The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound (1966): Cast & Plot

The film follows the inaugural band practice of The Velvet Underground and Nico, presented as one long, loose improvisation. Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison sketch out the guitar backbone, with Reed playing a Gretsch Country Gentleman and Morrison jabbing away on a Vox Phantom. Maureen Tucker drives a compact, three-piece drum setup, while John Cale handles an electric viola. Nico contributes by bashing a single maraca against a tambourine, as a young Ari—played by Christian Aaron Boulogne—rests at Nico’s feet. The scene includes a moment where Reed demonstrates the lyrics to Venus in Furs, and there’s even an earnest attempt at a full track, There She Goes Again, with Nico taking the lead vocal.