HomeGround - The Kate Bush Magazine - Issue 80

Artwork above by Debi Bowes company put up for sale. Chrysalis. This was sold to her own Fish People label, Warner in July 2013 and the distributed by Parlophone, At about that time, Kate original EMI Records Ltd was sometimes working with Rhino, regained the rights to all her renamed Parlophone Records which are both part of Warner. Ltd. albums from and including The To summarise; the current Dreaming, but those previous The fragments of EMI situation is that Kate’s Fish owned by Universal were People label is effectively an remained with EMI. The later formed into a new ‘Virgin EMI indie label with, for at least one albums were, of course, then Records’, renamed ‘EMI more album, a distribution deal Records’ in 2020. The original with industry world giant re-released on Kate's own Fish EMI back catalogue is not Warner. People label. owned by the new EMI Records, but remains with the To complete the story, In 2012 EMI Music was new Parlophone (same as the Warner is in fact owned since sold to Universal, but EMI old EMI Records) owned by 2011 by Access Industries Inc, Warner. Though back- which is owned by British/ Music Publishing went to catalogue matters are usually American businessman Sir Len Sony/ATV. However, the dealt with by another division Blavatnik, said in 2021 to be the of Warner, Rhino UK. wealthiest person in the UK, competition authorities and with a fortune of some required Universal to divest Are you keeping up with $35.4 billion, the 20th-richest in this? So, since 2013, Kate is on the entire world.  itself of one-third of its operations. To achieve this, a new Parlophone Label Group Len. He owns was created, including EMI Access, which Records Ltd, the original owns Warner, Parlophone label, and which owns Parlophone etc etc. HomeGround Summer 2022 51

We Were There! Reports from Row 6 at the Eventim Apollo Matt Hutchinson of wishing, praying, hoping, Then onto Snap Gallery to the almost giving up, had all come Kate exhibition. I met both the For me, Before the Dawn started photographers, both were in January 1979. I was 14 and to this... I had two tickets to see fascinating. I saw Peter and had just heard that Kate was Kate Bush in concert, 15 rows Krys but suddenly went all shy touring. I asked my mother if I and didn’t introduce myself. I could go. No-one in my family from the front, and on the had just read Volume 1 of the had ever been to a concert so it evening of my 50th birthday. I HomeGround Anthology on Before the Dawn... … was no surprise that the answer holiday and wanted to tell them was no. She then said “If this was speechless. I took my how wonderful it was, but lost Kate Bush is any good, she’ll daughter into school then had a my bottle. After lunch and tour a thousand times”. shopping, my daughters got the long three hour drive to see train home. My wife and I Wind the clock on 35 years customers. I then screamed out headed to Hammersmith. and I’m driving to work. Another dull day. I’m listening loud, the loudest yell ever. Men Excitement levels now into to BBC Radio 5 Live. The DJ of 49 are not meant to get orbit and it was only about Nicky Campbell started playing 5:30pm. My wife asked me why Running Up That Hill. What’s excited like this, but I did. we were there so early. I told this?, I thought. And then it So now I had to get on with her I had waited 35 long years happened. The announcement for this, I needed to lap up I’ve been dreaming about my my life. Both my daughters every second. I got my entire adult life. “Kate Bush has were doing big exams later in merchandise including my just announced her first live rescue tin! shows in 35 years”, he said. the summer. After years of saving, we were finally doing Sitting in our seats, half an My heart skipped about hour before the start, I began to eight beats. I rang my wife, no our family holiday to Disney, wonder if this was really answer. I rang both my Florida. But somehow all I happening. My wife knew how daughters, no answer. I rang important this was. The voice three mates, no answer. I rang could think about was this of Lily, then Kate shuffled on them all again, then again. concert. stage as if she had toured every Finally my wife rang me. year. The roar from the crowd, “What on earth has happened? As the opening night the standing ovation. And then I’ve got nine missed calls from approached I started to worry she sang. you”, she said. I told her the news. This really was off the about other stuff. Would Kate’s I get goosebumps just radar. ten minutes later I was in voice be any good? Let’s face it, all thinking about it. That voice, the office. I turned on my pc for God’s sake, was un-bloody- and there it was, that picture of most of us have heard is Kate’s believable. Will any of us ever Kate in the life-jacket, with that recorded voice, produced by hear Lily again without thinking little light... shining. Surely she of that moment? wasn’t going to do The Ninth Kate. Would the press take the piss? Wave? This day couldn’t get any She’s no longer Kate the Sitting in front of me were better. four large, tattooed, hairy men teenage pin-up, they might say. (possibly German). Pints of Panic soon set in. Would I Would the show even feature much of beer in hand, you wouldn’t ever get a ticket? The pre-sale want to meet them up a dark thing helped, but I hardly slept Kate? Do you remember the alley. As Bertie announced “It’s that week. The ticket day was rumours that she wouldn’t be in the trees... It’s coming”, followed another thing I’ve dreamt about by another stunning roar from a million times. I got my central to the show. What about the crowd, I noticed that one of daughter to take the morning the merchandise? Will it all be sold these big hairy guys in front of off school. We had three me was sobbing. I had a huge laptops and a computer all set out by the time we get to my lump in my throat. The hairy up. We had done two dress night? Ridiculous, in hindsight. bloke, me and probably the rehearsals the night before. Ten entire audience had waited for hideous minutes later on that That week was ever for this moment. incredible morning, my life long extraordinary. Kate all over the dream had come true. 35 years Joanni wasn’t ever a news. On the front of every favourite of mine, but it is now. single national newspaper. All Just wonderful. Top of the City 11 albums back in the top 50. Two albums in the Top 10. Who thought we would ever see The Dreaming back in the top 40? I didn’t want to know the set list. That lasted about five minutes. I wanted to know everything. September 3rd finally arrived. My 50th birthday. None of that mattered. My wife, two daughters and I got the train to London. We went to the Tower of London to see the stunning poppy display. 52 HomeGround Summer 2022

and Running Up That Hill were years ago, I had decided that present Before the Dawn, her first Other magazine great but nothing could prepare once I was old enough, and if I live concert in 35 years, 3 covers 2014 me for what was to come. had the money, I would always months and 12 days. Not that I go to concerts. As a result I’ve was counting. In fact, I had King of the Mountain... oh my seen hundreds of gigs, some long since given up believing God. I knew it was a wonderful good (Fleetwood Mac, Bowie, that I would ever get to see song but there are no words for Gabriel, Blondie), some awful. Kate play live. what I saw and heard. “There’s a With two daughters, I’ve storm rising”, she roared, and she encouraged them to love music Being a Kate Bush fan in was so right. One of the and go to concerts. I’ve taken the last three decades has greatest moments ever. I was them to some utter horrors, but meant accepting certain truths. there on the night of a power they’ve always seen their heroes. You must wait. You will get failure. We saw the film of the And now, finally, having waited good at it. And every now and coastguard but then nothing. my entire adult life, I’ve seen then Kate will give you The house lights went up, and I mine. Thank you Kate for the something magical. Something broke into a cold sweat. greatest show on earth. that makes the months and years in between dissolve into Nearly half an hour later Bradley Brady nothing. And you’re grateful. (and three visits to the Gents) Ecstatic. Which is why the brief we were back up. “Little light, At 7.30pm on 26th August 2014, note announcing the shows, shining...”. Was I really watching Kate Bush took to the stage to which appeared on Kate’s Kate sing this song? I must have website on Friday 21st March played it 10,000 times, but now I’m watching it. The whole of The Ninth Wave was beyond perfect. The Morning Fog was never a favourite of mine; well it is now. Aerial and Hounds of Love are my favourite albums of all time, so I guess that makes me doubly lucky. A Sky of Honey was utterly brilliant. Prologue with those ding-dongs... just perfect. Sunset... another all time high. Nocturn and Aerial were so good. I can’t remember half of it but occasionally have flashbacks. The giant cockerel at the start of Aerial recently sprung to mind. Among Angels was another massive lump in throat moment, even better than the recorded version. “If you need us, just call” she sang. Incredible. Our goodbye sing-song of Cloudbusting will live with me forever. She sang, she smiled, she chatted and we all cheered. My wife and I left the theatre, totally speechless. As we crossed the road to get on the Underground, about 50 to 60 people were chanting the “Yeah-e yeah-e yeah-yoh” Cloudbusting finale. I never thought I would hear a crowd of people singing Kate songs on the Underground. So, I had done it. I had seen Kate Bush live on stage. All those dreams were never as good as the show I had seen. Because of my mother refusing to let me see Kate all those HomeGround Summer 2022 53

Before the Dawn... … 2014 sent my sensual world into Apollo was like a volcano on atom. I try and catch a breath, a frenzy. I must have read those the point of eruption. Many to move, but my brain is trying words fifty or so times before I faces betrayed the disbelief that to freeze time, or at least slow it dared to believe it could be this was really happening to us, down so it can capture every true. My mood spun from dizzy a deeper understanding passing second. bliss at such incredible news, to between us fans about just how heart-wrenching fear that I immense this moment was. The Later, my husband would might not get to go. The week stage was bathed in blue light say that seeing Kate in the flesh waiting for tickets to go on sale and the band’s instruments felt like seeing Santa Claus was one of fitful sleep, giddy were ready and waiting. It come to life. A mythic, mystical excitement, and slowly looked a traditional set up, but I figure, beloved, but someone dissipating shock. I was somehow knew this was only you would never get to meet. thankfully one of the lucky the starting point for our Of course, Kate is no fantasy, band able to secure a ticket. journey into Kate’s but in that moment, I knew Now all that was required was imagination. Our seats were in what he meant. the bit I was good at: waiting. the stalls, centre and about a dozen rows from the stage, In fact, Kate was far from The media went into which I hoped would give us a the remote recluse the media meltdown: rabid speculation as perfect view of the wonders portrays. She was warm, chatty, to what the shows might be like, about to unfold. welcoming, and so humble and but Kate was staying mum. grateful throughout it made me The only hints were the show’s At 7.30pm on the dot the proud to call myself a Kate title and a photograph of Kate lights dim. An eerie sound Bush fan. in the water wearing a life- echoes around the auditorium... jacket. Any Kate fan would then we hear an incantation... The final chords of Lily are intuitively know this meant that Lily’s protection ritual spreads still resonating when Bertie The Ninth Wave must feature its magic throughout the warns us: “It’s in the trees... it’s prominently. Only Kate would audience. As she completes the coming...” decide to tour an album for the spell and the band kicks in, the first time, thirty years after its cap of the volcano is breached. This was a director’s cut of release! Kate walks on stage, leading Hounds of Love, with Kate her band of backing singers, adding some space to the Kate had already including her son, Bertie. A frenetic pace of the original performed four public shows great wave of joy, relief, track, allowing the chorus to and a dress rehearsal by the excitement, ecstasy and love breathe. She calls on her lover time it was my turn. I was rises from the audience and to “never let me go, tie me to the determined to stay spoiler-free, crashes onto the stage. In the mast”, expanding the sense of which meant no internet, no many hundreds of live shows I succumbing to love. It was social media, and no news for a have attended in my lifetime, fascinating to finally hear Kate week. nothing matches the intensity evolving her compositions for of this reunion. the live stage. The task was harder than I thought, as all the UK Kate leads her troupe in a If you still doubt that the newspapers had Kate splashed circle, leaving them stage right, occasion was overwhelming, over their front pages the day before taking position front and one of my favourite memories after opening night. The image centre. She is wearing all black, of the night is having a of a triumphant Kate, her arms with a jacket that has long medicinal gin in the bar spread wide to embrace the fringes attached to the sleeves. afterwards and Michelle saying, adulation of the audience, was Her hair is dark and wild and “I wish she’d done Hounds of Love”. everywhere and I glimpsed flows down her back. Her feet You must be pretty far gone to enough of the headlines to are bare. She surveys us. She miss an entire song! know that the show had been absorbs the adoration. She well-received. Miraculously, this sings. As Kate calls forth her A few glorious remained my only spoiler up four guardian angels, they reinterpretations later, a drone until I took my seat, alongside appear as shafts of light: before, signalled the start of one of my husband, Jonathan, who I behind, to the right, to the left. Kate’s biggest hits; the crowd had long ago converted into a It wouldn’t be surprising if went berserk as it seeped into Kate devotee, and two of the angels appeared, so divine does our ears. A scattered green laser best Bush-obsessed chums this moment feel. formed a symbolic hill and anyone could ask for, Amanda those old enough were and Michelle. All four of us Kate is really there, on transported back thirty years to were suffering from varying stage. Her voice as enthralling Kate dancing in unison with a degrees of hysteria, but being live as it is on record. The band gorgeous man in a high- British, were trying to maintain she has hand-picked and windowed room. We all knew an air of normalcy. nurtured are creating a glorious every note, every syllable. But sound, which permeates every this time Kate was singing it for The atmosphere in the us. We were there as she conjured the deal, as the love, pain, and frustration spilled out. 54 HomeGround Summer 2022

As the track climbed to its disaster in its wake. A ship, the stage; this is their domain - half “The most magical climax we clapped along to the Celtic Deep is sinking. Its wave, half wreck. Other thing in these shows beat, becoming part of the mayday call picked up by an seafarers wander in. Are they for me, was Kate, as fabric of the song, creating this astronomer watching a meteor stranded too? The Fish People she sat and sang at unique and ephemeral version shower from Church Rock. He welcome Kate, they remove her the piano. This is the that belonged to all of us. has radioed the coastguard, but life-jacket: she won’t be needing true Kate Bush I the message was very that here. Kate spots a sofa, a know. The muse who “The wind it blows”, “staticky”. The astronomer lamp, a TV; they seem familiar came to her when signalling a change in the begs the coastguard to send to her. A memory begins to she was ten years weather. All seems calm at first; help, he knows there are souls form, of that time the river had old. The relationship Kate ruminates on fame and in peril, and he fears he may be frozen over. Kate begins to that she has to the fortune, wondering if Elvis still their only hope. skate, captured by her past. The piano is something lives, free from scrutiny, atop a others there are drawn in, as if that is so basic and mountain of happiness. But as The screen rises, the stage is hypnotised. They mimic Kate’s deep. She is a the song progresses, we can feel empty... wait... what are they? motions, until they are all wonderful dancer and electricity charging the air. Fish? Or people? Another skating in formation. There is actress, but the screen appears, we fly across something moving under the coronation for me “The wind it blows, there’s a sea, searching the rippling ice. Kate screams out, was Kate sitting at storm rising.” Kate’s vocal waves. There’s someone in the recognising herself, trapped the piano ...That was becomes more urgent, more water. below. The Fish People drag so beautiful.” visceral. The band’s playing her away. The other seafarers intensifies, as if they are trying Kate appears on the screen, attempt a rescue, trying to Paddy Bush, Kate's to conjure a hurricane. she is floating on her back, the smash the ice, but it’s too thick. brother in tiny red light on her life-jacket They find a chainsaw and try to conversation with “The wind it blows”, or is it a is blinking. You can hear the cut through. Finally, they Stefan Franzen of bird? The song extends, cold in her voice as she sings, manage to break the surface German fan website breaking out of its studio she has clearly been there for and it is Kate they pull from the morningfog.de. confines. Kate lets rip; is she some time. This voice is older, water. warning us or embracing the more vulnerable and careworn More 2014 magazine oncoming storm? than the one that sang this As Kate surfaces in the covers same song all those decades dreamscape on stage, so she “The wind it blows... the wind ago. This voice has seen life, manages to re-emerge from the it blows... there’s a storm rising... has loved and has lost. Now depths in the reality portrayed there’s a storm rising... there’s a storm here she is, all alone in the dark. on the film screen. As she once rising...” She is on the edge of giving up, more floats on the waves, voices exhausted from the fight to stay call out to her, trying to get her Then Kate is gone. Will this afloat, to stay alive. She needs to open her eyes, to wake up. wind blow us all away? to rest, she seeks escape from Her past is dragging her down, this reality and the stage is back into the deep. A clap of thunder. waiting, ready to welcome her A bullroarer chases the into its dreamscape... Kate sinks This time Kate wakes up to storm away, then an explosion under the water, a shiver runs find herself on trial, accused of of golden confetti falls upon us, down my spine. being a witch. She throws like the foam of a mighty herself at the mercy of a priest, wave... These skeletal hosts, let’s but he has already judged her “The screen is reality, the call them Fish People, circle the stage... the dream.” The storm that blew Kate Bush from the stage has left HomeGround Summer 2022 55

Before the Dawn... … to be guilty. There is a simple piano plays gentle chords, they rise out of the inky waves test for witchery: if the woman something is trying to break that lap around the buoy and drowns, she is innocent, but if through this darkness, like a catch her as she falls back into she survives... Kate is once glimpse of sunlight from a their arms. They slowly bear more forced back under the lovely afternoon... Kate away, carrying her down water, and we think she has into the auditorium, a mournful fought her way back, but it’s Having found her reason to chant underlining the not her... it’s a blackbird, its live, Kate must reach out to the impending sense of doom. wings flailing, desperately trying old lady she will become. Half to fly free, but it too quickly in reality, half in dream, Kate Just when I dread that the sinks below. sings, calling for her future to worst has happened, my eyes reach back and rescue her. The flash to the screen once more. A Just when things seem old woman brings life with her hand reaches down from the hopeless, a bright light beams and a dance, a jig to keep the sky, another reaches up from down. A helicopter flies around tug of the water at bay. But the the waves and clasps it. the auditorium, searching for Fish People are not ready to let Kate. We hear from the pilot their prize return to reality. Dawn has broken, light is that all her fellow passengers They call forth wave after wave, bleeding, breathing, speaking. and crew are rescued from the each mightier than the last. The musicians, dancers, singers, wreck of the Celtic Deep, only Strong, white waves, which roll and Fish People sway around she remains unaccounted for. across the stage, waves of silk the stage. Kate returns to the But there is still a chance they driven by a team of white stage to lead this celebration of might find her... horses. survival, of second chances. The love that this fellowship Back in the dreamscape the Kate remains trapped feel for one another is evident Fish People have gathered bits between reality and this in the smiles they share. They of broken ship and created a dreamscape. She clings to the dance, play, sing, leading us out portal into the real world. glimpse of her life that is to of that deep darkness. The Through it they are watching a come. audience sways along with father and son banter about them, our emotions wracked, portfolios, toad-in-the-hole and “I put this moment here.” but our souls light with joy. For footie. They’re waiting for mum The voice of a loved one a moment we are even to come home. She’s late. The breaks through the dream; a cloudbusting (yay-yay-yay-yoh). Fish People regard these brother, calling to his sister to Kate sings her thanks to her humans like we might watch give a kiss on the wind, then loved ones, her sisters, her fish in a bowl, mildly fascinated they’ll make the land. Kate can brothers, her son. Then the by the banal comings and taste her destiny, but will the final notes are plucked, and the goings of a different species. Fish People let her leave their song is over. There’s a sofa, a lamp, TV, all domain? somehow familiar. Father and Kate has raced the white Kate thanks us for being son settle down to watch the horses and found a buoy, such an incredible audience, we match, their dinner on trays on something solid to cling to in can’t believe she doesn’t their laps. Dad pushes the door the deep blackness of the sea. understand how lucky we are to closed and suddenly there is She calls out to the earth, be there. What an incredible Kate in the room with them, pleading. There is something show, what amazing artistry, but they can’t see her. bright in the sky, travelling fast. what bravery and ambition. But “Just look at it go, just look at it wait, there’s more? This was all Having faced down her go.” only Act One. After a short past, Kate must now connect The part of Kate still break, Kate and the Fellowship with her present to find the will trapped in the dream has also will be back. What could be to survive. She tries to touch found a buoy, the mirror of the coming next? A red silk screen them, to communicate, but to one in the real world. Some of drops to cover the stage, on it, a no avail. She sees them get a the other seafarers trapped single white feather... phone call, she knows it’s about there are already clinging to it, her, she can’t comfort them or waving flares, a faltering red After the trauma and rescue get them to see she is there.... light that barely penetrates the of The Ninth Wave, we are all dark. Kate climbs on to the waiting to see what world Kate Kate is pulled back into buoy. She sings... Bush would conjure for us in reality, she wakes with a start. “Hello earth, hello earth...” Act Two of Before the Dawn. All the emotions I have “Let me live! Let me live!” fought to hold inside now come At first it seems as if She screams for rescue, and flooding out. Tears stream darkness still prevails. Snow is my blood runs cold. I want to down my face. I weep for this falling. An imposing set of dive in and save her, give her woman, long for her rescue, but doors dominates the stage, a the warmth from my body and fear it is too late. The Fish small puppet child walks breath from my lungs. The little People have come for Kate, through them, passing into our light is shining, sometimes world. He second-guesses the white, sometimes red. The decision, but it is too late: the 56 HomeGround Summer 2022

