Published: Thursday, 16th July, 2009 10:11am

The Beautiful people

by Matt Meade

Comments (0) | Print | Email

JUST over a dozen faces appear in black and white on a large screen at the back of the Carnegie Hall stage.

They include various speed freaks, a Coca-Cola sipping, unbearably cool Lou Reed and an emotionally damaged dancer who came out of a bath to pirouette naked to his favourite classical song at a party before spectacularly diving out of the window to his death.

What these people all have in common is being part of the scene surrounding artist Andy Warhol"s famous art studio Factory in New York.

They also happen to be beautiful looking, every one of them.

These "screen tests" - three minutes of a camera pointed straight at their face - was compiled by Warhol to create the silent film "Portraits".

Now tonight it is soundtracked aptly by a four-piece band featuring Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, formerly of Luna.

Most of their stuff sounds fittingly Velvet-Underground-esque (seeing that Lou Reed and the narcissistic Nico appear on-screen) and features a rendition of the previously unreleased "I"m not a Young Man Anymore" by the band.

The performances on screen are enhanced by the music, so much so it often appears the faces are reacting to the songs rather than the other way round.

Both Dean and Britta take time to explain who is on screen, usually throwing in a brief anecdote as background.

This helps, seeing that many of the faces are not recognisable to younger members of the audience.

The highlight is actor Dennis Hoppe'sr turn, using subtle facial expressions, to go from threatening to amused.

13 Most Beautiful...works not only as a touching musical homage but a piercing glance into the social history of the 1960s New York Art scene. Mesmerising stuff.