Lou Reed in Amsterdam

Between 1972 and 1977, Gijsbert Hanekroot photographed the American rock musician Lou Reed (1942-2013) on seven occasions in Amsterdam, during concerts and interviews. An extensive selection of these impressive images can be seen in the beautiful photo book Lou Reed in Amsterdam 1972 - 1977. Sebastiaan Vos provides an informative reference to the early years of Lou Reed's solo career and offers an excellently documented description of Hanekroot’s photographs of Reed.

In 1972, Lou Reed released his first solo album after leaving the legendary rock band The Velvet Underground two years earlier. He also went on tour. Reed has a contrasting image of sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll, and doesn't hesitate to fool his audience and insult journalists. In these early years, Reed's solo career has already become erratic and reckless but that doesn’t affect his rising popularity. In the mid-seventies, he seemed to find his true form on stage and the rock 'n' roll animal disappears from view to make way for a more 'ordinary' Reed. Musically and lyrically, Reed is a poet. He shows, however, that he is also one of the greatest artists in rock music.

From the photographs Gijsbert Hanekroot took of Lou Reed in Amsterdam during concerts and interviews an extensive selection will now be published in a beautiful photo book. Sebastiaan Vos provides excellently documented description. of Hanekroot’s photographs of Reed.

Short biographies

In 1969 Gijsbert Hanekroot (Brussels 1945) started as a professional photographer. Just in time to capture the explosion of the rock scene in the seventies. Many iconic photos were the result. This book contains his most important photographs by Lou Reed, including a number of previously unpublished gems. 
   Gijsbert Hanekroot started working as a rock photographer at the end of the sixties and was one of the first in the Netherlands. In the seventies and early eighties he got an impressive amount of bands and musicians in front of his camera. His craftsmanship as a photographer (he is self-taught), developed parallel to that of pop music. Hanekroot travelled a lot and stood eye to eye with all the icons from this period. 

Sebastiaan Vos (Middelstum, 1973) studied Dutch and is an archivist and publicist. In 2016, he wrote the text for David Bowie - The Seventies, with photographs by Gijsbert Hanekroot. For Lou Reed in Amsterdam 1972 – 1977, he gives an informative description of the early years of Lou Reed's solo career and offers an excellently documented description of Hanekroot’s photographs of the American rock star.