doors slam in his face. sensual world. Kate is joined by disaster, just one more … and more 2014 The puppet, let’s call him a Chorus, together they engage transformation. Kate and her magazine covers in full circle ringing, as birds Chorus rally to the Painter’s Tesoro, searches around, take flight across the stage in aid. “The light is changing”, yes, The no Kate Bush looking for his parents. slow-motion majesty. I feel “the paint is merging”, but this is tickets scale of Something is there, calling to exhilarated, bells and birdsong simply a different creation. sadness him. ring in my ears, my heart Now there are reds, oranges, catching every beat of the yellows, and pinks... “a wonderful Kate Bush spent “The day is full of birds.” exultant percussion and sunset...” THREE days in a Tesoro thinks he can rapturous bass. The quality of flotation tank to understand these creatures, talk the musicians Kate has The diurnal journey is create special to them even. Perhaps this new assembled is now fully evident; approaching its end, a effects world isn’t so frightening after this is her symphony, and this vermilion descent alerting all. But then the mood shifts. orchestra is ideally constructed nature that it will soon be time Kate Bush live There is danger here. Nature is to fully realise her concept. to sleep, or to hunt. Kate review by Youth beautiful, yes, but it is cruel too. serenades the sun, telling its from Killing Joke These birds may mean him Kate takes Tesoro’s hand, story of “crimson, red and rust”, (essential) harm. Just when fear begins to and they walk out into the and of goodbyes. This carmine overwhelm him, Tesoro hears afternoon sun. They happen light has danced in from Spain, Kate and the viola another voice beckon him... upon a Painter who is working it sets the song aflame, a player (1) “Over here. Over here.” on a huge canvass which fills flamenco farewell to the sun. Kate is waiting at the piano half the stage. He looks a bit The compás sweeps us all Kate and the viola with the band. Tesoro walks like Bertie. The Painter is not along, we add palmas fuertes, player (2) over to investigate. Kate sings, keen on being watched. Tesoro bailamos... soothes. “It’s going to be so good and Kate keep their distance, Kate and the viola now; what a lovely afternoon” it has carefully admiring the creation, Nature is heading towards player (3) become. The summer light has the chiaroscuro. The light is an uneasy rest. The menace now fully banished the cold and constantly changing, the sky that stalked the puppet-boy Kate Bush returns: dark: the stage bathed in golden flickers as brush strikes canvass. Tesoro as he entered this world the view from the rays. The lark ascends. This But is the Painter simply is back and it’s sharpening its front seats light is on a journey, bringing observing, or does he have the claws. The birds are singing to traces of distant landscapes it power to transform this sky? Is mark the transformation into Guardian review – has touched, dancing rays from this piece of work we see him night. Kate knows their song; a magical new Italy. The birds speak the forming cause or effect? she duets with them. “All of the dawn language of light; they sing to Accident or design? birds are laughing”, Tesoro laughs it, responding to its arc across along. If singing with birds this sky of honey. All the Painter’s hard work brings this much joy, what must The Prologue we knew is is in danger of being undone. it be like to fly with them... transformed into an extended His painstakingly placed daubs celebration of summer. Bells are beginning to run with the This is a battle the night are ringing, echoing from a raindrops. But this is no cannot win, light seeps into every pixel, flooding the sea HomeGround Summer 2022 57

with honey. A glimmer, a flicker, spinning a tale of unrequited I must give a special a glint, a flare, light constantly mention to Kate’s son, Bertie, in movement. A new day. The love. If Kate had not included not least because he was the cock crows. The bells ring. such a moment in the show, it main driving force, ensuring Nature red in tooth and claw, that once his mother had the blood red that paints the sky. would have felt incomplete. For idea she followed through. Tesoro is pulled into the hunt, the six minutes she sang and Bertie, or Albert as we should on his hands and knees, feasting call him now he’s all grown up, with the birds. This is a dark played you could have heard a proved to be a charismatic and mirror of the joyous call of pin drop. We all held our natural performer in his own Prologue, this sun is harsh, it right. His solo number, Tawny melts the flowers, and its “song breath, feeling every note, every Moon, was sensational and he must be sung”. word. managed to hold us all rapt. He was 16 at the time, but then his The birds call to Kate once I couldn’t help but connect mother knows a thing or two more; this time her voice won’t this moment to Kate as a about being a precocious talent. Before the Dawn... … be enough to satisfy them. She Having Kate and Albert feels the urge to find higher teenager, knocking out demo together on stage made sense of ground, to touch the sky. Kate after demo onto an old cassette the whole experience. We may is giving herself to the love Kate for the incredible transformation. Feathers start recorder: the urge to create legacy of music she has given to sprout: see her beautiful melody and rhyme bursting out us, but I have no doubt that in wings. her eyes, her son is her most of her. That intensity and important creation. “The dawn has come”, and the passion never dimmed, but over light is revealing all, the hidden Shortly after the run had costs of survival, the price that time she mastered her craft, ended, Kate issued a message nature demands for living. The learning the value of a breath on her website, giving her guitars have become birds, they delighted reaction to the chirp and coo, chatter and or a pause, the power of experience and the audience cheep. Kate circles the bird walking us up to a thought, but reception. I am so glad Kate guitarist: a rite of was able to witness the love that transformation. See her not speaking it out loud. we have for her. I’m sure it must beautiful wings, she’s dying to The final song of the have been quite overwhelming, try them. but I’m so happy we got to evening, Cloudbusting, is thank her in person for the joy An air of madness takes ultimately about love she has given us over the years. hold, the bedlam of birds. The Maybe she will have enjoyed doors to the other world triumphing over fear. Most the experience so much that reappear, trees erupt from the importantly for the show’s she’ll be back on stage at some ground, crashing through the point, or perhaps she feels she piano. Tesoro runs in wonder purposes, it is as close to a sing- has achieved everything she and panic. The guitar birds are along as Kate has ever written. wanted in that medium. Either squawking and whooping, they way, seeing Before the Dawn will rise with the dawn rays. The The song sounded as original as remain one of the defining drums grow more urgent, as if the day it was released; surely moments of pleasure of my they know this journey of light lifetime. has reached its zenith. Kate nobody manages to combine surrenders to the call of the complexity and accessibility in Paul Thomas birds: the doors fly open, and she soars into the air, taking a pop song like Kate. We A few people have asked me flight on her beautiful wings. clapped along, no doubt what I thought of the Kate Bush concert. Well, deep I was an emotional wreck, picturing Donald Sutherland breath. I can honestly say it’s but Kate was not quite done and Kate in dungarees on a the best thing I have ever seen with us yet. There had to be an on stage since I saw her last on encore... or two... hill, making it rain. stage (for despite the fact that The song ends with a she hasn’t done a full concert Kate returned to the stage since 1979, the media do forget alone, and taking a seat at the glorious chant, and this was our that she has done the odd live piano she began to play the moment to fully become part of appearance for Comic Relief opening chords of one of her and The Princes’ Trust). She most plaintive ballads, Among the show. Kate encouraged us blew me away of course, Angels. After all the theatrics it to join in and that we did. was somehow even more spectacular to see her like this, There was something joyously just a woman and her piano, cathartic about standing, clapping and singing our head off with the Fellowship: a perfect union of artists and audience bringing a tremendous performance to a fulfilling close. The heart of Before the Dawn was the formidable array of talent that Kate convened; not just those on stage, but all the technical personnel who were of the highest quality. The months of preparation which went into the show, the attention to every little detail of sight and sound were completely evident. 58 HomeGround Summer 2022

performing with such ease as if when it was a rock venue and terrifying and joyful. It moved Charles Shaar she has been doing these kind not terribly memorable. Now it me to tears; light and darkness Murray of gigs for all her career. I loved sports soft cream and muted by turn but always powerful the idea that it started as a green decor, and wears a new and involving. And finally, A Sky His infamous 1979 relatively “normal” gig with born elegance: just the place for of Honey: the whole suite from live review was Kate addressing the audience, a Kate Bush concert. Kate had Aerial performed start to finish. recalled on BBC moving around her band stated publicly that she wanted Words are simply not adequate Radio 4’s PM members and generally playing this to be an intimate to describe the soaring beauty programme to the crowd... and then it went experience between her and her of this amazing conceptual all “Kate Bushy” and the audience, and she could not piece of music performed live. Kate Bush tour: Will “show” starts with displays of have chosen a better setting. No So much colour, so much she still be running special effects, dancing, film, name in lights, however, to wonder, so many surprises and up that hill? puppetry, acting, magic tricks... announce her presence; just delights throughout. And, Kate all manner of things thrown in Before the Dawn in big red letters singing her heart out, up on the Uncut Review: to compliment the music and outside the venue. roof, feathers flying. I’m getting Hammersmith her exquisite voice - which delicious shivers at the memory Apollo, August 27, sounds richer, deeper and better So, what was the show like? of it all. 2014 than ever. Words such as amazing, fantastic, incredible, and I never saw ‘The Tour of Even the Stars It was no secret that Kate outstanding are too small to Life’, though I have watched review: was to perform two conceptual describe the experience. Quite the recorded show umpteen Hammersmith pieces - this was never going to simply, Kate brought magic to times on video. And I can still Apollo - 29th be a “greatest hits” show and the stage. She gave us a unique remember the Albert Hall August 2014 the hardcore fans knew that, experience that was both a play concert where Kate guested and were so excited to know and an opera. with the London Symphony My hero: Kate Bush they would be hearing The Orchestra and commanded the by Jeanette Ninth Wave live. All the fans I The lighting, the musicians, stage as a 21 year old, still at the Winterson know were blown away. It had the actors and singers, the back start of her amazing career but to be seen to be believed as drops and stage sets, all blended already so assured and Hidden Tracks reviews cannot do it justice, but in her artistic cauldron to confident on stage. That night review 29th August you do feel she takes the produce an interactive, deeply she took on the orchestra, and 2014 (Internet audience somewhere else. moving and spiritual established acts like Cliff Archive) experience. Kate sang like the Richard, and came out the star. Sky Boswell diva she is: strong and powerful, But I can honestly say that Pepys Motet review beautiful and emotional, and as Before the Dawn was probably the 29th August 2014 On 2nd September I arrived in theatrical as Maria Callas at most amazing and memorable London as excited as a 5-year- her best. experience of my life. In the Light of Day old. I kept telling myself to enjoy and savour every The two distinct Acts Thank you Kate, for your Kate Bush and the moment, because this day was worked so well. Kate gave us brilliance and magic, your Power of Words unique; it would never happen everything; a set of individual uniqueness and generosity. A again except in memory. songs that were performed with journey that for me began in Kate Bush: A True precision and power in a true the dying days of Winter 1978, Diva The theatre was beautiful; rock tradition, sliding artfully and continues to this day and much improved since the 1980s and seamlessly into a Ninth beyond.  Mythomania Wave that was by turn sad, Review echoes and dust review HomeGround Summer 2022 59

Curious Things Happened ... Before, on the way to & on the way back from the Apollo Before the Dawn... … Seán in the kitchen of East Wickham protection - it felt like a deep Farm many years earlier in inhale before the explosion of In the end it came down to a 2002. She was a friendly, busy sound and lights. single smile. After more than mother that evening, and sixteen years of running the afterwards I “left the room, And there she was. Dance- news site there was still no caught my breath outside the marching out onto the stage, guarantee that I’d score a ticket. door and didn’t dare to go back out into that cacophonous Over those years I would in again” - to borrow Kate’s outpouring of love from three occasionally revisit my site’s description of her own first thousand people. And there it dusty FAQ page, maybe meeting with Bowie. For the was, Kate’s reassuring smile. sometimes slightly rewording briefest moment I had at least Nodding and studying the the question and answer about once encountered the person audience, she smiled as the whether Kate would ever tour behind the famous name, and chorus took their place stage again. I’ll admit it: I had more as I approached the queue at right and she presented herself or less decided that she the Apollo, it was hard to with open arms to the roars of wouldn’t. Fast forward to imagine the same unassuming the crowd. It was a relieved, August 26th 2014 and I had woman was responsible for all mischievous smile, tinged with turned down several radio and of THIS. only a little nervousness. Bertie TV interviews wanting to get was right there with her. Her my immediate post-show Now the experience is flash- family and friends were there. reaction to Kate’s first concert bulb quick. Barricades are set She was about to unleash since 1978. up to guide ticket-holders in. something truly extraordinary, We stroll past the television and she knew it. This was going Opening night was all so crews, the blissfully willing to be an unforgettable night. overwhelming and surreal to interviewees, the mouthy ticket And oh, how it was. me that I needed to shut all that touts and cagey security guards stuff out. Excited, busy and into the slow moving Monty Moncrieff MBE journeys from Dublin brought throng of fans, proudly/shyly myself and five friends together, wearing their t-shirts and So, it’s the day before Kate sitting in an impressively tiled badges as we got closer to the Bush in concert… I don’t think Wagamama restaurant on the doors. Fan tickets are scanned: I ever truly believed I’d ever Shepherds Bush Road. It was no, they don’t tear them, your witness this. It’s such a mix of 5.30pm when my day-long, seaweed and anemones are emotions I wanted to try to get breezy euphoria at what was safe. The merchandise stall: is something down to record this unfolding came to an abrupt that an inflatable life preserver moment of, hopefully, pleasure. halt. As my mates animatedly ring? The venue: very Art poured over the menu, Deco, Eberhard Weber music In case you haven’t noticed something sank in my stomach. floats out hypnotically from the (ahem) I’ve been rather I felt weak. Actual cold sweat. I stage speakers. The stage: we consumed with this for a while started searching my mind for can see the instruments. All of now… I don’t think I’ve ever the root cause of this sudden them. Did someone felt so all-consumed by unexpected change of mood. accidentally raise a curtain? Are anything before, this really is The weight of all the hype I’d these the actual instruments big news. Not just for me, who poured on this occasion for that will produce ACTUAL has very vivid memories of myself condensed down into a Kate Bush songs? Did she really Kate’s early work since I was a single thought; “How is SHE mean to show that? The kid and who has been a die- feeling right now, just how is programme: I rapidly flick hard fan since 1987, but for the she doing?” through it in my seat. Spoilers. music scene in general. The Glimpses of... elaborate, near-hagiography of her in the As we headed out into theatrical stuff and pages of press (The Daily Mail not Hammersmith and approached notes carefully written by Kate. withstanding) reveals just how that iconic Before the Dawn Our seats: three rows from the cherished she has become as an marquee sign, my thoughts front. Dead centre. artist. I’m struck by following were mostly focused on Kate Twitter at how many different herself. She had somehow My excitement was back. people she resonates with. Why agreed to this enormous Full force. The venue filled, and does she generate so much responsibility after years of the voice-over welcomed us to admiration? Well, I can try to avoiding such exposure. I had the show. Lily Cornford’s voice put my own position on this if fleetingly and politely met her bathed us all in a spell of you’ll indulge me. 60 HomeGround Summer 2022

As a musician she’s always sex object. The song’s success and whimsy, and her Some of these followed her own instincts and cemented her ability to pretty exploration of her higher vocal stories are will, a rare feat in a business so much get what she wanted from register forever typecast her as contemporary from intent on moulding the latest then on and she’s seldom the banshee of pop. But take a the excitement of pop stars and starlets into capitulated to anyone’s terms moment to look at that music a 2014, from the commercial hit machines that but her own since. bit closer. The multiple key KBNews Forum, follow the latest trends. But, of changes and time shifts that others are written in course, she’s never really been a Kate’s work, for me, give songs like her debut single the retrospect of ‘pop-star’. Her complete embodies an experimentation its jarring yet strangely 2022, when 2014 commitment to her artistic so unique that I’m never less rhythmic quality; the chords was a warm glow of vision has eluded many than intrigued, even at the that just shouldn’t go together; memory. assessments of her ever since times she doesn’t quite manage the effortless swoop through Top and Bottom: she appeared cavorting and to engage me with the final verse and chorus to land ready two ways in to screeching to Wuthering Heights. product. I know she’s not, and at the next one just a semitone Kate’s shows. Judgment, being what it is, tried never will be, everyone’s cup of higher and alter the mood that to put her into the boxes of tea. Her early theatricality trod tiny bit (before realising she’s Bad news for fans popular perception, blissfully a fine line between precocity elevated the key again by the without a ticket unaware that this was not an coda). I’m now woefully out of easily packaged artist. Her self- practice but I used to bang out Desperation level! belief has shone through since bastardised versions of her the time she squared up to EMI songs on the piano in awe of Bootleg poster on even before her first single (and lacking) the skill it sale outside the release to insist not only on required, and astonished by Apollo Wuthering Heights over a less where her song structures took risky, but more mundane me. number, but also an eleventh- hour change of picture sleeve It’s not just the music, of which presented her less as a course; she has some of the most audacious lyrics, creating characters and situations that are daring, exhilarating, risqué and emotional. I adore her ability to make a complex idea instantly understandable, or present a story from an unexpected viewpoint. She’s been the libertine ingénue of Feel It; the suicidal wronged sister in an incestuous tryst; the suspicious target of a would-be poisoner; a woman terrified by her sexual attraction to a child (though in reality to the soul of a man who is supernaturally possessing the child’s body); a foetus fearful of birth into a post-apocalyptic world; the bereaved mother of a soldier killed in futile duty; a botch-job burglar; a Vietnamese combatant on the other side of that infamous US war; the HomeGround Summer 2022 61

