Angus MacLise was active on New Yorks' underground avant-garde scene in the early '60s, both as a musician and poet. Among his many collaborations was the Theatre of Eternal Music, together with Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, John Cale and Marian Zazeela. In 1965 he became The Velvet Underground's original percussionist, but left before they made any records.
After he left the Velvets, he continued to make improvised music, film music and poetry until his death in Kathmandu, Nepal, 1979.