NICO ...#31

Here is the beautiful Nico as chanteuse extraordinaire.. in 67 with the Velvet Underground, she was young, talented and certainly had a unique way to sing... she was also using sexual politics to manipulate people around her.

At the beginning of the seventies, she was in Paris living with avant-garde film director Philippe Garrel, Arthur Rimbaud with a camera. Nico starred many of Garrel's films from that period.. my favourite ones are "la cicatrice intérieure" and "Athanor".

Garrel & Nico

In this film I had been shocked to see the transformation of the blond model into a red haired venenous beauty, long very long eye lashes and that voice ... I remember an article in an English underground mag called "Friendz" (no connections) on Nico and they were using the word Goth and this was in 69 ! In '74 in Paris I saw Nico in person for the first time... I used to go in this small record shop on the right banke of the Seine river and met Nico in the street over there..

She looked a bit dammaged to say the least, some dharma bum in gypsy dress and cowboy boots. But her eyes were still flamboyant and full of magic. I was impressed and did not dare stop her or say a word to her. Later the same year a concert had been announced and I bought my ticket the first day it could be. But, that concert was cancelled at the last minute.. apparently the diva was not feeling well ... she had problems with chemical substances. Garrel was still releasing films in which she was the muse, the main star and the musician.. Perfect poems of love to the woman he worshipped. I was envious of that fatal love, of that incredible link which existed between the two artists.

When Nico released "the end" produced by Eno and I was listening endlessly to "Innocent and vain" as if this song had been written for me. I was in England at that time but was told by friends who had met her through acquaintances in Paris that Garrel and her had split. She resumed her bohemian life and when I came back in Paris could finally attend one of her gigs. It was like a greek tragedy so gloomy was the atmosphere of her litanic chants.. and I loved every second of it. After the show I went to her to thank her for everything and she smiled explaining me in that deep voice that the song I had particularly enjoyed was a new one called "Gengis Khan". Of course she had nothing in common anymore with the Velvet goddess and seemed older than expected.

When she died in 1988, sadness filled the hearts of some fans like me, and reading later the excellent book from James Young on Nico last years.. I found out she died just after having found balance again ... This book is a masterpiece, it describes life on the road and all troubles and sorrows as well as disappointed hopes you get when you are in a semi-loser rock band.. form John Cale producing while half drunk to the customs guards examining Nico's panties, everything is in there totally true and full size.. an horror.

Her songs fortunately are out of time and still keep their sinister strength. She was some doomed artist, some poisonous muse but she had such a look in her eyes.. I will keep these memories always will ...

"Moving target, that's what I am, as life has always run after me" (Nico)