Seven ages of rock - a history of rock music over the past 50 years

Exploding Plastic Inevitable

1966

The Exploding Plastic Inevitable had its origins on 13 January 1966 at a performance (held at a dinner for the New York Society for Clinical Psychiatry) staged by Andy Warhol and featuring the Velvet Underground and Nico. This was Nico's first public performance with the band. A series of performances followed, which showcased Warhol's films and the dancing of Gerard Malanga, Edie Sedgewick and others. Sterling Morrison: "It was at this time that The Velvets started wearing dark glasses on stage, not through trying to be cool but because the light-show could be blinding at times." The EPI toured the States but was dogged by poor audience reactions, police intervention and other mishaps including the suicide of its lighting designer. The final show was held in April 1967, by which time Nico had left.