The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol

The Velvet Underground is commonly associated with Andy Warhol and The Factory, and in 1965, Andy Warhol became the manager of the band. Unlike many other managers, Warhol wanted the band to have complete freedom over their music. In order to try and make the band popular, Warhol took them on his multimedia roadshow called “Exploding Plastic Invisible.” The show ran for one year (1966-1967), the band played shows in New York City, Canada, and throughout the United States. While providing music on the roadshow, the band was first known as “The Erupting Plastic Enevitable” and then later as “The Exploding Plastic Enevitable.”

For their first album, Warhol suggested that the band feature a German singer named Nico. At first, Lou Reed was against featuring Nico, but later ended up listening to Warhol’s suggestion. In order to make it known that Nico was not a member of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed suggested that the album be called The Velvet Underground & Nico.  In addition to helping The Velvet Underground get their start and begin their first album, Andy Warhol helped them get a record contract with MGM’s Verve Records.