Laurie Anderson to Make Welsh Debut at Cardiff Music City Festival

Laurie Anderson will perform her first-ever show in Wales on 8 October at the Wales Millennium Centre. The one-off performance, titled Friends and Teachers, is part of Llais, a four-day voice celebration within the fortnight-long Cardiff Music City Festival. In a recent interview, Anderson discussed her forthcoming set, which may incorporate texts from Marcus Aurelius, Cornel West, and Donald Trump. She criticized Trump's threats to demolish the Kennedy Center, attributing them to jealousy of Kennedy and stating that Trump despises the arts and science. Anderson, 79, has released eight studio albums and received a 2024 Grammy lifetime achievement award. She was Lou Reed's partner from 1992 until his death in 2013. She mentioned plans to speak at Barnard College, where she studied art history from 1966 to 1969, and cited teacher Barbara Novak's American Light course as influential. Anderson also recommended Solvej Balle's novel On the Calculation of Volume. She reflected on resisting anger by analyzing its roots, often finding a broken heart, and emphasized making art over direct protest. She expressed a desire to live in the present rather than hope or fear. The interview was conducted by Jude Rogers.