widow of Houdini out to test manner. shows never did happen but Over the years her that did mean I didn’t have to the hokum of mediums and drop-out of university to their claims of contact with the legendary – or, perhaps more attend.) It may be the most accurately, mythical – incredible thing I’ve ever seen dead; the coward won over by reclusiveness has only further in my life, or it may be the those Hounds Of Love; a re- served to increase her mystique. bursting of a bubble that might For a woman who very quickly have remained intact in my imagined Molly Bloom making twigged that the bandwagon of dreams had she not made this James Joyce finally palatable; fame was not one she wished to decision. I think I’m prepared ride, her determination to lead for either, but I know what I’m been obsessed with using her a normal, and private life has wishing for. computer a decade before most been remarkably successful, however frustrating it is for her George McClellan of us had heard of the internet; fans. I have absolute admiration she’s danced to the devilish for how she’s achieved this, but After seeing Kate Bush on Before the Dawn... … it makes the anticipation even Friday 19th September 2014, demands of her possessed Red more tantalising. What will she my mind was blown away. I had Shoes; she’s darkly daydreamed look like? What will she sound to see the concert again. I had like? Will she pull off a full live only managed to see it because about her man (alive or dead?) show a full 35 years after her Colette Graham (a true friend) as she goes about her laundry all-too brief career as a gigging got me a ticket. We found out musician? I bet she wouldn’t that fans were getting tickets by and sings of her new washing trade anything for the relative queuing for returns on the day, machine; the mother showing freedom she has had to bring outside the Hammersmith up her son, but there’s an irony Apollo. By Tuesday 23rd, I boundless joy with her son in the fact that in doing so she’s made a decision to go back to through the medium of the created even more interest in London and queue for a ticket. this ‘comeback’. I asked my partner Tricia if she madrigal; and the anguished would like to come, YES; so we lover left behind with soggy So how do I approach booked four days holidays 29th tomorrow’s show? With a lot of September to 2nd October. sheets after a one-time only excitement, but also with the night of passion with a need to be measured. There’s We arrived Monday so much that’s thrilling about afternoon, there was no concert snowman. Is it any wonder why this moment, but also a tinge of that night, so that gave us time I love her? sadness that we’ve been denied to find our bearings. Early the opportunity to experience Tuesday morning we set off to She’s not been afraid to her as a live performer as her start queuing at the theatre. transcend gender, too, casting career has evolved. There’s When we arrived (about another aspect too; ever since 8.40am) the queue was quite herself as the doting son of a the shows were announced big already, and we were about Cloudbusting psychoanalyst; the there’s been a nagging voice 18th in line (yikes). pestering with the questions Rocket Man of one of her most that just can’t be ignored. Whilst sitting on the steps popular rare covers; and ‘What if she’s not very good?’ we got talking with: Maria from ‘What if she can’t pull it off ?’ North London, Nick from perhaps most magnificently of ‘What if she doesn’t live up to County Wexford in Ireland, all as the expectant father left to the hype?’ I guess we’ll find out Ruddy and his partner from tomorrow. If nothing else I’ll France, Urhi from Greece, and reflect on the what ifs of his finally realise an ambition I’ve many others, sadly I forgot their relationship as he sits powerless held for my entire adult life to names (you know who you are). see her perform a show. (The to help the mother undergoing nearest I’ve got is a few a- The hours past surprisingly a life-threatening birth in This capella lines sang as a thank quickly as we chatted, until you to fans attending a fan club Reggie, the smooth security Woman’s Work. But why be Convention in 1990, an event man, came out at about 4pm, constrained by humanity when at which, incidentally, she and issued all of us with announced her intention to numbers. The ticket office you can also shape-shift into a tour the following year, opened at 4.30pm, and the firework at its moment of glory, throwing me into a blind panic tension began to kick in. We as I was due to be living in weren’t hungry any more, and a dawn chorus of birds ringing Russia as a student. Sadly, due the need for the toilet in the day, or adopt the persona in part to her personal diminished. Fans began to circumstances at the time, those arrive for pre-booked tickets, of the haunted house from The and a chat. By 5pm about six Shining? Still not convinced? Ok then, but you must surely be impressed by someone who can weave in such an eclectic list of collaborators as Eric Clapton, Donald Sutherland, Stephen Fry, Trio Bulgarka, the animal magnetism of Percy Edwards, Lenny Henry and Prince. Never one to embrace the limelight (her comeback single after a 12-year hiatus pondered the ability to walk away from fame by evoking Elvis and whether a faked death allowed him to be happy in obscurity) the new concerts thrust her back centre stage in an un- characteristically exposing 62 HomeGround Summer 2022

HomeGround Summer 2022 63

of the fellowship queues had and I could not see him. Later the concert. So what I thought, Tricia said she had seen a man was true. Tricia raced over and got in because of returned in a suit walking away towards said the same “I was almost in tickets, and it was getting the station. tears watching Kate smile and dance with you”. exciting. After scrambling to find my As the evening progressed glasses I went into the foyer As we all left the theatre, area to see what I had been mingling amongst the the hopeful queue began to given. It was better than a Willy souvenirs, I glanced down at move, one, then two, then one Wonka Golden Ticket: I was in the name on the ticket, it was the front stalls next to the ramp Ian MacIntosh. Not quite again as tickets were returned. where Kate would be carried Danny McIntosh, but how By about 6.40pm Tricia and I off by the Fish People, and bizarre. How wonderful! A where she would walk past me moment I will never forget. were at the front, but the return back onto the stage. (Double Thank you Ian MacIntosh. tickets were getting slower and yikes!) We checked before the Thank you Kate Bush. Before the Dawn... … concert to see if all our friends slower. Then suddenly a fan in the queue had got in, and We all agreed to meet at came to the front of the queue they did. About 27 got in that The Swan Pub where I re-told in that night, brilliant! my story over and over again. offering one ticket (he had to “Was he an angel?”, “Why did catch a plane and could not My ticket for free was in the he give you the ticket”? I do not front row, it was amazing, but know but as Colette later said make the show, but it was only even better I got up many times “he chose you”. one ticket! Tricia and I needed to dance, sorry folks behind, but Kate looked at me and smiled, Tricia and I were going to two, and Maria behind us (I thought she was looking at queue up again for the last needed two, so we offered Nick someone behind me) and this night, but I believed that continued all through the between the two times I had the ticket (Kate fans are the concert, even coming over to seen Kate live, it was enough best). Nick questioned our have a jig with me during and could not be bettered. Sunset. Tricia, having seen Kate once, sanity but gladly accepted the agreed it was brilliant and that ticket, at a reduced rate. Well The concert, as all who we should leave it there. We did went know, was brilliant but meet with the fans on the final done Nick! during Hello Earth a fish man night, in The Swan before and Almost 6.50pm and still no jumped of the stage and almost after the concert, and we were on my souvenirs and stood in not envious. We came and did returns. Another fan front of me. He proceeded to what we meant to do. approaches the queue to say waft a sheet to imitate the sea, and continued to stand in front P.S for all those I haven’t that his partner did not want to of me so I couldn’t see Kate. So mentioned sorry, but they know go so he had a spare. It was I asked the man dressed as a they were there and what fish, if he could move. He happened that brilliant night. getting late so I said to Tricia ignored me, so I asked again, “you have the ticket”, at a but he ignored me again. So I Thank you Kate Bush and thought I would nudge him thank you all. reduced rate, (the best). I had with my knee and my foot and already seen the show, and if I again he ignored me, so I had Lee Wadmore to peer around the side of him did not get in I would see her in order to see Kate clamber The morning of Wednesday after the show. Tricia agreed. onto the buoy. 26th March 2014 was one of the most stressful I’d ever Then about a minute or two But on a good note, Kate experienced; tickets for Before the later a man in a suit came from was carried off right past me, Dawn went on pre-sale for fans, and then walked again right and there had been endless behind me in the queue past me, where I proceeded to speculation that, in the clamour, offering one ticket. Maria pat her arm and tell her how they would be almost brilliant she was (Oops! Sorry). impossible to get. By 9.34am I needed two for herself and her was breathing a sigh of relief as mother, so I agreed to take it. When the concert finished I an email dropped into my was so high, I was looking down inbox confirming - incredibly - The man strode forward to on myself sitting on the stage that I was one of the lucky ones the security check by the door, waiting for the queue to die who’d managed to bag a couple down. Suddenly a group of of tickets to the Opening Night. and I asked him how much he girls came over to me saying wanted for the ticket? The man that Kate was smiling and I hadn’t a clue where the dancing with me for most of seats were when they’d been ignored me! I quickly followed allocated, but it turned out they behind him and repeated my question, to which he replied “Money does not matter to me”. We then both arrived at the security check where this wonderful chap proceeded to show his ID to the security and gave me his ticket. I was blown away (ha ha). The ticket was a pre-booked ticket with a starfish on. As I looked at the ticket in my hand, I turned to thank the man, but he had already disappeared. I looked all round the front of the steps area for a man in a suit, but everybody was wearing jeans and t-shirts, 64 HomeGround Summer 2022

were right in the middle of on and so on, just sharing our here in America, the UK and “Free like the wind Row K in the Stalls, and on the ridiculously childish excitement Europe were already a-buzz & busy like the night I was tucked between until I eventually made my way with the casual message that storm, until I was Dave Gilmour, Michael Ball back to my partner and my Kate had posted to her website: diagnosed with and Del Palmer! I’d been own seat. “I am delighted to announce that we cancer. But that’s fortunate enough to secure a will be performing some live shows life, innit! “ couple of tickets for 17th Back at the time of the this August and September. I hope September as well (it hadn’t shows, there were hundreds of you will be able to join us and I look The tale of Before been my original intention to us contributing to the Kate forward to seeing you there.” the Dawn cannot be go twice but my partner had Bush News Forum, many telling told without mention convinced me that I should at us that they’d be making long, Tra-la-la… as if it was and celebration of least try and get them; he said it long journeys just to see Kate. something she did every year. Martin Parker, was the right thing to do) and And after 26th August 2014 I No big deal. Except, it was a dedicated activist these were also in the Stalls, wrote something about my very big deal. Every newspaper and supported of Row E, 3 and 4. Whilst I was encounter with the lovely and website in the world charities. over the moon to get them, I American lady in E4. Suddenly carried some news about Kate’s guessed that they’d be way over up popped a response to my big “comeback” (despite the He was also a Kate on the side and the view post: She wrote: “Oh that was fact that she’s had three fan. He decided wouldn’t be nearly as good as YOU!!!” We had found each acclaimed albums in the last what was required the Row K seats. other! I received the most nine years on top of her already was a special place wonderful photograph of her in iconic catalog) and trotted out for fans to meet up So on 26th August, before my private messages a day or so the well-worn “reclusive,” and feel welcome. the show started, out of later. Of her and another lady “hermit,” “Garbo” clichés to go He considered curiosity, I went to find the row who was the person who’d with it. several pubs in the E seats and couldn’t believe that ended up sitting in seat E3 that Hammersmith area because the first four rows had night- it was none other than Here in the States [at least and decided that been removed to accommodate Glenys Groves! prior to June 2022 - Ed], Kate The Swan was the the stage Row E was actually remains an underground best. The pub the front row! There was a lady Collin Kelley favorite of the college rock management already sitting in E4 but E3 was station set and the occasional agreed to reserve vacant so I quickly sat down in Phone calls at 4am are, usually, performance of This Woman’s the back room for it just to see what the view was never a good thing. They Work on singing competition fans to gather like - I’d be almost within typically mean disaster, death, shows where neo-soul singer before show time. touching distance of the injury or drunken ex-lovers Maxwell rather than the song’s Martin set up a backing singers if the calling to tell you what a creator, gets the credit for his Facebook page to microphones were anything to mistake they made by leaving a cover. Kate cracked the charts let this be known to go by! decade ago. On the morning of once in America with 1985’s the Kate speaking 21st March 2014, my iPhone Running Up That Hill and is world. A brief conversation struck trilled from the nightstand and considered to be a one-hit And so it was that up between me and the lovely I bolted out of a deep sleep. wonder. most afternoons lady in E4 - no it wasn’t actually This time the news was not and evenings my seat for that performance - only good, but also mind- Being a Kate Bush fan in before the shows she’d come from the USA just boggling: Kate Bush would give America in the 1970s, ‘80s and started there would to see Kate ... I’d be sitting live concerts for the first time in early ‘90s was a bit like religion be a gathering of there for my next show ... I 35 years. – it required faith. Faith that anything up 40-50 can’t believe you’ve come all some rock magazine would fans, literally from that way for the show … and so Since I’m on the east coast mention Kate in passing, that all over the world, MTV might show one of her excitedly swapping videos in the wee hours, or a stories and details record store would stock the making friendships latest album. It was the that would last a lot wilderness, and I was constantly longer than the waiting for a sign. shows’ run. Sadly we lost Martin to his cancer in 2021. But all those who met him will remember him with warmth and love. Below: Martin and fans at The Swan HomeGround Summer 2022 65

Before the Dawn... … My first glimpse of Kate at the Hammersmith Apollo. differently; friends did not know was in 1981 on the old music Even when the ticket arrived by what to say. series Night Flight. I’d snuck back mail, I still couldn’t quite to the lounge after my parents believe that I was going to see Slowly but surely over the were asleep to watch some late Kate Bush performing her next couple of years with the night television and received music live. As I write this and help of an amazing set of the one-two punch of Kate’s prepare to wing my way to counsellors, my husband and videos for The Man with the Child London, I still can’t believe it. family, I started to chip away at in his Eyes and Wuthering Heights. My bank account believes it, my thoughts and managed to Frankly, she both excited and but not me. also get a new job. However, scared the hell out of me. there was always a part of me Thirty-three years later, she still Before the Dawn begins its run that still felt as if the old me does. on 26th August. By the time I was missing, but I could not get there, she’ll have hopefully figure out how to fix this. But after the announcement worked out her own jitters. I, of the 22-date residency called on the other hand, will surely In March 2014 I was in a Before the Dawn at the need oxygen and an energy meeting when a text from my Hammersmith Apollo, another drink after I dehydrate myself husband caught my eye. I could fear set in: getting a ticket for from quietly sobbing for two not believe the headline: Kate one of the gigs that was sure to hours. Kate’s music and poetic Bush my childhood hero was sell out in minutes. I was lyrics inspired my own work. playing live after 35 years. already prepared to run my She’s been my muse for so long, credit card to the limit, borrow I’m not exactly sure how I will Suddenly the excitement I money from friends and family react to seeing her live. But I had felt whenever she had and knock over a bank if am ready to find out. released a new record or was necessary. In the back of my interviewed resurfaced. I was so mind, I’d always feared Kate To quote Kate herself: “It’s excited! I had not felt this way would perform and I wouldn’t really happening to ya!” for a very long time. I had not be able to get a ticket or make it been in the right frame of mind to London in time. That fear, Lesley Percy to enjoy her last two albums in buried behind the general 2011, so immediately got them consensus that Kate would Thank you Kate for Before the out and started to listen never tour or give a concert Dawn! I finally feel as if I have intently; I realised I had been again, suddenly loomed large in got my old self back and Kate missing out greatly. my brain. Bush helped me realise it! Over the next few months, I I had forgotten that I had My story started in 2011 drove my family crazy awaiting signed up as a fan when Kate and to cut a long story short, the show. My husband launched her website in 2005 after multiple miscarriages, managed to get tickets for four for the Aerial album. When the multiple surgeries for shows. In September my first email arrived in my inbox that I endometriosis in the previous date finally came. I was would be able to buy a ticket ten years, I admitted defeat, astounded at the end of that three days before the general that I was never to be a mother. night that here was a woman public, I nearly wet myself. I underwent an hysterectomy who had taken 35 years to Again, I had to rise before the leaving me devastated. pluck up the courage to dawn to buy tickets during the perform live again. She had “fan sale.” I sat bleary-eyed Following this I became absolutely smashed it and had behind my computer with a consumed with trying to stay shown no signs of nerves. She laptop, tablet and mobile well; the thought of anyone had been amazing! I also met situated around me like a becoming a mother instead of lots of new fellow fans in The NASA command center. My me filled me with guilt, anger Swan and at the Hammersmith friend Donna, who had woken and utter jealousy. I had to Apollo - they had no idea that I me up to tell me about the leave my job due to the could not have children and concerts, was on the line and absences I had taken, and also they didn’t care and just wanted other friends trying to get a due to the lack of to talk about Kate, which was ticket for me were pinging in understanding of what I had so refreshing and this made me various chat rooms and been through. I felt as if my feel as if my identity had come messenger services. I was going identity had completely gone. back. No-one was judging me. to get a ticket, damn it! For months and months, I could not bear to be near At the end of the last show, Truth be told, I bought my anyone who was pregnant, or I knew I had my old spirit back ticket in what felt like seconds. I see anyone pushing a pram or which felt so good! It made me barely blinked and had a even just being asked to attend realise how far I had come on confirmation from Eventim that a baby shower was torture. I felt my journey. I did write a letter I had a ticket for 2nd September as if I had a label which to Kate but doubt she ever on the seventh row in the stalls screamed that I was a failure. received it. I wish I could thank Colleagues had treated me her personally for inspiring me and also for making me realise 66 HomeGround Summer 2022

and elated - was this a really Left:Darrell Babidge with Glenys good dream I was about to Groves, backing wake from? singer from Kate’s 1979 Live Shows. After processing it, we The other great started planning our trip to place for Kate fans to meet up during London. Around mid-May the shows was 2014, my mother’s health SNAP Gallery’s exhibition of photos began down-sliding. She had of Kate taken by recovered from a relapse of Gered Mankowitz and Guido Harari. lymphoma, but the intense chemotherapy regimens that HomeGrounders, fans and Guido. treated the lymphoma wreaked havoc on her lungs. The next The exhibition ran for the whole time few months became almost a the shows were on weekly regimen of an ER visit, attracting Kate fans from all over the a short hospital stay to treat her world. Owner Guy failing lungs with oxygen, a White commented: “In ten years of course of antibiotics, and then running the gallery, home; wash, rinse and repeat. I have never experienced An infectious disease doctor anything quite like diagnosed her with it.” Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumoniae, which is one of the worst pneumonias as it is antibiotic-resistant. As time moved forwards, the likelihood of my mom not pulling through this was setting in. We needed to cancel the trip because I couldn’t be 5,000 miles from home if the worst thing happened. The third week of September 2014, one week before we were scheduled to leave for London, my mom had another hospitalization. Thankfully, my sister was with mom when mom’s pulmonologist gently informed her, “I know this routine of admission after admission is that anything was possible. It changed my life. Cristina CP When Kate announced her 2014 tour, I knew - like every other fan - I had to go. If I had to eat oatmeal for the next two years, I simply had to go. I’m in California, seven hours behind 9am UK time. At 2am California time on March 28th, I opened three browsers to the site selling Before the Dawn tickets. The browsers were operating extra-slow, but through some miracle, I scored a ticket for the show on September 30th. I was shocked HomeGround Summer 2022 67

