Review: I'll Be Your Webcam

A modern reinterpretation of the Velvet Underground’s 1967 Album

What happens when a group of thirteen St Andrews students reinterpret the 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico? On 2 April, I’ll Be Your Webcam was performed in the McPherson recital room by a group of talented musicians, singers, and composers. 

I was particularly enthusiastic about this performance, as the Velvet Underground is one of my favourite bands of all time. Their debut album features elements of avant-garde music incorporated into brash, minimal, and groove-driven rock music, which is unparalleled. This performance exceeded my expectations. I found that most of the audience reciprocated the performers’ familiarity with Lou Reed’s lyrics and the atmosphere they evoked of cigarettes, prostitution, and urban life.

Felix Saint Bris, the director and producer, explained how the idea for the project came about: “It was my last semester and I was at the pub with my friends and I mentioned how I always wanted to play at the Laidlaw centre, and have a shared music that people would know, and Rowan [Lidell] suggested to play this album, but make it more electronic, hence the name of ‘I’ll Be Your Webcam’ […] it is a modern interpretation but still acoustic.” Loulou Sloss, singer, stated, “In terms of my involvement, Felix said one night that he was unsure of what to do with the song ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties.’ I, jokingly, said I could sing it, and Felix, an encouraging and thoughtful friend, said I was in (if I could take the pressure and hold a pitch).” Toni Williamson, meanwhile, was the ‘brain’ of the performance, arranging the music to best showcase the broad scope of instruments in every song. I’ll Be Your Webcam, as explained in their leaflet, brought the “individual base of knowledge each musician has [...] through their instruments and history with the album [to make] this an enriching and innovative project under the guise of being a tribute show.”

If the album merges art rock, experimental rock, and proto-punk, I’ll Be Your Webcam was a modern reinterpretation with an orchestra and a blend of lovely harmonies and voice types. The icy and enthralling beauty of Nico's Dietrich-esque vocals on pop-like songs like ‘I'll Be Your Mirror’ and ‘Femme Fatale’ perfectly matched Lila’s Kikuchi voice, balanced with vocals from Toni Williamson, Tate Warner, and Rowan Lidell — who also looked so 1960s and swag with his sunglasses, paying tribute to Lou Reed and John Cale’s presence. The bagpipes (Sacha Murray Threipland), cello (Sebastian Halbach), and flutes (Toni Williamson) made the performance cinematic and lively. It rendered justice to nature and the rock n’ roll spirit of the album, all with a modern twist. Ben Badgley and Felix’s guitar and singing presence were reminiscent of their Herons’ duo performance.

Moe Tucker's minimalist drumming underpins the whole record, and throughout this live performance, I was impressed to recognise that virtuosic soloing of the 1967 rendition. John Cale, an enthusiast of the droning technique, played a sustained single note, taking the listening experience to an altered state, this energy being transmitted through songs like ‘Venus in Furs’ or ‘Heroin.’ Personally, my favourite performance was ‘European Son,’ which contrasted with the overall groovy underground mood with chills. The fun outro, where the band danced on stage to the reverberations of McPherson, rendered an almost climactic energy. James Paumgarten, the cameraman, stated how “some sounds were hard to record, but there were a lot of contributions from artists from rehearsals.” The full performance will be uploaded to YouTube, and the band is trying to bring the show elsewhere in St Andrews and Glasgow. As noted by Loulou, “the thrill of the guise of a ‘one night only’ show made it an exhilarating night, but I’m sure we would all love to do it again at the right venue … for the sole purpose of making more t-shirts.” Most people in the crowd were very familiar with the album and were captivated by it, and rushed to get the shirts! Honorary mention to Molly Clements and Tabor Dempsey for the banana that was the centrepiece of the band and magically popped up at Szentek. 

If you are intrigued by this performance or would like to relive it, make sure you follow I’ll Be Your Webcam on Instagram, as a performance will probably come up soon on a warm day, or a recording of the band performing an acoustic version in someone's living room.

Photo courtesy of James Paumgartner