The monstrous beauty of Nico

Few things sum up the chasm between childhood and adolescence more poignantly than our changing relationship with music. One minute life is all familial cuddles and nursery rhymes – the next it’s all parental alienation and rock’n’roll. One year I was eagerly buying the records of Pinky & Perky, the next those of Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich – and the next, the records of the Velvet Underground and Nico.

My relationship with Nico – the fantasy and the reality – is one of the funniest never-meet-your-heroes experience I’ve ever had. She came to mind recently because – of all the unlikely singers who might be used to soundtrack commercials – she’s been featured in two TV adverts. One for the fashion house Prada (singing ‘My Funny Valentine’) which seemed appropriate, as the po-faced suffering-is-beauty ethos of haute couture – those catwalk mannequins would rather break a leg than smile – is perfectly in line with her doomy music.