Before the Dawn... … difficult for you. We can from our hotel to the lavender lotion that I put on her continue as we are if it’s what Hammersmith, bought myself hands and arms and though you wish. But I must be honest some souvenirs and took my non-conversant, she smiled at in saying this pneumonia is seat. the scent. My husband and I incurable. I want you to know left her house around 8pm that of the option of hospice, where And there she was. I don’t night. you can be in your home and have the words to describe the we’ll treat you for pain and triumph of Before the Dawn. It My sister called me at ensure you’re comfortable.” Per was unlike anything I’d ever around 10.30 and told me mom my sister, mom didn’t hesitate experienced. I had to keep was gone. My sister said the and replied, “I’ve lived a good pinching myself that this was Tuesday (day after) mom life. I’m ready for hospice.” real. I was just astonished by passed, she walked into the each act, the musicians and house and smelled the lavender Obviously, we were gutted. players, and – of course – Kate. scent intensely. Mom’s shell had My family’s heart and anchor Kate’s voice was so already gone to the funeral was in the last weeks of her life. magnificent, strong and clear. I home but that lovely smell My mom, dad and siblings all watched her every move lingered in the air like a final said to me, “you have had this through my binoculars, farewell. trip planned for months. We confidently commanding her know how much it means to stage. And when she played and I believe there was a reason you and want you to go.” I sang Among Angels, let’s just say I was lucky enough to score my thought about it between bouts some tears fell. ticket to Kate’s show. While I of bawling. What kind of crap never bestow God-like daughter goes to a concert half When the whole cast attributes on any human a world away and leaves her gathered for the ebullient person, I thank Kate for letting terminally ill mother for a encore of Cloudbusting and the me experience the magic she potentially critical week? I told sense of optimism in that song, created that night. You might my family I couldn’t possibly I left the show walking on ask if I feel guilty about having go, but they all insisted and I clouds, knowing I’d never gone, but no, I don’t. My sister relented. witness anything like it again and father told me several and so grateful for the times, “mom wanted to ensure We had an evening flight experience that allowed me to you went.” And I believe she out of San Francisco Airport on leave my troubles behind for a did to let me experience that Sunday September 28th. My few hours and just be in the beautiful moment of pleasure. bags were packed and I’d moment. planned to spend the afternoon JamesUK1 visiting with my mom. She’d My sister had been been on home hospice for four corresponding daily, making me Well, I was walking from days by that time. She was aware of mom’s developments. Chiswick to Shepherd’s Bush 100% cognizant and told me The correspondence of 29th and decided to go via the she hoped I had a wonderful September stated mom had Apollo. I got there and there time. I broke down and closed her eyes but was semi- was nothing: no signs, no apologized for being such an cognizant and speaking less. anything. Quite a bleak asshole teenager, thanked her She spoke of the wonderful building. But by the side of the for a time she covered for me party that awaited her and that building a door opened and a when I was truant from middle Grandpa Frank (my paternal lady with a headset walked out school, thanked her for being grandfather who adored my with some people behind her my mom and pretty much the mom) was saying “everyone was and I thought maybe they had best human being on the there,” waiting for her to join finished rehearsing and that I planet. We laughed and got them. would see Kate herself ! No misty. When it was time for me such luck of course, but about to leave, I gave her a hug and I’d be leaving for California 30-40 people gathered holding said, “I love you mom. Wait for in four days and was anxious to Eventim ‘code of conduct’ me.” She said the same and see mom. We flew into San sheets. I guessed they were all promised she’d wait. Francisco Sunday October 5th, there for jobs. threw our luggage in the house We got safely to London and immediately drove to They all crossed the road and walked to the mom’s place. I said “hey, you and headed into the church, Hammersmith to see the waited!” She said with closed and since that is where the marquee. We enjoyed the sites eyes, “I’m so glad you had a Spatchcock Event was of the city, albeit with a safe trip and a great time.” She happening I thought I would melancholic mood. flitted in and out of follow them in to see what they consciousness. I told her I’d be were up to - it is a public place Show day was Tuesday. I back tomorrow. after all! bid my husband goodbye as he happily watched a football We returned to mom’s So I go in behind them, and match on TV, and I walked bedside on October 6th. I’d after queuing up to sign brought mom an English 68 HomeGround Summer 2022

something and collect some She spoke a lot about importance of holding the tour Top: merchandise paper, I don’t know what it was, cameras and iPads, and programmes correctly when stall doing great they all sit down in rows in the mentioned Kate’s message and selling them! business actual church. I was sitting in a newspaper reports, and what row further back trying not to she herself had been ordered to She said the reason the we Kate tribute artist be conspicuous, but by now say by her superiors. She told us were having this meeting in the Maaike Breijman there were around 60 people if we saw anyone filming or church and not in the (aka Dreaming of there. This seemed to be a mix snapping to warn the person auditorium was because details Kate) performs for of those who had worked there once. Then if they do it again, of the set were embargoed. It the fans queuing before and those who were warn again and tell them the was a highly intricate set. outside the Apollo applying for a job that day. third time they would be thrown out. And if they She explained how to get Below: Tracy Thorn, Anyway, this lady starts actually do it a third time, call rid of boxes of used glasses: exit one of many fellow addressing us all saying how the security. It didn’t sound like it the front of the building and artists who tweeted next few months were going to would be a workable solution, walk round the back. Normally, praise of Kate’s be busy and very important. but then what is? so as not to upset neighbours shows. She started by talking about with rattling noises, they bring Kate Bush the artist! Saying We are not worthy! these out the back of the Apollo how unique she was and just She spoke about the by walking through the back of how massive it is that she is the stalls, but this time they performing live. Basically the can’t do that because there are whole speech was about how to very quiet parts during this work the bar and deal with particular concert! Latecomers customers. would only be admitted five minutes into each act, after that There was a round of there will be strictly no applause when she brought out admission. a lemon and a lime from a box. Apparently they have never After a while she started been used in their bar before. giving everyone numbers. I was She said that the type of fans horrified and headed for the coming to the Kate concerts exit away like a criminal! No were a cut above the average real spoilers then but it was a music fan and would be more fun little espionage mission, discerning and demanding! totally unexpected!  Who knew! She said that people were coming from all over the world and that they would be ultra-hyped and ready to complain about anything, so the staff would have to be prepared! She went on to teach us how to correctly cut a lemon and lime, and how to open champagne. She actually said that for the Kate concerts because they are so highbrow (!) they would be selling premium wines at the bar and glasses of champagne, not just bottles. HomeGround Summer 2022 69

Keeping the Music A-Live … Sue & Ian Crowther pay tribute Sue and Ian say: There are many Kate tribute occasional amazing backing Baby Bushka “We were asked to bands around at the moment: vocals from Julia K Krajewska write a poem for Moments of Pleasure, Kate and Nadie Keating aka “The Baby Bushka are the act we Nina (Dark Bush of Bush-ka, Dreaming of Kate, Twinnies” who bring something probably know best. We just Baby Bushka) to be the KT Bush Band, the Kate special to these shows. love their originality. This band read out at her Inside, Sky of Honey, just for perform Kate’s music in their funeral which we example. However, we are Cloudbusting perform a own original way, with dance, were only too glad going to concentrate on three variety of shows from music, colourful costume to do. We would acts we have seen many times. anniversaries such as ‘The Kick changes and humour. A like to share it here, They are all so different from Inside 40th’, to themed shows wonderful evening, indeed a neither of us are each other and for us stand out such as the recent ‘Love and “dance party” as the girls call it. poets but we gave the most. We feel it would be Anger’ shows at The Half it our best shot, for unfair to give an opinion on all Moon in Putney. The shows are Baby Bushka consists of Nina”. the other tributes as we either always so different as they like eight young ladies from San haven’t seen them and some we to change things around to keep Diego in California. We love OUR LAST have maybe only seen once but the interest going. You know this band so much that we MEMORY OF NINA we believe they are all in it you have made it when a travelled to San Diego to see together in flying the flag and question comes up on the TV them perform at their home On Our Trip To keeping the wonderful music of quiz programme The Chase venue, The Casbah. All the San Diego Kate Bush alive. asking: “Cloudbusting are a “Bushies”, have Bush names. tribute band for which female The original line up consisted We Were All Ready Cloudbusting singer/songwriter?” of Natasha Kozaily (Boss Bush) And Set To Go on vocals , keys and even drums On Our first Day One of the longest running We Were Set bands, which we have been To Meet watching for many years - actually from the very Our Dear Friends beginning. We think it is fair to Baby Bushka say that Cloudbusting are deservedly known as the Almost Complete number one Kate Bush tribute band. We have seen Kate Sitting In A Bar herself many times and when Two Doors Away Cloudbusting perform we occasionally close our eyes and We Waited can honestly say it is Kate on For This Very Day stage again. To quote Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2 DJ “If you Outside The missed seeing Kate herself, Kalabash School Cloudbusting are the next best Of Music And Arts thing!” Preston Heyman, Kate’s drummer from the Tour of Life Seeing You in 1979 said “I could have been We Never Wanted listening to Kate herself !” Us To Ever Part The band consists of Michael Mayell on keys, Adam On That Beautiful Aggis on drums, Chris Voysey Sunny Day on guitar, Dave Roberts on bass In La Jolla and, of course, the wonderful We Suddenly vocals of Mandy Watson. We Heard were lucky enough to have seen This Lovely them play live, with special guest appearances from 1979 Delightful Holler tour veterans: bass player Del It Was Nina Palmer, drummer Preston Heyman and dancer Stewart Radiant With Arms Avon Arnold - and also with Wide Apart To Welcome Us With Her Open Heart Ian, Sue I Love You She Shouts Out Loud We Froze But Were Feeling So Proud We Ran To Her With So Much Joy For Hugs And Kisses For Us To Enjoy A Day Later We Saw Her Live At The Casbah After Five Seeing You On Stage That Final Time We Did Not Know We Would Not See You Again In A Show On Our Final Night In This Beautiful City 70 HomeGround Summer 2022

on Jig of Life. She is the creator many fans who have seen them ‘The Kate Bush experience of We Had Dinner of the band and it is very much have since said. your dreams’! What else can we Together And her baby. Also on vocals is Lexi say, we have to agree. Lovely Spaghetti Pulido (Hella Bush) and Nancy All the girls in the band are We Had Fun And Elizabeth Ross (Fancy Bush) extremely talented musicians An Evening Without Kate who, along with Natasha, make and very versatile; each Bush Games up the three main front girls. member can sing and play a As We Played Shelbi Bennett (Buffalo Bush) variety of instruments. So much This is the most recent Game Of Names on guitar and keys, bass player talent in one band! Each tribute act we have been Dani Bell (Mighty Bush), on member of Baby Bushka has a watching, a one woman show We Had Music Too violin Batya MacAdam-Somer song allocated to them to sing featuring the lovely and Just For Me And (Bad Bush), Leah Bowden as lead vocalist. Natasha has talented Sarah-Louise Young. Sue (Heavy Bush) on drums and carefully selected who was This show is unlike anything we Under The Ivy For dear Nina Leilani Deering suitable for which song and in have seen before, a cabaret (Dark Bush) on keys and vocals. our opinion very successfully. comedy act and again we The First Time Was seriously recommend that you Sung Nina was tragically killed in They released a vinyl album should see this. We don’t really a car accident, and she is dearly just before a planned UK and want to say too much about the Nina’s Piano Heavy missed by all who were lucky Ireland Tour in 2020 before show as we don’t want to give And Loud It Rung enough to know her; a kind, Covid hit, but there are still away any spoilers, but we have loving soul whose rendition of copies available and will seen her four times now and That Final Kiss This Woman’s Work will always hopefully be on sale at the each time it has us in tears. A Goodbye be in the hearts of many who venues. They all have many of quite surreal experience! saw her. their own projects to keep them Now Makes Us busy, recording albums in other Sarah-Louise is a highly Both Cry Shelbi Bennett left the band bands or as soloists with all trained singer, actress, writer, not long after to pursue her types of genres covered from director and internationally Rest In Peace Our own projects and coming in are Jazz, Alternative/Indie to pink renowned cabaret performer Beautiful Friend Heather Nation (Sugar Bush) punk. One member of the and is also co-author of the on guitar and Marie Haddad band, Nancy, is also in an recently released book The Hoping That This Is (Midnight Bush) on keys. entertainment and educational RSVPeople. She is a huge Kate Not The End performance duo. Natasha has fan like the rest of us. We have We have Del Palmer to a handful of albums to her taken friends along to her show Most fabulous thank for recommending the credit, as does Dani, and and it says a lot that not one of tribute band band to us when he saw their Natasha also manages and runs them has been disappointed, moment: very first show in London in her own Kalabash School of even Nadie Keating and Julia K 2018. We first saw them the Music and the Arts. Krajewska of Cloudbusting I asked following day in Brighton and have enjoyed this show with us. Cloudbusting to to we were literally blown away, as The girls call their show This is a wonderful fun night do the track out with audience participation, Disbelieving Angel so each night is slightly from Kate’s early different; we are confident you demos, which they will not be disappointed. performed at at a HomeGround Party Sarah-Louise is currently at the RVT. touring the UK as we write this Absoloute magic. so grab those tickets now. As Peter. with most Kate fans she is a lovely lady who is always happy See page 102 for to meet her audience after each Dave’s interview show for a chat. She also gives with Sarah-Louise Cloudbusting and Baby Bushka a shout out at each gig so we Nina Leilani must be doing something right Deering in our choices! Sarah-Louise has a wonderful sense of (Dark Bush) humour as does Kate herself “dearly missed” and going on past reactions from our heroine that she can Above: Flyer for laugh at herself, we are sure Baby Buskka’s Kate would love this show too. 2022 lineup Thank you to all who pay Opposite page: tribute to Kate and her Mandy of wonderful music for keeping it Cloudbusting at alive!!  Whitley Bay playhouse 2018 HomeGround Summer 2022 71

A Gaffa of Kate Tribute Bands … Michael of Cloudbusting considers the joy of playing Kate Michael Mayell is It’s true what they say about answer is ‘no’ - how could Over the ten years an accomplished Kate… ‘influenced by none, anything improve on playing Cloudbusting has been going musician. He is the influencing many.’ Musicians this, the most intricate, I’ve noticed the formation of a keyboard player always seem to light up when intoxicating music I’ve ever remarkable number of Kate and a founder they hear mention of her name. known? Even if any member of Bush tributes, and there were member of Even those working in styles Cloudbusting were to write many around before. I find Cloudbusting. and genres quite distant from their own original music, there’s deep joy in the fact that so Kate’s, fall over themselves to no chance in a million years it many of us share this drive to Which was the first communicate how much her would be as rewarding as perform and celebrate her Kate Bush Tribute legacy has affected them. Kate’s to perform live. music. To think that all across band? We can't say Universally, musicians seem to the world, different groups of we know the love her and as her silence As Kate fans, we’ve all friends have sat down and definitive answer. lengthens, Kate’s influence come to communicate our love For all we know grows more and more and respect for her music in thought, ‘right, which Kate there have probably deafening. different ways. We share mix songs should we do and how been various line- tapes, we organise hikes across should we do them?’ And in ups in near and As keyboard player for the moors, we watch videos of learning their parts, all these distant places tribute band Cloudbusting, I musicians have fallen deeper playing Kate's sometimes get asked ‘wouldn’t forgotten performances and under the thrall of Kate’s songs for many you like to perform your own leave evangelical comments on magic. And then, for those years. However, the music?’ I know what my answer YouTube, we search out video- lucky enough to overcome the first tribute band should be, and I suspect Kate shoot locations, we collect hurdles of finding practice that we definitely herself if asked her opinion obscure European vinyl spaces, getting gigs, advertising knew of was would urge individuality and pressings, we create fanzines, gigs, and travelling miles to far- Hounds of Love. creativity in all circumstances. we paint works of art, we flung venues, they get to This was put But I have to be honest: the fashion dolls, we write books, perform in front of people who together by Richard we go to the most Wuthering Ames, who in 1979 Heights Day… And musicians, had been Kate's it seems, create tribute bands! own tour manager. Richard wrote an article which was to have been in HomeGround 79, but instead went into the second volume of the HomeGround Anthology. He explained he first had the idea of creating the band in 2006, but it took two years before their first shows in 2008. In its time, the Houns of Band had two vocalists. >>>> Richard Ames, creator of the Hounds of Love tribute band. 72 HomeGround Summer 2022

are as intoxicated by the music and it’s been a privilege to <<<< repeat the experience so many The first was Josie as they are and the love is times over the years. We’ve met Mills. The second reborn over and over again. so many amazing people such was Rhiannon as Rose Garden, Paul Thomas Bradbury who came So here goes - a list from and Thomas Dunning, the into the band in memory of all the Kate tributes orchestrator of the legendary 2010. Kate covers album, I Wanna Be I’ve heard of - and my deepest Kate. The Lionheart of it is: I Josie Mills apologies for those I’ve finally got to put faces to the names behind the fanzine that inevitably missed: ‘Hounds of used to drop so welcomely Love’. ‘Never for Ever’. ‘Wow - though my letterbox all those the show’. ‘Dreaming of Kate’. ‘Before the Dawn’. ‘The KT Bush Band’. ‘Eat the Music’. ‘Wuthering Heights’. ‘Experiment IV’. ‘The Kate (a favourite of mine) and of years ago, and which first made Rhiannon Bradbury Bush Experience’. ‘The Red course ‘Baby Bushka’ (who do me realise I wasn’t alone. Shoes - Our Kate Bush Story’. things brilliantly, like all the best The band last ‘Kate Bush-Ka’. ‘Moments of of the above, in their own way!) Here’s to a happy, busy played in 2012. Pleasure’. ‘Don’t Give Up’. ‘A future sharing our obsession Interviews by Sky of Honey’. Anneke van Is there anyone in pop who with Kate’s music, be it at Rhiannon Bradbury, Giersbergen. ‘The Kick Inside’. has inspired so much of this HomeGround events or at guitarist Johnny ‘Them Heavy People’. ‘An very particular kind of love? concerts arranged by tribute Martin and Josie Evening Without Kate Bush’. I’m sure you might be able to acts. Not forgetting the online Mills can be found ‘The Whole Story’. Theo find an equal or greater community where so many in Marta Oliehoek- Bleckmann. ‘Simply Kate number of Abba or Beatles wonderful covers of and Samitowska’s book Bush’. ‘Full Bush’. ‘KaBoo’. homages to Kate are posted Symphony in Blue: Jennifer Oberle and friends. tributes, but I’d place bets that daily on YouTube and TikTok Kate Bush and Her ‘Ladies of the Canyon’. Lisa Kate’s are unique, formed by (or whatever platform it is Legacy. Abbott. ’Ming’s Pretty Heroes’. fans who NEED to perform youngsters use these days.) I ‘Cloudbusting’. ‘Symphony in HER music rather than don’t know, I’m an ageing Kate As Michael Blue’. ‘Pre-Sensual’. Yuri Kono musicians who’ve simply said, Bush fan and I’m LOVING IT! demonstrates in his “ooh, let’s form a tribute band -  article, the Kate what about Kate Bush?” Bush tribute scene has pretty much Over the last ten years, exploded in the since the last edition of decade since with HomeGround, performances acts of many of Kate’s music have become different types. an increasingly important way for her fans to get together. In 2013 two of the Krys, Peter, Dave and Seán original members of were definitely instrumental in the KTBush Band, getting Cloudbusting off the Vic King an Brian ground, inviting us to perform Bath, who at the annual party at the RVT supported Kate in in London. We are eternally her in her earliest grateful for this initial break live dates in 1977, reactivated the band to recreate the sound of Kate's early years and later success, with vocals now handled by Jodie May. KTBush Band February 2021 HomeGround Summer 2022 73

