captain Hook
3. Mr. Wilson
4. Chums of Dumpty
5. Setting Fires
6. Long Way Out of Pain
7. Cable Hogue
8. Heartbreak Hotel
9. How We See The Light
10. My Maria
11. Company Commander
12. Out Your Window
13. Big White Cloud
14. Frozen Warnings
15. Barracuda

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale setlists

John Cale: Sydney 2025/07/10 setlist

John Cale performed at City Recital Hall, Sydney, Australia - July 10, 2025. Support act Xani Kolac played electric violin on Captain Hook.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, keyboards, guitar
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Joey Maramba: bass
Deantoni Parks: drums, synths

Setlist:

1. Shark-Shark
2. Captain Hook
3. Mr. Wilson
4. Chums of Dumpty
5. Setting Fires
6. Long Way Out of Pain
7. Cable Hogue
8. Heartbreak Hotel
9. How We See The Light
10. My Maria
11. Company Commander
12. Out Your Window
13. Frozen Warnings
14. Villa Albani
15. E: I'm Waiting For The Man

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale setlists

John Cale: Live at Paradiso in Amsterdam 2004

On December 9, 2004 John Cale performed at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He played with Mark Deffenbaugh (acoustic guitars, banjo, harmonica) and Deantoni Parks (drums, samples). The show was webcasted by the now defunct fabchannel.com, but is now available again on YouTube. Zen, Style It Takes, Heartbreak Hotel and Mercenaries (Ready For War) were released as the "Amsterdam Suite" on the Circus Live album in 2007.

John Cale on Cate Le Bon album

John Cale has contributed to Ride, a track on the Michelangelo Dying album by Welsh musician Cate Le Bon, which will be released on September 26. Further details to be announced. Le Bon took part in the John Cale (2018-1964): A Futurespective shows in Paris, a 3-night stand at the Philharmonie de Paris on September 23, 24 & 25, 2019.

» catelebon.com
» John Cale - Helping out
(lists all known guest appearances)