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The Velvet Underground Hand Bill - 1968
'Lou began to sing "Heroin". Gerard slowly unwound, came to rest on the floor of the stage and proceeded to light a candle and, in a kneeling position, slightly bent over, undid his belt. He pulled out a spoon from his back pocket, rolled up his sleeve, heated the spoon over the flame of the candle, touched the spoon with what appeared to be a hypodermic needle, wrapped the belt around his arm tightly, and began to flex his arm in a sweeping up-and-down motion. Then he pressed the 'needle' into his arm, slowly rose and began to whirl frantically around the stage. Lou was in the high pitched middle instrumental segment of the song. Behind the projector in the audience Paul Morrissey was explaining to a reporter that this is "a completely different kind of rock and roll".
Description of the event Andy Warhol, Up-Tight, Film Maker's Cinematheque 41st Street Theatre, New York City 1966, (Up-Tight, The Velvet Underground Story, Victor Bockris & Gerard Malanga )
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