A Cajun Eating the Music … Amphabian tells us about a musical journey Amphabian Growing up in rural Cajun thought she was stunningly this? It changed my whole You can listen to South Louisiana, for me, new beautiful and the man on the perspective of what was Amphabian’s cover music exposure was limited to cover (later disclosed as her possible inside a recording versions here: radio Top 40. However, the Engineer and collaborator, Del studio, and how you could use Spotify Playlist unique culture has a very Palmer) was quite handsome. it as a canvas for sound. Apple Music vibrant local live niche music Our Dad was a magician and I Although I didn’t know it at the YouTube scene of Zydeco, Cajun, New had heard the stories of time, it solidified and moulded Or click these links: Orleans Jazz, Blues, and of Houdini from the time I was a my own future as a recording course Country music. This is child. The added narrative artist. Amphabian was rare even in the US, regarding the key was enough writing in March particularly today. But none of to pull me into her sensual I then took a crash course in 2022, just before this music ever resonated with world. all things Kate, and acquired all Stranger Things me. of her catalog on vinyl up to and Running Up My brother played just one that point (and watched her ’79 That Hill changed I come from a musical song for me, Suspended In Gaffa tour and all her music videos). the entire US view family. I was actually playing and I instantly loved it! The Although I recognized her of Kate and her piano by ear before I could song gave me a strong signature and uniqueness works. even speak, having watched my impression of Dexy’s Midnight throughout all of it, I don’t Mom and my brothers play and Runners’ Come On Eileen. think her music would have had Artwork opposite: practice. When I got old Looking back, I think it was the the same impact on me as an Kerry Davies enough, I started piano lessons string arrangement. artist if I was exposed to her while my oldest brother became earlier works initially. quite an accomplished classical A few days later, I was home musician, and church organist alone with my Dad and I saw Coming on board nearly 40 and choir director. the haunting record propped years ago with The Dreaming was up by the turntable and decided my fate. She was at her prime When I was a teenager in I wanted to hear that song and pinnacle of her skill as a the mid 1980s, I started to hear again. I couldn’t remember its writer, performer, singer, a shift in Top 40 radio. It began name, so I started skimming the arranger, and lastly but to have an electronic and cuts but never could find it. probably most importantly, a experimental sound. It also producer. She was just a force became clear that every band Instead, what happened to be reckoned with that or artist that I liked was coming next was something of a slapped me hard across the face out of the UK. It was like a paradox. I was a little horrified - in a good way. But what still new “1960s Beatlemania” for by what I was hearing! They baffles me to this day is that the US music industry a few were the most bizarre sounds there has never been anything years during the early 1980’s. put together (and so densely) else like this album! Never. that the experience literally When my oldest brother short-circuited and fried my As soon as I ingested all of came home from college in the brain. I had to turn it off. It was her past LPs, a new album was Summer of 1983, I was an too much for me to rumored to be coming out. Of impressionable 15 year old in comprehend and absorb, but course, we now know that it high school, about to start 10th yet I recognized immediately was Hounds of Love. At the time, grade. It was this particular the skill behind what I was I couldn’t wait to get my hands summer that his friend gifted hearing. It struck a chord in me on a copy. I was thrilled to him a copy of Kate’s The so strong that it kept drawing finally find a collector’s edition Dreaming for his July birthday. me back over the next couple EMI America marbled vinyl of Apparently, he and my brother of days. Indeed it did. pastel pinks and purple in our had seen her music video for local shop, when it finally made Suspended in Gaffa air on MTV Once I sank my teeth into it’s debut. in the US together, while the full recording, I realized speaking on the phone long how unique, special, and just As much as The Dreaming distance in different states and how much of a masterpiece this smacked you so hard with it’s they seemed to mutually like it. record was, and I couldn’t powerful and passionate believe that music could BE this delivery, Hounds of Love came to I was mesmerized by the way! I couldn’t believe that me as being such a 1930s styled cover art of the there was someone like Kate sophisticated and elegant, large LP vinyl album before Bush in this world – a woman evolved contrast. hearing a note of music. It was carving out her own unique to me very sensual, erotic, and vision, style and ultimately… It took years from the time I beautiful but still editorial. I her own genre. How great is started improvising and writing my own piano music, and 74 HomeGround Summer 2022

HomeGround Summer 2022 75

Fairlight CMI, waiting for technology to catch likely had or has the UK hours early, yet the queue was complete with up, for me to begin my own version. For example, the drone still wrapped around the entire green DOS screen multi-track endeavors that were at the start of Running Up That gigantic block and I was and dual 5.25 inch high enough quality to release. Hill - I heard through the grape standing right outside floppy disk drives However, while living in New vine - was carved out from the “Screaming MiMI’s” boutique York City through my sound on one of the FX disks (the clothing shop that dressed Amphabian's Kate employment with a major called, “Air Raid Siren” then Cyndi Lauper). Music Bible record company, I happened to used a technique called “reverb meet a producer who had a freezing.” There was no such Once I finally reached the Opposite: Clint Fairlight CMI Series IIx in sound in the US Library. table where Kate was signing Wastling is a poet storage that he was willing to autographs in the middle of her and creative writer sell to me, since he had With no “Air Raid Siren” I meet and greet, I finally made living in Beverley in upgraded to a later Series III. decided I would still try to build eye contact with her. I asked the East Riding of Running Up That Hill as an her to sign a copy of The Yorkshire. Having studied all of Kate’s experimental exercise in how to Dreaming which I had just arsenal of studio equipment learn the Page R software and purchased for the friend who and tools I figured this how to synch it up to my digital gave my brother her LP ten instrument was an integral and recorder. years earlier. necessary part of the puzzle for her “sound sculptures.” But It was a frustrating I also gifted her with a CD once the Fairlight arrived inside experiment and I left it alone copy of my first “Isadar” solo my apartment on the Upper until years later when I saw and piano album and she was so East Side I was a bit heard a “cover” on YouTube by appreciative. overwhelmed and majorly a band called Within disappointed. It was not at all Temptation. I thought their Although a year later I what I thought it was going to cover of the song was amazing. started to work for the record be. After hearing what they did company which distributed her with the song, it gave me the music in the US, we never It was antiquated, had creative license to just abandon crossed paths again, but all of green DOS-like text and the original Fairlight build and my colleagues had nothing but prompts on a black screen, it put my own spin on the track. praises for her and her music. I was huge (took up nearly my This started me down a path of also heard many awesome whole living room with the a few other covers… then more comments (and people stopped flight cases), made a lot of noise Kate covers. in their tracks) when seeing the from the cooling fans, and the gigantic Experiment IV sounds were pretty ugly, In 1987 I picked up Kate promotional poster hanging on scratchy and raw. Not to Bush Complete at a local music the back wall of my office for mention the software to operate store. It was my bible that I many years. it was so complicated it used (and still use today) to get required me to hire a tutor to the songs’ musical keys and I am sad that here in the US learn how to use it! Thankfully chord progressions of her work not many really know who Kate living in NYC, it wasn’t an issue for the covers I’ve attempted. Bush is… only serious music finding an experienced user for My plan is to re-create entirely, and audiophiles (who were help. the album Hounds of Love since I most likely exposed to her on have half the album already college radio in the early 80s) I realized then that it wasn’t made. I am not sure about the know about her work - and going to be the magic dust or B-sides, but I’m thinking about there are those fans from the bullet that would create those it, particularly Not This Time Peter Gabriel duet Don’t Give Up lush and rich atmospheres I which I think is probably my and Maxwell’s cover of This associated with the instrument - favorite Kate B-side next to Be Woman’s Work from decades and Kate’s music in particular. Kind To My Mistakes from her past. It would take a huge amount of releases. very expensive sound And yet, from my processing gear and effects I first moved to NYC in perspective I can’t imagine my (which I didn’t have), and most 1993 to further pursue my life without her music as a importantly SKILL to even music career, and as luck would soundtrack. But as with come close to what I was have it, Kate made a anything, I believe it will find envisioning. promotional visit for the release it’s way into your life if it is of The Red Shoes. I remember meant to be and meant for you It also came to my attention my 25 year old self standing in to enjoy and appreciate. that Fairlight had several line in the bitter cold outside libraries of sounds on 8-inch Tower Records on Broadway I am honored to write this floppy diskettes that went out to and 4th waiting to get to meet piece for inclusion in this 40th their roughly 300 clients around her. I thought it best to arrive Anniversary special issue of the world in different territories. early and get near the front of HomeGround and I invite you I had the US Library with my the line, but I underestimated to check out my Kate Bush machine whereas Kate most her other fans. I arrived several Tribute Covers all of which were a labor of love. Cheers to you all!  76 HomeGround Summer 2022

The fading pop star by Clint Wastling Every time I pass through the deserted station, I think of you. When the train slows I see your picture. You wear a frown as if you really don’t want to be pasted on a wall so grim and bare. Dressed in your best advertising last year’s gig, sold out pasted over dates. Already corners are peeling, revealing a well-known cleaning brand. You float amongst flotsam, Before the Dawn, your life jacket orange, a reminder of the waking sun, the passing years, the cares kindly removed from your airbrushed face. The train pulls away. Tonight I will hear your voice and remember when we both were young. HomeGround Summer 2022 77

A Cover Story … Joe Forken tells how he created a cover of And Dream of Sheep Hmm…Where should I begin? believe you were warm if it profound understanding. …Mmm - yesss! Winter 1990 wasn’t for the cold mist of your “Listen to this, Joe” Ross said Galway Ireland, if memory breath, or was that the hazy serves me well. I had just smoke cloud released after a lowering the needle, the crackle finished my last dismal year of deep relaxing inhale. Mmm, of stylus on vinyl… The sound school (thank the Gods!) memory’s a little foggy there. of bells… Mmmm Yessss! I spent my days practicing The Den was a small So that’s how I found the Kung Fu and playing drums in unassuming bed against the a local Thrash metal band, and wall, a couple of old chairs, an genius. The Sensual World is still on this one particular cold impressive Hi-Fi system with its one of my favourites, if it’s night, head up, hair covering double cassette deck, radio - On 22/01/2022 my face, looking for anything to and sitting on top - the ever possible to have a favourite. A 00:53, joeforken take me far away - found sacred record player plateau, masterpiece which also turned wrote: myself for the first time, down flanked on either side by two the house of my new, and to be robust speakers as tall as the me on to Davy Spillane and Hi, I would like to lifelong, friend Ross. stack itself ! A simple set-up Bulgarian polyphonic singing. It submit a vocal contrasted, however, by an cover I did recently Ross stood out. I remember innumerable complexity of wasn’t long before I was of dream of sheep. seeing him down town, a well- posters of a woman… a listening to Hounds of Love and I don’t know if this known towny, a Rocker, looked beautiful woman. Left right, up is what you are like something out of Def down, an overwhelming the exceptional Ninth Wave. I looking for but I Leppard. He was cool! I was expression of adoration, a found myself listening to it over thought I would NOT! However, it would seem shrine. Not a square inch send. that I was now visible, a new spared! She was everywhere! and over again. blip, a skinny long-haired drip, Who is this woman? Should I Subjugated by And Dream of Hope you like it. on the radar of the local metal bless myself ? scene. Surely, the first gigs I’d Sheep, it has become engraved in We did like it, and played down the local had a lot “That’s Kate Bush” Ross my consciousness over the asked Joe to tell us to do with that? said. On his knees he turns on the story of how it the Hi-Fi, and it lights up like years. Ive listened to it through came to be. As we walked our skinny the mother ship in Close thick and thin. It’s one of those jeans and cut off denims Encounters. Quickly running his You can listen to it through the kitchen to the fingers through a mess of 12- songs you just put on repeat till Here and see Joe’s extension out back, we arrived inch vinyl he pulls out an LP, a you fall asleep. other music videos at Ross’s room, aka the “DEN”. black and white cover with two Here A small door in a dark, cold angelic eyes and a white rose. I was one of the lucky ones corridor opening only to reveal That Hi-Fi had played plenty who got to see Before the Dawn. a darker windowless snug room, of heavy, tooth-chipping metal, with a ceiling no higher than but I knew something different, Kate’s live in-the-water version the top of your head. The click something deeper was coming, of And Dream of Sheep was so of a small lamp set a nice cosy which required a more low lit vibe, so that you’d almost heart piercingly authentic, the tears just flowed uncontrollably, and I wasn’t the only one. Never before has the world seen so many grown men all crying at the same time. Like all great artists, Kate channels something higher than us, something otherworldly, ethereal, that can’t be explained, only felt. What? Who knows. Maybe we are put 78 HomeGround Summer 2022

in touch with our true nature. Sheep. into each other creating one And Dream of I’ve lived in Paris, France Sometime in December fantastic story. Could I mix Sheep: “so heart other Kate songs into And since 1993, and during the 2021, weekend surely, I started Dream of Sheep? piercingly authentic, lockdown of October 2020 to record. Using Garage Band, the tears just flowed through to June 2021, I found a mic, an iPad, and a piano The four-bar piano breaks myself with a lot of free time. backing track I found online, I after the first and second chorus uncontrollably” So I decided to start singing. It’s recorded maybe five takes from seemed like the natural spots for something I’ve always wanted beginning to end. I took what something, but what? I had to do so I did some research was best from the five takes to Breathing and Watching You online and gave it a shot. I make the final cut, and as Without Me fresh in my mind. started singing covers of songs I always, left it alone, only to Breathing, what else would a like from various artists such as come back to it with fresh ears drowning, hypothermic person Simon and Garfunkel, Chris and new ideas a few days later. be focused on, and the lyrics Isaak, Bowie and Peter Gabriel “You can’t hear me…” perfect as to name a few, but, I admit, the Inspired by The Ninth Wave I the spirit flows from the idea of singing Kate Bush felt I should create some physical to somewhere in didn’t spring to mind. I mean, ambient sounds. I proceeded to between. It all came together she’s unique, un-singable, and it hunt for sounds of the sea, quite quickly and naturally, just seems irreverential in a way thunderstorms, helicopters, almost by itself to be honest. to dare. fishing boats, gulls, Morse code Now all that was left to do was (which I wrote myself), and of the video. A simple set up late As my confidence grew, course, whales! You just have to at night. A nice angle, the right however, the time came to try have whales, and submarines! light, and it was done. There something from Kate. I thought are several references to other about what I could sing. I must have gone through Kate songs, some are quite Breathing, This Woman’s Work, 20 helicopters and 15 subs at nuanced and unfortunately get Watching You Without Me and And least before finding the right almost lost in compression on Dream Of Sheep, spontaneously ones! Once everything mixed I YouTube, but that’s okay. A came to mind, and besides found myself quite pleased with finely tuned ear could hear being masterpieces that I loved, the result. The piece took on a them, possibly. seemed also the most fitting for more profound hypnotic feel, a me musically. For a week or so, richer comfortable sleepiness in That brings me to the end I practiced in a relaxed manner, which my voice could cradle. of my tale. I thoroughly bits and pieces of each, to see enjoyed the process of making how they felt, and pretty It felt good, but, I wanted to this cover. Pure moments of quickly settled on And Dream of do something more, something pleasure! I hope you like it.  different. I love the way the songs of The Ninth Wave bleed HomeGround Summer 2022 79

Kate’s Brontë Retracing the Scenes stone, unveiled in Part 4: March 2017 to June 2021 2018. Artwork Opposite The Mays is an anthology of the fans felt this was about time, up in a terrific article by James by Madeleine best new short stories, poetry, others were rather more Hall in the Daily Telegraph 19th Mitchell Rishton art and photography by indifferent to this American January: “Bush’s delivery, her students from the University of institution with its natural pre- language and her use of dance and April 2017, the Cambridge and the University occupation with artists who mime heralded a new epoch in pop strange story about of Oxford. Published annually were commercially successful in music, and the song’s direct influence the Coachella since 1992, the anthology is still the US. The nomination stated: can be seen on everyone from Björk, Festival and the edited by students. Each year “Kate Bush gave popular music a Tori Amos and PJ Harvey to claim that invited guest editors, usually new palette of techniques, crafting Florence + The Machine, Goldfrapp Americans \"would prominent writers, musicians, unorthodox performances that are and St Vincent.‘She is part of our not understand poets or artists, contribute a part sonic experiment, part theatre. DNA now,’ says the singer Beth Kate” preface to the anthology and Bush draws us into the world of her Orton, a fan from the start. ‘It is not take part in the selection imagination through complex easy to imagine where her inspiration Liam O'Flynn process. In 2016 it had been arrangements, striking visual begins and ends.’” Roger McGough; in 2017 it presentations and inventive use of “A wonderful, was Kate, who thought the technology”. The results were On 15th February, digital serene presence in poems were “Full of life, fun and announced in December and radio station, Double J, in the studio… It was expression” so she “sneaked an extra Kate was not inducted. Australia, broadcast a two-hour one of the real one in.” 40 Year special on Kate: “If highlights of my life A quiet 2017 ended with you’re not at least fascinated by to have had the The 2017 HomeGround Kate’s festive message on 24th the career of Kate Bush, then pleasure to work Party ‘Sunset’, the sixth in the December: “Wishing you all a you must be pretty hard to with him not once series, was held on 22nd wonderful Christmas and a fantastic please”. but on three September, at the RVT, and 2018. Thank you as always, for occasions” featured a set from Mandy your support. It means such a lot. We were very sad to hear on Del Palmer Michael and Dave of Very best wishes, Kate” 14th March, of the death of Cloudbusting, and also Rose legendary Irish uilleann piper, Forty Years Ago – Garden and a Sky of Honey. January 2018 contained a Liam O’Flynn. He was a “Wuthering Heights” Another great time. very significant anniversary master piper and a global from the (apart from KBNews being 20 ambassador for traditional Irish HomeGround On 4th October Kate was, years old!), unbelievably it was music. His performances on Anthology for the first time, nominated for all of 40 Years since the Kate’s songs Night of the Swallow, the US ‘Rock and Roll Hall of release of that magical first Jig of Life, and Hello Earth are Fame’. Although many Kate single from Kate, Wuthering simply unforgettable. Heights. Even now it seems impossible that such a span of A section of Hello Earth time could have elapsed, so (though not sung by Kate) and fresh and so exciting it still an extended instrumental sounds, from those opening version of the song was played piano trills to Kate’s voice during the opening ceremony doing the octave jumps, to the of the 2018 Commonwealth spine-tingling guitar solo. Games on 4th April, at the Carrara Stadium in Gold The anniversary was picked Coast, Australia. The track formed a backdrop to a 80 HomeGround Summer 2022

