Back in 1967, The Velvet Underground released their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. While the release only sold 30,000 copies, Brian Eno famously stated that “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.” The alternative brand of Velvet Underground’s rock and roll proved an inspiration for so many, and their debut continues to be acclaimed as one of the best albums ever released.

Last weekend, founding member John Cale welcomed a number of special guests to pay tribute to the album at an exciting performance in La Philharmonie de Paris. Joined by a number of guest performers, including Animal Collective, Mark Lanegan, Pete Doherty and Carl Barât of The Libertines, and more, Cale worked through all of Velvet Underground & Nico as well as selections from the follow-up, White Light/White Heat.

Watch highlights below, thanks to many fan-shot videos from the performance:

[H/T CoS]