Luna / VU tour diary – 19 June 1993

19th June

Stan, Sterl, Dean & Mo

Berlin. Berlin is a different city these days. Sean and Gordon (our soundman) and I are taken over to Oranienburgerstrasse in the former eastern part of the city. It’s just like the East Village, but Berlin always did remind me of New York, the same problems with gentrification and racism and lovely museums and burnt-out buildings and stuff. We run into Sterling Morrison at a bar called Obst and Gemuse (Fruit and Vegetables), and all go to the Knaack Club where kids are dancing to Deep Purple on one floor, and techno on another. We stay till about 4:00 a.m. I ask all the boring fan questions which Sterling is kind enough to answer. On the way back the cab driver is listening to the radio - it’s the Velvet Underground, a bootleg live version of “Beginning to See the Light” from Texas 1969, followed by another bootleg of “Sister Ray.” I feel funny.

In April 1993 Luna were invited to open for The Velvet Underground on their reunion tour around Europe. Dean Wareham kept a diary of the tour which was published in the November 1993 issue of Alternative Press, I’ve just lifted that article and chopped it up into days and will post it here over the coming days - all without permission - if anyone objects give me a shout.