HomeGround Summer 2022 81

Lindsay Kemp message of unity pronounced his death on 25th August, at his Child in his Eyes along with a couple “I loved him very by Australian actor, Jack home in Livorno, Italy where of other tracks at Air Studios in much and will miss Thompson. he had been preparing for new Oxford St in 1974. He was him dearly” performances and writing his incredibly sweet and supportive – I’d On 26th April we learned memoirs. Kate posted A never been in a recording studio Geoff Emerick that Kate, along with poet Message for Lindsay: “The world before, let alone played live with an “incredibly sweet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, has lost a truly original and great orchestra. He joked around with me and supportive … Jackie Kay (the Scottish Makar, artist of the stage. To call him a and put me at ease. He had a such an honour to or national poet), and the mime artist is like calling Mozart a brilliant sense of humour and was work with him” novelist Jeanette Winterson, pianist. He was very brave, very really quite mischievous. I’ll always had agreed to contribute a remember him with a smile on his James Guthrie piece of poetry to a project funny and above all, astonishingly face. What a really lovely man he celebrating the Brontë sisters. inspirational. There was no-one quite was, an incredibly gifted engineer and John Lynch All four were commissioned by like Lindsay. I was incredibly lucky one of the truly great heroes of the the Bradford Literature Festival to study with him, work with him music business. It was such an Lindsay, Tim and to write a piece of poetry or and spend time with him. I loved him honour to work with him.” Katie with flowers prose to be engraved on stones very much and will miss him dearly. sent by Kate positioned over the eight-mile Thank you, dear Lindsay.” But life goes on, and on 4th route between the sisters’ October Kate announced the birthplace at Thornton and the Parts of a new phone Remastered Project. Her entire family parsonage at Haworth. interview with Kate, in which back catalogue, fully remastered Winterson celebrated the she remembered her friend, by Kate and James Guthrie, Brontë legacy as a whole, Duffy Lindsay, were broadcast on was to be released in celebrated Charlotte, Kay had BBC Radio 4 on 31st August, as November, on brand new vinyl Anne, and Kate appropriately, part of Last Word the obituary and CD editions, together with had Emily. Kate said: “I am programme. On 2nd a new collection of rarities The delighted to be involved in this project. September, Kate passed on a Other Sides. As well as the ten ... Emily only wrote the one novel - request from those closest to studio albums being made an extraordinary work of art that has Lindsay, to send flowers or to available for purchase truly left its mark. To be asked to light a candle and think of him separately on vinyl and CD, write a piece for Emily’s stone is an Kate was also to release four honour and, in a way, a chance to say at the hour of his interment on box set Remastered collections on thank you to her.” The stones were the 5th: “I’ll be lighting a candle to vinyl and two on CD. The first unveiled in July marking Emily wish him a safe journey and to thank two vinyl album boxes were to Bronte’s bicentenary. him for having been such a beautiful be released on 16th November presence in so many lives.” and the latter two on the 30th. This Woman’s Work, which, The CD boxes to be staggered featured in the soundtrack in Sadness continued when we on the same dates. the Season Two opening heard that Geoff Emerick, episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, who was engineer on one of The announcement caused was recognised on 26th April in Kate’s earliest recording a significant media ripple, and a feature article by Jen Chaney sessions, had died on 3rd not only in Kate fan and on The Vulture: “Unlike other songs October. Kate remembered collecting circles. Kate was that suffer from pop-cultural overuse “...the first engineer I ever worked quite taken aback: “I just can’t … this gut puncher about trying to with. He recorded The Man with the believe the fantastic response to summon strength in a moment of yesterday’s announcement of the profound weakness, never loses its Remastered project. I’m totally blown power. Instead, it has accumulated away! It’s really exciting and additional, profound layers of incredibly rewarding for everyone meaning ...” involved to see it being received so positively. I really wasn’t expecting Triggered by his lifelong such an overwhelming reaction. interest in Kate’s work, singer- Thank you.” songwriter and musician, Tim Arnold, had formed a working On 18th October, Kate partnership with Kate- posted a promotional video for inspiration Lindsay Kemp. In the Remastered Project. A June Tim and Lindsay mysterious voice-over stated: performed an installation of “Sometimes we find the art of music, film, photography and mastering a bit tricky … dance, at the Bridgewater Hall sometimes we nail it!” Kate’s in Manchester, entitled What official site revealed that the Love Would Want. Kate sent voice-over was by Irish actor flowers to celebrate their and novelist John Lynch. performance, perhaps Lindsay’s last, as we were to hear sadly, of Meanwhile, on 13th November we learned that 82 HomeGround Summer 2022

Kate was taking part in a new various parts of the Remastered RVT, with Mandy, Michael and The UNICEF blue UNICEF project featuring set with imagery and selected Dave from Cloudbusting, A Sky vinyl of The limited runs of just 50 copies of lyric quotes. of Honey, and Rose Garden as Sensual World albums by a variety of the ghost of Kate Past, Present, influential artists, pressed on On 26th November, despite and Future. A great winter’s Irish Saturday blue vinyl. Kate’s contribution being an expensive box set night, but sadly the last party Business Post July would be a special pressing of containing seven albums, the before the Covid epidemic. 2018 The Sensual World. Remastered Part 1 CD set actually entered the UK album chart at On 30th November, The first review of the no.51, and appeared in the UK coinciding with the release of remasters which we saw (on 15th physical chart (excluding Part 2 of the Remastered set, as November), was 8/10 in Uncut downloads) at no.33, with other well as the publication of the magazine: “The drums on parts of the Remastered project lyric book How To Be Invisible, ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal sprinkled down that chart at Kate announced the opening With God)’ pound with a more numbers 61, 69, 73, 89, and 93. of a special pop-up shop at robust and exuberant energy, Remastered in Vinyl Volume 1 was London’s Coal Drops Yard in mirroring the heartbeat thump the meanwhile no.7 in the vinyl King’s Cross from the 5th to 9th song still elicits, 33 years after its chart with other vinyl remasters December, with all profits going release. The same goes for the frantic at numbers 9, 10, 14, 26 and to the national homelessness rhythms of ‘Sat In Your Lap’, which 39. Remarkable. charity, Crisis. The shop sold are fuller and more buoyant. The the vinyl, CDs and book plus a instrumentation of ‘Wuthering The 2018 HomeGround selection of exclusive specially Heights’ at last feels in balance with Party “A Christmas Kate” took made items, and each book sold the track’s striking vocals, as if they place on 23rd November, at the too were invited to perform from the stage, rather than projecting towards the singer from the pit. The layered likes of ‘Babooshka’ feel more natural too, with evident care paid to the very bucolic potential of these recordings, even the ones heavily adorned in synthesisers and effects ...” More very good reviews quickly followed: “this comprehensive reissue of her remastered career works as a salutary reminder of just what an extraordinary artist she is … frequently staggering … harbour moments of genius…driven, visceral, thespian, experimental and yet capable of conjuring up sheer pop nuggets, Kate Bush has always been a groundbreaking very British artist like no other” (Ian Gittins Classic Pop 5 stars). “The musical leaps made in the ‘80’s between Never For Ever, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love sound even more vivid here. Bush and Guthrie’s new cuts put the listener right there: close enough to get cut by Babooshka’s flying glass or trapped shivering under the ice floe in The Ninth Wave” (Mark Blake, Mojo four stars, who also mentions “the previously unreleased country-tinged pop song Humming” from that 1975 Gilmour produced demo, at last seeing the light of day). Kate’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were meanwhile counting down the days between the releases of the HomeGround Summer 2022 83

“We were trying to included an exclusive Remastered sets in his ‘Top Ten of lyrics to my children, who, at imagine the feeling bookmark. There was also a of the best reissues of 2018’: twenty-two and nineteen are both, when you walk out daily raffle with special prizes “By pop parameters, remastering the bless them, Kate Bush fans … on a dark night and including signed books, picture catalog of Kate Bush is like trying to listening to all the tracks on a the snow is falling. discs, and signed art prints, as do a restoration on the ceiling of the complete boxed set is like going to a There’s a very announced on social media on Sistine Chapel - how do you improve party and talking to all the strangers different kind of the day. Those entering the upon perfection? But across these two you’d normally avoid instead of the silence in the air. It daily raffles were entered into a extraordinary box sets, the British friends you already have.” Talbot feels very dead, yet grand raffle for an Aerial visionary’s recorded output has never concludes by summarising Kate at some time, Presentation Disc signed by looked or sounded better”. through a Virginia Woolf quote there’s still a Kate. (written about Emily Brontë): presence you feel In the same vein, in The “Hers then is the rarest of all … It was about Kate said “I can’t imagine how New Yorker (19th December), powers, she could free life from its making people it must feel to be homeless. Our Margaret Talbot re-discovered dependence on facts, with a few experience a sonic attention is drawn to this tragic issue Kate’s work through listening to touches indicate the spirit of a face so texture, dimension at Christmas when most of us can the Remastered sets. Entitled The that it needs no body; by speaking of or depth. It sounds share the celebrations with those we Enduring, Incandescent Power of the moor make the wind blow and the abstract, but these love but, of course, homelessness is Kate Bush, the article described thunder roar.” were the kinds of there all year round – all the time. It how Talbot spent “most of a discussions I had must be so frightening. Without week last month in a Kate Bush- With the Remastered set was with Kate. She charities like Crisis, who would induced reverie - or was it a swoon? I Kate’s new book of lyrics, How wanted to make people turn to? Who would help? know there were tears: you try to be Invisible, published by Faber people feel Where would the hope of a future remaining dry-eyed listening to ‘This & Faber on December 6th. something specific come from? I hope this pop up shop Woman’s Work’ on a cold November Selected and arranged by Kate, when they heard it, will raise some money for Crisis and night after a glass or two of wine; if the book included an expansive instead of just how raise more awareness of this life- you do, I don’t want to know you. introduction by the novelist, they respond to the saving charity”. There may have been some ecstatic David Mitchell (author of Cloud lyrics or playing. dancing that alarmed the dog; there Atlas): “For millions around the Sonically, how does The shop opened to queues was definitely some animated texting world Kate is way more than another it make you feel? of hopeful shoppers on the 5th That was the big December, and after a hugely question and what successful five days, went online we were trying to on 10th December for the accomplish. We remainder of the month. As would have Kate explained: “We have had an wonderful overwhelming response to the pop-up conversations shop. Thank you so much for all your about these things. incredible support. It’s been an exciting experience! We’ve had a great “I visited a hidden number of people asking for the place in the middle opportunity to buy the items from an of the countryside on-line shop, so we have been working with about 100 on this”. In the new year Kate people working on announced that the pop-ups pre-production for had raised some £61,000 for a the show. Kate very good cause. gave me the title “Kate Vocal Also on 5th December, Brian Navigator” in the Parker on Australian site ‘Your program. My role Music Radar’ wrote: “How can was specifically to you make perfection, sound more handle the sound of perfect? And the result? It’s a sonic her voice. I dream. Rather than making the tracks controlled the louder, Kate (with James Guthrie) effects that were has focussed on clarity, making the used extensively albums sound more crisp. Little throughout all the subtleties like harder sounding drums, changing scenarios clearer backing vocals, crisper synth of the show. I motifs. It feels as if a fresh breath of handled her vocals air has been injected into the albums, and fed them to the making them sound more vibrant, front of the house. I colourful, and breathing life into all was on stage, not her vignettes abundant from her out front. I never imaginative mind”. heard how the show sounded In Billboard (18th December) upfront. My main Ron Hart included the focus was to control the individual sound for every song. I would be hearing in my in- ear monitors exactly what Kate was hearing. I was controlling not just what the audience heard, but what Kate heard herself. It was about giving her the right sonic environment to suit her performance.” Stephen W Tayler Innerviews (Anil Prasad) February 2020 84 HomeGround Summer 2022

singer-songwriter: she is a creator of It was a huge, labyrinthine hospital Wednesday. Will Hermes in “On this day in musical companions that travel with with incredibly long corridors ... an Rolling Stone 8th March wrote: 2014, I saw Kate you through life ... One paradox intense project and not a comfortable “Kate Bush generated cartloads of Bush at the about her is that while her lyrics are shoot, as you can imagine – a giant top-flight recordings during her Hammersmith avowedly idiosyncratic, those same of a building, damp and full of hypercreative peak years that, for Odeon in London. lyrics evoke emotions and sensations shadows with no lighting or heating whatever reasons, didn’t make it onto Kate Bush is an that feel universal”. A signed and but it was like a dream to work with albums. This set finally bundles the artist and writer of cased edition of the book such a talented crew and cast” as we evidence: 34 tracks, including some some of the most limited to 500 copies, with an remember well! And Under the of the avant-pop auteur’s most extraordinary exclusive letterpress print of the Ivy: “I wrote this song really quickly. gorgeous, extravagant, intimate, and material I have had lyrics to Aerial Tal, at £150 a As it was just a simple piano/vocal, bonkers material … the motherlode is the pleasure to throw, sold out in less than 15 it was easy to record … I performed here. Bush’s oeuvre is singular, and experience. From minutes on 22nd November. a version of the song that was filmed has stood alone for decades. But hearing “Man With at Abbey Rd Studios ... An enormous lately its brilliance feels especially A Child In His Slightly earlier than room used for recording large prescient ... Most of the tracks feel as Eyes” written in her expected, the book appeared on orchestras, choirs, film scores, etc. It contemporary as they ever did; maybe teens and on her the shelves of Waterstones in has a vertiginously high ceiling and more so”. debut album I knew the UK on 1st December. David sometimes when I was working in this was a unique Mitchell popped up on the Studio Two, a technician, who was a Not quite the final release to talent with a depth Today programme on BBC good friend, would take me up above conclude the cycle of the of profound Radio 4 on 7th December the ceiling of Studio One. We had to Remastered project, and issued understanding to all talking to Rebecca Jones about climb through a hatch onto the through independent record things musical. She Kate’s book: “I’m just really, really catwalk where we would then crawl stores on 24th May, was continued to grow glad that this woman exists, I’m so across and watch the orchestras described as a 4-track 12-inch artistically and glad she’s made the music she has working away, completely unaware Cloudbusting picture disc, released a done. It’s like a constellation in the of the couple of devils hovering in the featuring imagery from the catalogue of sky for me, it fills me with wonder. clouds, way above their heads!” Cloudbusting and Rocket Man fascinating lyrical As I’ve evolved, her songs have a Finally The Man I Love: “when singles artwork. It included music over the quality, they evolve as well. I often Larry Adler put an album together Cloudbusting, Under the Ivy, Rocket years. In 1979 Kate sort of think of them as companions … called The Glory of Gershwin, Man and Warm and Soothing. Bush played her who walk with me through life.” he asked me to sing this beautiful Kate didn’t release any special last concert at the song. The album was produced by vinyl for Record Store Day in Hammersmith On 22nd February 2019 George Martin. I was very fond of 2019 but this was promoting Odeon in London. Kate announced that the four George – such a special talent and her entire reissued back From then on she CD remastered collection of creative spirit, a really gentle man, catalogue and supporting a lot became quite a rarities, b-sides, cover versions very kind and incredibly interesting. It of independent record shops successful recluse. and 12-inch mixes, The Other was a great honour to work with him worldwide, as well as some When it was Sides, would be released and Larry”. selected larger retailers. Kate’s announced in 2014 separately on 8th March. To site described this as an that she was to promote the release, Kate made As The Other Sides had its “extremely limited edition”, but perform a run of available for the first time, the individual release on 8th March, it was not quite as limited as concerts at the 1991 video for Rocket Man: “it Kate issued a new advert for previous Record Store Day Hammersmith was a bit daunting to be let loose on the Remastered project. On 13th discs, perhaps 5,000 copies. In Odeon the tickets one of my favourite tracks ever, it was March, the new release was any event, on 31st May it was evaporated. really exciting. I wanted to make it BBC Radio 6 ‘Album of the No.1 in the UK vinyl singles However I was different from the original and Day’ with selections from the chart, and remained so on 7th lucky to be given thought it could be fun to turn it into set played throughout that June. two tickets and a reggae version”. Kate continued went with poet to write about the Other tracks The Summer 2019 issue of Scarlett Sabet to as the release day approached. fRoots (very sadly its last) experience the Of Experiment IV: “I chose to film included a substantial feature communion. Kate it in a very handsome old military by Tim Chipping exploring “the generated an hospital that was derelict at the time. untold story of how folk singer A.L. unparalleled commitment from the audience who attended her shows. It was that they were requested not to record the show that evening and they kept to that. I think there may have been a public lynching awaiting anyone who may disobey. The feeling for love and respect for Kate was tangible. Her show displayed the measure of her genius and vision both past, present and future. Each and every one of us was truly moved by her concert both visually and musically. Thank you Kate”. Jimmy Page Instagram Post 2nd September 2019 HomeGround Summer 2022 85

The Ne T’Enfuis Lloyd influenced one of the greatest Living with motor neurone 40 years previously, in 1979 for Pas French 12-inch pop stars of the modern age”. Kate, disease since 2014, in August the ‘Outstanding British Lyric’ of course. The article featured 2019 he completed an album, Ivor Novello Award, interviews with John Carder Kate and Me, which an article in of The Man with the Child in his depicting Euterpe, Bush, and also Krys and Peter, The Guardian 14th February Eyes, and she was awarded her the ancient Greek and Dave Arthur, Colin Irwin 2020, now made more well- Muse of lyric poetry. and Alistair Anderson known. Each of the tracks second Ivor in 2002 becoming “Kate’s talent is (concertina on Rocket Man). contain samples from one or the recipient of the incalculable, her Krys wrote: “A lovely feature … more Kate recordings, mixed achievements are Tim Chipping contacted me about a with beats and rap vocals from ‘Outstanding Contribution to peerless and piece he wanted to write about Kate’s the likes of Jay-Z, Style P and British Music’ award. Now she artistry leaves you folk roots & he came over to Biggie Smalls. As he cannot breathless ...” interview Peter & myself in January. move his body he used eye- would top that being made a After meeting Tim I forwarded an tracking technology to compose Fellow of The Ivors Academy, Pone’s Kate and email from him to John Carder Bush. and build his intricate Me Album John was interested & got involved”. compositions on a computer “in recognition of her peerless screen. Pone chose to work with and enduring achievements in Pone The final release to material by Kate as he had long “As he cannot move complete the Remastered project worshipped her “singular music”. his body he used was a 12-inch vinyl single originality and sampling work with This was only the twentieth eye-tracking featuring Kate’s French Peter Gabriel”, he said. “And her technology to language tracks Ne T’Enfuis Pas voice, of course.” In July Kate Fellowship that the Academy compose and build wrote to Pone: “I’ve only just had awarded in its 76-year his intricate and Un Baiser D’Enfant. become aware of your album, ‘Kate compositions on a Intended to be released and Me’. I listened to it tonight and history. Kate joined a roster of computer screen” exclusively in France on 3rd it blew me away. It’s very difficult to songwriter greats including September, though it appeared put into words how moved I am by in the shops on 30th August, it this work and how great my Annie Lennox, Paul coincided with a new 55- admiration is for you. The challenges McCartney, Elton John and minute documentary Kate Bush, you have overcome in order to la sorcière du son produced by the accomplish this creation are simply Joan Armatrading. As well as French ARTE channel, directed astounding. You absolutely have my life-time membership of the by Claire Laborey, and blessing if you want to release this screened on 13th September. album in order to raise money for Academy, Kate received a Translated from the blurb: your charity. Wishing you every dedicated Ivor Novello Award, “Composed of a host of success with all your projects”. archives and interviews, depicting Euterpe, the ancient including musicians who have By that time, of course, we worked with her, this portrait, were into the global pandemic. without dissipating the halo of On 24th March Kate had mystery that surrounds Kate, already posted a message for discovers many facets, and those on whom the burden was explores the immense musical falling: “A huge thank you to all the talent of the one who is heroic health workers, scientists and nicknamed the sorceress of sound”. By 14th November the key workers who are looking after the 12-inch single was appearing in people who need their help. Please UK record shops, to the extent stay safe and take care, everyone”. that by 17th November it had made no.1 in the UK vinyl The highest honour The singles chart. Ivors Academy can bestow is the Fellowship of the Academy. Pone, real name Guilhem Kate had been nominated six Gallart, is a remarkable person. times, and won her first Ivor Novello songwriting award over 86 HomeGround Summer 2022

Greek Muse of lyric poetry. but again was not elected by the included in a new list of 37 A few interesting Her reaction: mostly American ‘voting body’ musical works to which every online articles from comprised of more than 1,000 primary school child (ages 5-11) the past year: “I feel really honoured to be given artists, historians, and music should listen. this fellowship by The Ivors industry members’. Classic Pop: Kate Academy. It means so very much to Over many years Kate has Bush Albums the me ... I’ll treasure this statue of One of the most affecting helped many charities, and in Complete Guide Euterpe always and ask her to sit on uses of Kate’s music on a April donated a number of my shoulder while I work.” television series in recent autographed items, including How Kate Bush’s memory was on the hugely albums and the lyric book, for ‘Hounds Of Love’ Crispin Hunt, Chair of The successful Channel 4 drama the first music charity auction influenced the Ivors Academy, said: “As a music series, It’s a Sin, written by organised by Cabaret vs evolution of creator it is unnerving when you Russell T Davies, and set from Cancer, a small independent electronic music know that your words will fall short, 1981 to 1991, depicting the charity founded in 2014, which but this is one of those times. Kate’s lives of a group of gay men and works to raise money to support The Absolute Thrill talent is incalculable, her their friends who lived during people living with the effects of of a Good Kate achievements are peerless and artistry the HIV/AIDS crisis. cancer, especially children who Bush Meme leaves you breathless. … On behalf have lost someone. of all songwriters and composers, The drama was the most- Women Of Their The Ivors Academy is giving Kate the watched in Channel 4’s history. Dave of HomeGround had Word: The Reality highest honour we can bestow as a According to Peter Hoar (The been an ambassador for the Of Being A Female heartfelt expression of our love and Guardian 18th February) Running charity for two years and was Music Writer admiration.” Up That Hill felt right. “That the principal organiser of the song is about women and men event. How Kate Bush Closely following his From swapping places, and certainly the helped me at the the Vaults programme on Sky idea of taking someone’s place is We will leave this summary low points in my life Arts which featured footage pertinent. It could have been any of of events in April 2021, with an from the Manchester date of them”. attempt by the Musicians Kate Bush and a Kate’s 1979 tour, on 27th Union, supported by Kate to Hope of More September 2020, Elbow front- Russell T Davies recalled get changes in the music Interviews Soon man Guy Garvey hosted a that at one point they took the industry, including equitable special two-hour programme song off and the whole scene remuneration to support the It only makes sense on BBC Radio 6 Music fell apart. And then Kate Bush next generation of artists. The that 'Running Up celebrating 35 years of Kate’s gave Russell permission to use it new campaign, together with That Hill' is Hounds of Love. Guy celebrated directly: “You do have to ask the Ivors Academy, under the everywhere “the wonder that is Kate Bush” permission and she doesn’t often give title “Broken Record”, meant to with Beth Orton, Anna Calvi, it”. point out the situation whereby Guy Garvey, Georgia, Nigel Godrich, Rufus new artists are receiving very frontman of Elbow, Wainwright and Steve Hackett, Kate has been part of the little income (somewhere in the host of BBC Radio all sharing what Kate means to UK school A-Level music region of 0.005 pence per 6 Hounds of Love them and how she’s influenced curriculum for a few years past. stream) from work that was Special September and shaped their musical In March 2021 we learned that being widely used by the music 2020 careers. a panel of musical specialists technology giants.  had chosen Wild Man to be And 2020 was done. Kate: “Hi everyone, There’s very little that hasn’t already been said about 2020… I just hope you’ve managed to cope and to stay safe through all the ins and outs of lockdown. Without the key workers on the front line, this year would’ve been so very different. A huge thank you to them, especially those working in the health services. Wishing you all the best possible Christmas in such difficult circumstances and hoping there’s a much happier and brighter year ahead”. Little did we know there was more to come. Still, we had to remain optimistic! On 10th February 2021 it was announced that Kate had again been nominated for the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, HomeGround Summer 2022 87

How to be Invisible … Reactions to Kate’s book of lyrical poetry The deluxe cloth “I’m going to make a rash Kate’s book (1st January 2019) reserves particular high praise bound limited assumption that you find the ‘are Laura Snapes grapples with for Kate: “Her book, unlike edition of Kate’s lyrics poetry’ debate as tedious as I understanding Kate through Tennant’s, works magically, possibly book was a book do ...” began an article by poet those lyrics, and the structure because many of her lyrics are collector’s joy: Amy Key in Poetry News of the book Kate adopted, but structured so strangely. And there quarter bound with (2018/19), the journal of The without annotation from Kate is that structure: “grouping her cloth spine and Poetry Society. herself: “How to Be Invisible ... songs, without explaining her paper covered splits selections from her catalogue methods; it’s your job to spot the boards, author and The article was a very across 10 newly curated sections, golden threads connecting these title on spine positive review of Kate’s book offering no clear framing devices ... If pages ... Themes recur at mystical blocked in gold foil, of lyrics published in December there is one [conclusion] to be drawn intervals too ... “The Ninth Wave” together with the 2018. Amy continues: “Kate from How to Be Invisible, it isn’t and “A Sky of Honey” ... title repeated in Bush’s is not explicitly positioned as that Bush is unknowable, but that incorporate pages that go beyond Braille on the front poetry, though there is plenty to life is … She is never cowed by the conventional text … Here is an artist panel. The book’s support the argument that that’s what uncertainty ... the only way to still expanding the possibilities of a text is printed on it contains: list poems, blackbird song weather it is with curiosity; applying form, as she always has.” 90gsm Munken re-imagined in language, repetition silliness as courageously as literary Premium Cream and rhyme, even VisPo. My position seriousness, balancing spiritual So is Kate a poet? This is woodfree paper, is that lyrics need the music to reach insight alongside unabashed the view of Ash Valent on the and the book has their magic. My position is that Kate carnality, domestic truth alongside Living Life Fearless blog: “I was marbled endpapers, Bush has boundless magic”. Taking fantasy, never concerned by transported ... I discovered a profound gold head & tail matters further: “How To Be contradictions. ” poetic outlet. Kate Bush is a brilliant bands and gold Invisible reveals the strange patterns musician, certainly. She’s the woman ribbon. of imagery and recurring motifs A review piece in the New experimental listeners honor, and the you’d notice in a poet’s collected Statesman, “When Song Lyrics one the less daring have not yet met. Also included in the works … The invisible, the Become Literature”, explores four Whether or not you know her, this is edition was the inexplicably arcane, is what scares, recent lyric books by musical clear – Kate is also a bonified poet”. exclusive and delights, Kate most”. The artists. The writer, Jude Rogers, So that’s settled that.  letterpress print conclusion: “Kate’s artistic entitled ‘Aerial Tal’ ambition, her genius, is one of intense (see below). This sensuality – a word I’d find was printed in gold unbearably embarrassing were it not on Canaletto Velino for Kate desensitising it for me over 300gsm paper, the course of a lifetime. I suspect housed in a red Kate will find her way into more of paper envelope. my poems yet.”. Each print and book Any discussion as to was numbered and whether Kate’s lyrics, separated only 500 such from the music, have any copies were meaning, being so effectively produced. put to bed, let’s see what was said elsewhere about How to be The book and the Invisible. print were housed in a hand-made red On the very day of solander box, with a publication David Mitchell, silk ribbon. writer of the Introduction, also authored a piece in The Guardian: “You don’t learn much about Kate Bush from her songs. She’s fond of masks and costumes - lyrically and literally - and of yarns, fabulations and atypical narrative viewpoints. Yet, these fiercely singular pieces, which nobody else could have authored, are also maps of the heart, the psyche, the imagination. In other words, art.” In the Guardian review of 88 HomeGround Summer 2022

Inside the Rainbow We look at the photos and memories by John Carder Bush In a feature in The Independent in what’s unearthed here enhances that the whole world of popular Articles relating to May 2012 John Carder Bush and even changes how I think music and entertainment is exactly John Carder Bush explained that “I started about some of the work that the same, that it’s all sparkling and on KateBushNews photographing my sister Kate in my Kate has produced, so utterly that it’s an illusion. This idea was early twenties, when she was eight. associated as is it is with the very much parallel to the time I’d The Signature We used soft, afternoon light, clothes visuals over the decades. It’s spent working with my sister.” Boxed edition of from jumble sales as costumes, props also a supremely loving tribute Kate: Inside the from anything we could find ... to the entire extended Bush He went to explain an Rainbow signed family, with an unexpected and uncanny synchronicity: “Before and numbered by “We used a Fuji half-frame sensitive biography of Kate writing the book, I hadn’t noticed the the author, was camera, which meant you could get thrown into the bargain ... similarity between taking photographs printed on 150 gsm twice as many shots from a single roll Every aspect of it – the tasteful and martial arts – especially kyudo, Fedrigoni Tatami of film than on a normal 35mm modern design and layout, the Japanese archery, which I’ve been and quarter-bound camera, and most of the exposure brilliantly chosen visual practicing for 30 years now. You in linen Brillianta and aperture settings were pure surprises, the feel of the release an arrow in the same way you cloth and head and guesswork... (sizeable!) tome in the hand, release a shutter, the arrow is called a tail bands means that John has achieved shot, and the decision behind when to Clare Therese Gray “A few months ago, in contrast to what amounts to THE most release an arrow or when to take a on producing the those distant childhood sessions, I relevant, important and visually photograph is identical.” ivy artwork in was photographing Kate with studio sumptuous printed publication John's book. lights, digital camera, computer, with on Kate to date.” On 18th October 2015 The make-up artists, hair artists, and Observer magazine supplement clothes artists, for photos to be used John explained the title featured photos from the book, for the release of Director’s Cut and thus: “A rainbow is a wonderful and a narrative from John 50 Words For Snow. As I composed natural phenomenon that we always himself: “For 20 years I was the frame and focused on those see from the outside, but we can’t involved with my sister’s creative unchanged eyes, I experienced just the enter because it’s just light and an career as she rode the waves of fame. same feeling as I did when she was illusion. In a sense, you could say I started photographing her eight. I realised that I’m still looking “professionally” in an almost for the same person I saw all those years ago, before I release the shutter and, wonderfully, I still find her”. When John’s second book of photographs of Kate was published in October 2015, Seán published his first reaction on KBNews: “I have just spent the last few hours in the company of a complete treasure trove of a book “Treasure” is a good word. I think the shimmer and glow of HomeGround Summer 2022 89

Presented in a velvet accidental way. For her first album, room. dedication it requires. The “product” lined clamshell box The Kick Inside, her record company “Maybe it is the brother-sister was delivered and then we moved on with an exclusive began to arrange for sessions with to the next one; we didn’t look back.” portfolio of three full-time photographers. The thought connection that makes the pictures I previously unpublished was daunting. So we thought we took of her distinctive. It may also In an interview with Attitude fine-art prints taken by would have a session of our own at have something to do with where the magazine in October 2015 John Carder Bush. home – a chance to try out poses and photos were taken: it was always John explained that “the timing Each portfolio had an looks. where we were living. I would turn a of this book was dictated by the authentication room into a studio, piling my kids’ reprint of Cathy. So many people had certificate signed by “The wash house which served bikes and toys into a corner to make shown an interest in that book long the author. as our studio was cold as there was way for the backcloth and the studio after it went out of print, and it no heating; a velvet curtain for the lights. seemed logical to see what would background was supplied by our happen if I brought it up to date … mother. It didn’t feel particularly “I never became a professional different from photographing Kate as photographer. At the same time as I first discussed the book with I had when we were young. taking photos, I was involved with Kate back in the summer of 2014. her career on many other levels: driver, The live shows then swept her away “We could still hear our mother bookkeeper, bodyguard and executive for a few months. When I had done a singing as she swept the yard outside producer, occasional backing vocalist. preliminary selection of photos and the building and our father playing There was no time to pursue a career written the text, I showed them to her Schubert on the piano in the front in photography with the kind of for her comments and I then worked with her final selection of images for the rest of the project”. John went on to express appreciation to Kate’s fans: “There has always been a very active and fertile fan scene around Kate … Kate fans are very dedicated people, and the depth and originality of her work has allowed them to maintain an ongoing dialogue with each other that is quite unique. “Certainly, Before the Dawn was a wonderfully dynamic coming together of that energy, and sitting in the audience I could feel their love for her as an overwhelming presence. Over the years, I have developed some friendships with a few of her fans that I value highly”. John was also interviewed for AnOther website: “You can see the strength of her face and the strength of her eyes, and I think that’s the determination not to go on the assembly line that existed for women pop stars in the late 70s. Kate … didn’t want anything to do with that. … she wanted the work to be about her music, not her looks.” Last words from Mike Segretto at the Psychobabble website: “John Carder Bush’s text is pretty great … as he reveals his poetic gifts without coming off as a pretentious jackass. His biography of his sister … does come with an insider’s invaluable insight. Amazingly Carder Bush does not consider himself a professional photographer, even though his work has been used in ways that would make most pros immolate with envy.”  90 HomeGround Summer 2022

40 Years of The Dreaming That poster, the teaser posters … Seán explains why Kate’s fourth album still demands attention which went up in advance of the In 1986 Kate reflected on her acclaimed works that includes had to make in order to go on to release of The fourth album: “The Dreaming Hounds of Love and Aerial. create her “true” masterpiece, Dreaming. was a decisive album for me. I hadn’t Hounds of Love, but many fans Memories of 40 recorded in a very long time until I The daring and complex feel it mightily holds up all by years ago, the undertook it, and that was the first experimentations within The itself. excitement of the time that I’d had such liberty. It was Dreaming are not fumbling very early days of intoxicating and frightening at the towards something more This is the album that HomeGround. same time. I could fail at everything accomplished, they are often meant Kate had “broken free and ruin my career at one fell swoop. more startling than those on of pop stardom’s strait-jacket, This poster was All this energy, my frustrations, my Hounds of Love itself. The to infiltrate the ranks of art- liberated from a fears, my wish to succeed, all that complexity and inventiveness rock aristocrats” as The hoarding in went into the record. That’s the are insane. In the wider world, Quietus put it. It was Never For Lewisham, in principle of music: to liberate all the The Dreaming is normally Ever that was surely the essential Summer 1982, tensions that exist inside you. I tried mentioned as the album Kate transitional work – The Dreaming soaked in the bath to give free rein to all my fantasies. to remove umpteen Although all of the songs do not talk layers of other about me, they represent all the facets posters adhering. of my personality, all my different attitudes in relation to the world.” Thanks to Krys for restoration work 40 Earlier this year I was years on, and contacted by the editor of one photography. of the UK’s major music magazines, asking to pick my brains about a Kate Bush cover article they were hoping to run. For a change, they were mulling over doing a cover feature on The Dreaming, 2022 being the 40th anniversary of the album’s release (almost impossible to believe). As we have seen over the last decade, having Kate on the cover of a music monthly can shift a healthy amount of magazines but typically those feature articles will focus on Kate’s very early career, the live 1979 tour or the perennial favourite album Hounds of Love. I was emphatically enthusiastic about the cover idea and reeled off a list of reasons to the Editor why Kate’s extraordinary, ground- breaking fourth studio album still deserved every bit as much attention from the music press as the beloved Hounds of Love - it was indeed time for them to recontextualise this darkly complex, astonishing record. It was the first album Kate produced entirely by herself and of course many of you reading this still regard it as her greatest masterpiece out of a triumvirate of her most HomeGround Summer 2022 91

did at the time when the headline read “The Shock of the New”, summing up how this percussive, radical change of style was received by people. “I felt as if my writing needed some kind of shock, and I think I’ve found one for myself. The single is the start, and I’m trying to be brave about the rest of it.” she said at the time. In the 2021 podcast episode (which is a must-listen) Preston recalls Kate calling him in to the studio alone. “She was tinkling away on the piano and I set up my drums” he remembers. Kate was playing the verse of Sat In Your Lap… but not in her “normal” time-signature. was her arrival at an amazing changing; and I felt that really the “Although nothing you did with Kate was normal”, Preston remarks. Above: Paul Hardiman, Kate Bush new place in her career, a best thing to do would be to make this As she started playing it more seismic shift. and Del Palmer at There’s so much fascinating album a real departure - make it forcefully, a point of reference Advision Studio, completely different. And the only recording The helped Preston latch on to the Dreaming in 1982 drama and intensity around this way to achieve this was to sever all piece, Take 5 the famous jazz (via Del’s facebook the links I had had with the older page) particular record’s creation and single by Dave Bruebeck was a Overlooked is the fact reception. Kate was only about stuff ”. fit. Preston started to translate that there were very 22 years old when she wrote the “Game changer”. “Jarring”. that into a different time- successful singles songs and 24 when she released “Cinematic”. “Pulsating”. signature to match Kate’s piano from The Dreaming. it, but she still had the guts to “Obsessional”. “Thunderous”. on the cymbal and snare drum. produce it herself - she was “Sonic Assault”. Wading And then, in what he calls a utterly driven to do that. through the word salad that stroke of genius, Kate suggested Years after release we still exists to try to describe The he didn’t use either, just the get insights into the making of Dreaming album makes one toms. As it happened, Preston the record from some of those thing clear: forty years later, this was into tribal drums, having that were there – Graeme remains a record you can’t be acquired The Warrior Drums of Thomson did a good job in his apathetic about. The jaw- Burundi (previously utilised by Sat In Your Lap, Top Under The Ivy biography getting dropping lead single Sat In Your 20 in the UK and Joni Mitchell on The Jungle Line Ireland, Top 40 new insights from studio types Lap, released a year previously from The Hissing of Summer elsewhere in Europe. like Hugh Padgham, Nick in 1981, was discussed last year Launay and Paul Hardiman. Lawns). Without alienating Garnered some very on an excellent ‘Bush Preston’s input she “made it twice favourable reviews I imagine what it would be Telegraph’ podcast episode (our like to have been a fly on the as good” by allowing him to go (though excuse the friends Darrell Babidge and tribal with his idea. He was 1980s casual but prevalent sexism). wall during the concentrated Paul Thomas) when they elated by the collaboration, “she experimentation of those interviewed drummer Preston took the top of my head off and sessions across expensive Heyman. Paul recalls reading stretched it up a mile - she taught me London studios like the Record Mirror feature Kate to be fearless in the studio”. Townhouse, Abbey Road and Advision on Gosfield Street (hence the “Gosfield Goers” Suspended in Gaffa, credit) as Kate figured out the Top 40 in a number of new technology and sound possibilities at her disposal - the countries in Europe. Inexplicably not released in the UK. Fairlight, gated reverb drum Opposite: Kate's patterns, the undeniable influence of Peter Gabriel’s “Personal studio work. Appearance” promoting The Crafting layers of utterly Dreaming and the back of Darrell new, and to some listeners Babidge’s head. baffling, soundscapes to press Bottom: Kate and Del forward her post-Never For Ever rehearse. (From Kate ambitions. “I was using different Inside the Rainbow, John Carder Bush) instruments, and everything was 92 HomeGround Summer 2022

Other fresh echoes from More recent echoes… as Irish-only single, Night of the Two singles had conflicted as people feel about very little record The Dreaming have been popping the ethics of current music Swallow. Alas. company support, up over recent years. A photo streaming platforms and how It’s interesting to wonder much like the album they treat artists, Spotify does, itself, and as was was shared by Del Palmer on at least, tell us something I’ve how Kate feels about The said at the time, not Facebook of himself, Kate and long suspected – at almost five Dreaming album now, from this so much ‘released’, and a half million streams, as ‘escaped’. Paul Hardiman, at Advision Suspended in Gaffa is far and perspective. In the intervening Studio. Three young musical away the most popular song on years she’s been asked far more Night of the Kate’s fourth album outside fan Swallow, released collaborators, all wearing circles. It’s amusing to recall frequently about Hounds of Love, only in Ireland. No jumpers, gathered round the that Melody Maker conceded that and it’s obvious that her follow- promotional the song sounded “vaguely performances or recording console but all conventional” in their original up to The Dreaming is one she’s video, and failed to rendered into ghost-like blurs in album review. very pleased with. No song chart. black and white due to the long It is a pity that the song’s from The Dreaming was There Goes a exposure - a wonderful rare appeal hadn’t been more performed live on stage in Tenner. There was obvious to EMI back in 1982 both a video and a snap of them at work in 1982. when it was denied a UK single 2014, although an promotional In 2014 on a BBC release. For an album perceived understanding of how the show performance, but as a relative commercial virtually no airplay. documentary Del did finally disappointment it is amazing to came to be structured mostly Peaked at No.93 in reveal the truth behind the realise that it spawned five explains that omission. the UK. singles around the world – and mystery man on the cover of YouTube now means fans have Guitarist David Rhodes let us The Dreaming the record, the ‘Harry Houdini’ the luxury of watching rare know that yes, Kate did initially single itself. Video, clips like Suspended in Gaffa but little radio or TV that Kate is passing the key to - performed on French or West want to do Sat In Your Lap for enthusiasm in the yes, it was Del himself. A great German TV, the latter having Before the Dawn but then this got UK. Despite that Kate surrounded by dozens of made No.48 in the rehearsal shot of Kate (with key weird string puppets! Or that switched out for Top of the City UK chart. on tongue) and Del in the same unique performance of There and, sadly, her 1981 single Goes a Tenner on ‘Razmatazz’, or pose (again, Del is donning a Kate rehearsing her dance never made the rehearsal stage fetching knitted jumper) moves for Sat In Your Lap at - we can only imagine. In the Pineapple Studios in 1981 on appears in the stunning book of ‘Looking Good Feeling Fit’ or ’90s she recalled looking back at photographs Kate: Inside the watch her promote The that record “and it seems mad. I Dreaming single on Italian Rainbow by John Carder Bush. television - every single one a heard it about three years ago and John described the final shot precious gem to have. There couldn’t believe it. There’s a lot of exists no performance of the thus: “A slightly cloudy day outside anger in it. There’s a lot of ‘I’m an in the kitchen garden at the back of artist, right!’” our parents’ house. Apart from Kate With that in mind it’d be looking very beautiful, the ivy behind fascinating to know how Kate her is wonderfully textured and full felt recently, listening back to of hidden spaces and shadows the sparkling new version of amongst the glossy leaves themselves. The Dreaming she worked on Ivy may look wonderful, but it likes with James Guthrie for her to slowly strangle any tree it lives on. 2018 Remastered project. It It’s not poisonous, and in ancient remains, a very special treat for times a poet’s crown was made of our earholes - and in this 40th ivy.” anniversary year in particular The Uncut magazine cover we just need to remember to feature that eventually surfaced “Play it Loud”  in February this year was, refreshingly, not a re-hashed archive article: a considerable line-up of people involved in the creation of Kate’s dark masterpiece are interviewed by writer Peter Watts, including Preston Heyman, Paul Hardiman, Richard Burgess, Brian Bath, Roy Harper, Hugh Padgham, Dave Lawson, Howard Gray, Danny “Dan Dan the Sushi Man!” Dawson, and Teri Reed. Fan perspectives are offered by our own Dave Cross and our podcast pal Darrell Babidge, and wonderful to see that photo of Darrell at the album signing event with Kate. HomeGround Summer 2022 93

40 Years of Dreamtime … Paul Burston considers why some critics found it challenging Paul Burston is the It’s 40 years since the launch of pretended to be anything other probably just as well, because author of six novels HomeGround and 40 years than a bit of a drama queen. As more so than anything she’d and four non-fiction since Kate Bush released The debut singles go, Wuthering released previously, The books and editor of Dreaming. Coincidentally, I’m Heights is pretty dramatic. The Dreaming is a total head fuck. two short story the kind of person who recalls same can said of Wow, Hammer She sings from the point of collections. Smash Hits reviews from 40 Horror and a host of other Kate view of a bank robber years ago. David Bowie’s Scary Bush classics. No, I think what (complete with Ealing comedy The Black Path Monsters album was described as irked the reviewer was the fact Cockney accent), a soldier (2016) was his first “complex, disturbing and that she was taking control of fighting in Vietnam and the crime novel and streets ahead of the imitators”. the creative process. Female aforementioned offspring of a became a Number Ghosts by Japan was described artists weren’t supposed to do donkey. There are shades of 1 bestseller at WH as the sound of David Sylvian that in 1982. To some extent criminality on Night of the Smith. with a bellyache. And then they’re still not. Swallow and references to death there was The Dreaming. Some and the afterlife on All The Love His debut novel wag found it hilarious that a But Kate Bush isn’t like any and Houdini. These three are Shameless (2001) female recording artist had the other female artist - and The among my favourites, as is Leave was shortlisted for audacity to produce her own Dreaming didn’t sound like any It Open, which opens with a the State of Britain album, mocking it as her “stab album I’d ever heard before. I heavy drum beat and builds to Award. at A Major Piece of Work” and found it on special offer at my a crescendo of war cries and poking fun at the sheer drama. local record shop - a sign, layers of heavily treated vocals. Paul is curator and perhaps, that some people host of award- To be fair, there’s no thought her star was on the There are lots of drums on winning LGBTQ+ shortage of drama on The wane, despite the success of Sat The Dreaming, which wasn’t literary salon Polari Dreaming. At one point our In Your Lap. Apart from that entirely out of sync with the and founder of The heroine even turns into a mule. one, brilliant track, I didn’t times in which it was recorded. Polari Prize book But it’s not as if she’d ever know what to expect. Which is Synth pop may have dominated awards for the early ’80s, but Bow Wow LGBTQ+ writers. Wow were also experimenting with tribal drum beats. Two In 2016, he years earlier, in an interview featured in the with Smash Hits, Adam Ant British Council’s described the sound of Kings of Global List of ‘33 the Wild Frontier as “optimism, visionary people and lots of drums.” promoting freedom, equality and LGBT Optimism isn’t a word I’d rights around the apply to The Dreaming. That world.’ came with Hounds of Love. There are no big open skies A Rainbow List here, no paeans to paternal love National Treasure or motherly comfort. Instead and former AIDS there’s claustrophobia and activist with ACT- chaos. Rather like Bowie’s Scary UP London, he is Monsters, The Dreaming has the one of the subjects feel of an artist purging of Alexis Gregory’s themselves and letting go of the verbatim play Riot past. From this point forward, Act. Bush would no longer sound like the high-pitched waif so Paul’s writing has beloved by impressionists. appeared in The There’s a deeper register and, Guardian, The dare I say it, a deeper Sunday Times, understanding of what she can Time Out and other do with her voice. publications. The Dreaming is the sound of His memoir We a woman letting rip and Can Be Heroes will taking total control. No be published by wonder some critics found it Little A in June so challenging.  2023. Paul’s Heroes Podcast Here. Photo of Paul by Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris 94 HomeGround Summer 2022

Brontës! by Clint Wastling They are everywhere those Brontës! Studying Wuthering Heights at GCSE very nearly killed me. I preferred Kate Bush in every sense, giving up erudition for an intense and unrequited love which still persists. They are everywhere those Brontës! If you forced me to choose a novel I’d vote Tenant of Wildfell Hall least awful and maybe poor Jane Eyre, though Rochester seducing the au pair might bring him trouble in this me too age. They are everywhere those Brontës! Jams, biscuits, whole tea-rooms: Heathcliffe this, Linton that and even Zillah’s broom, St John River, Rochester Way. Don’t go to Haworth unless you want to pay for carparks, water, a dusty old parsonage! They are everywhere those Brontës! Poor Branwell got his money’s worth driven to drugs and drink at Haworth. All those serious sisters - unrequited love enough poetry and prose, Good Heavens above! To fuel depression in anyone anywhere. HomeGround Summer 2022 95

Finding Kate … Michael Byrne relates how finding Kate led to creative fulfilment As a big Kate fan I finally sphere - but not in music, where readily identify with; that near realised a dream and ambition self-expression and creative OCD compulsion to reach I’d harboured for forty five fulfilment are central - rather in years when I self-published the world of advertising, and perfection in everything you do. Finding Kate: An Illustrated Journey later graphic design, where I decided that if I was to do a Through 5 Decades of the Music of ‘commercial art’ is created with Kate Bush in December 2021. the sole intent of promoting book then I would have to give sales and interest in products, 110% in every facet of its The seeds of that dream services, and ideas. Many were sown long before, when creatives working in this area production. on 16th February 1978 as a will tell you it can be both But there were doubts too. Michael Byrne fifteen year old boy I was drawn fulfilling and creatively Marius Herbert into Kate’s world when she first exasperating in equal measure. Could I really do this? Did I appeared on Top of the Pops have the skills to make this performing Wuthering Heights. I The idea and the was a shy, arty kid with a head opportunity to publish a book happen to the standards that I full of dreams and one who on Kate only came about as a would set myself ? Some old self liked to draw, paint and write. I result of the Covid pandemic. also had a big interest in music By September of 2020 my doubts and worries about my and Kate’s beautiful expressive graphic design business was personal abilities resurfaced. eyes, dramatic song delivery very quiet, and for the first time and octave-straddling voice in many years I was completely But for reasons I can’t explain I instantly drew me in. immersed in all things Kate for pressed on regardless. most of my waking hours. On that day I wasn’t quite My first challenge was that sure what I had just witnessed, For a long time I had as a lifelong fan, I wanted to but I just instinctively knew it admired Kate’s painstaking was my sort of ‘thing’. Within a approach to all aspects of her produce something different to couple of years I would find work and as a creative person what was already out there in employment in the creative myself, it was something I could book form, and the route I chose gave me an additional challenge. In trying to create illustrated visuals which, with my text would explore Kate’s eclectic and often experimental musical approach and sometimes unconventional lyrics, I knew that it would firstly have to resonate with fans, and more importantly do justice to Kate’s life’s work. In my mind’s eye this book would be a visual feast, with rich detail and touches which would be agonised over. Thankfully my regular creative collaborator and good friend Marius Herbert agreed to come on board to bring the illustrated concepts to life. In its creation I figured I would push him to his creative limits, but I also knew we wouldn’t fall out if in striving for perfection I made things challenging. For me this was a labour of love, and if by some chance Kate ever saw a copy, I hoped she would see the creativity and recognise the care and attention to detail. In order to cover the third party costs we chose to crowdfund the project, which gave us the security of knowing that we wouldn’t lose money on the book - and if, in the eyes of 96 HomeGround Summer 2022

fellow fans, we did a good job family home near Dungarvan hard to source and expensive, Find out more here then we might just make some. in County Waterford. as they are mostly produced for the lucrative American market. The first challenge was to To make this a reality we pick the 25 songs which would needed to find a competent After a number of emails feature in the book. I opted for Irish dancer and set up and we secured the garments, got a mix of singles, album tracks shoot the reference photo. After them shipped to Dublin and set selected from each of the weeks of phone calls and up the shoot, which took place studio releases, and a few of pulling favours we finally found on a very sunny day with Kate’s cover versions too. As I our dancer, and her name is temperatures hitting 30 degrees. am Irish, and in recognition of Kellie Morris. But Kellie is no Not ideal conditions to be the unique ties that Kate has to ordinary dancer. At just 19 she modelling a heavy wool cape! Ireland, I made sure that the is already a six times crowned song selection featured some World Champion Irish Dancer. Finding Kate was an amazing tracks that highlighted those project to work on. For the ten influences in her music, and so So last September we set up months of its physical creation songs like Army Dreamers, Night the shoot in the humble it was all consuming, but it all of the Swallow, Hello Earth and surroundings of the kitchen in just flowed and came together Mná na hÉireann simply had to my house, and what a challenge naturally. Never once did we feature. it proved to be to capture her regret taking it on. But the feet in motion. When Kellie greatest pleasure was how In terms of creating the gets into her stride her legs creatively fulfilling it was to visuals we took the hard route move so fast they just disappear work on. and shot as many of the in a haze of blur! But over reference photographs as we three hours, and with great The response of fans could ourselves. Think: the patience from Kellie, we worldwide has vindicated our hands holding a bunch of captured and merged a number efforts and we have received so rhododendrons and Howth of images to create the finished many messages and emails Head in The Sensual World, the visual. telling us just how special the window in Wuthering Heights, the book is to them. Just like Kate shoes and socks in Moments of The other visual which took when she set about both writing Pleasure, to mention just a few. an inordinate amount of work and producing The Dreaming in and organisation was Mná na 1982, for the first time in my As production on the book hÉireann. As that title directly creative work life I was both progressed during the Summer translates from the Irish creator and client and the buck of 2021, there were two language as “Women of solely stopped with me. particular song visuals I Ireland”, I wanted Kate to be obsessed over, and both had an dressed in traditional Irish As I flick through the book Irish connection. There might clothing for the visual. As it here today, I ask myself is there have been easier options we turned out, securing the heavy anything I would change? At could have taken for illustrating wool cape and shawl proved to this moment the answer is no, these two songs, but it was be quite a challenge. Once but maybe just like Kate and never about what was easier fairly common items of Director’s Cut the answer might and always about what was clothing, they are now both just be different in 20 years right. time.  The first of them was Jig of Life. I adored this song from the Hounds of Love album from the very first time I heard it. For me it’s an absolute musical treasure and is the song which most clearly demonstrates Kate’s love for, and deep connection with Irish music. With Kate’s mother Hannah being Irish, I had long wondered what her reaction had been the very first time Kate played the finished song to her in 1985. Hannah was an accomplished Irish dancer in her youth, and so for the book visual I envisaged her being transported back to her childhood and dancing a jig on the stone flagged floor of the HomeGround Summer 2022 97

Aerie … Antonello Saeli tells us about his new novel Aerie on Kate Bush When in 2015, I started my book signings, I got some be die-hard supporters of News working on my third collection interesting feedback from Kate’s musical genius. I needed of short stories, called readers, who were curious to help, no doubt about it. Antonello on Good Compulsive Dreamers, I knew that know something more about Reads I had to include my very the genesis of that particular John Carder Bush’s elegant personal tribute to Kate’s story. It was then that I and powerful prose has always Antonello on return to the stage, in some way seriously started thinking about been a reference point for my FaceBook or another. the possibility of turning Eyes own writing, and I am Wide Open into a novel, which honoured to say that John has Antonello on That is how Eyes Wide Open, would later be called Aerie. been genuinely supportive and Instagram one story in the collection, appreciative of my work, since came to life. I wanted the story As soon as the decision was the very beginning. He was so Antonello on to have a surreal, dreamlike taken, doubts and fears kind to accept my request for a SoundCloud quality, so I decided basically to inevitably started haunting my collaboration, when he came give life to a character called nights, when I realized I had up with the most evocative self- Aerie can be Neve Rever, who was very never written a novel in my portrait for the cover of my ordered here: much based on Kate, and own language, but I was soon second collection of short Paperback Edition started building my short story going to dive into the very stories, The Man Who Forgot to Hardback Edition from there. dangerous and unknown seas Die, published in 2012. of a whole book in English, Photo credits front Compulsive Dreamers was which I desperately wanted to When we finally met in and back cover of finally published in 2018, sound credible to native London in 2014, almost ten Aerie: Roberta graced with a truly outstanding speakers, who also happened to years after that very first e-mail Colladon digital artwork by Del Palmer message from him (that was on the front cover and, during destined to change my life, both as a writer and as a human being), we spent hours talking about our mutual love for poetry and literature, among other things. I knew from the start that John’s advice was destined to be instrumental in the unfolding process of creation for the surreal, enigmatic universe of Aerie. Aerie soon revealed itself as a very stubborn, continuously morphing, little creature. It seemed that the more I tried to soften its idiosyncratic cries for freedom, the wilder it got. In the end, I had this very strange feeling that the book was quite obviously writing itself, and I was a mere instrument, a patient and resigned scribe, bent over his desk. The idea for Kate’s diary came out of nowhere one sleepless night, as I was trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together. The diary had to be a character itself, with its own voice and personality, so don’t blame me for its very naughty nature. I loved working on those pages, especially since they were supposed to evolve 98 HomeGround Summer 2022

and ‘mature’ while following in a deep blue hue, as if the scene As I said, Aerie is basically The English editions Neve’s natural growing-up was set underwater. my very personal tribute to of both of process, as an extremely Kate’s genius. The story is Antonello’s short talented artist. I wanted them “Job walked through the central embroidered with a myriad of story collections are to sound imaginative and full of aisle and moved nearer to the stage, so references to her ‘Katealogue’, available as e- innocent poetry, and I like to that he could look at the structure some more evident and easy to books on Kindle. think it shows in Neve’s naïve from a privileged point of view. spot, others much harder to relationship with numbers and decipher and hopefully The Man Who the invisible voices that crowd “The big elements that seemed to challenging for readers. Forgot to Die’ her incredibly creative mind. be rooted on the wooden surface, definitely looked like the bones of a For me, working on Aerie has Compulsive “the wall telephone in our kitchen big cetacean, or the remains of the been such a revelation. It has Dreamers’, rang yesterday morning and I picked hull of a huge ship. The skeleton was been extremely formative on up the handset, something I’ve been lying on the stage in solitary many different levels, and it has doing for hundreds of times, really. I desolation, as a forgotten memory of given me the opportunity of was distractedly listening to the voice something which was or once lived, coming into terms with my coming out of the receiver, when I but is no more. inner demons, within my suddenly became aware of those limitations as a human being, black figures on the cream Bakelite of “The deep blue hue contributed and the overflowing quality of the phone’s body. It felt like a to the image of an underwater the creative force inside me. revelation. I couldn’t hear the caller’s landscape, frozen in time, as if metallic voice anymore, as I stood in waiting for a signal that would infuse I really hope you will enjoy silence, transfixed at the perfect some sparkle of life into the scene. Aerie, wherever you may be beauty of those figures. Ooh, the along the path of your life, and round warmth of that 0, the “Job felt the isolation of a that it will give you delicate, threatening blade of that killer 7, the and hopefully unforgettable, familiar shape of that perfect 3!... million seas into his soul. moments of pleasure.  “He felt alone and desperate, as “…the voices are still there, but I can cope with them much better now. someone lost in water for the night, They usually come around to see me who can’t fall asleep, who must unexpectedly, as if they were long- stay awake and just hope to be time friends showing up for a short visit and a cup of tea. Sometimes, I found, before the dawn…” can feel a fleeting chill of fear down my spine at first, but it’s not always like that. They can be very silent if they want to…” My very dear friends Sue Antonello’s 2007 and Ian Crowther, who were anthology of short given the hard task of proof- reading the whole thing once stories Frutti Della Aerie was finished, told me that Passione can also any loyal fan of Kate’s could have identified with Job, and his be ordered in Kindle unconditional love for Neve format Rever’s fascinating universe. Job’s character is very much rooted in a world made of solitude, or very difficult human relationships and communication, who finds solace and peace of mind in a parallel, virtual reality made of extremely detailed and premonitory dreams and nightmares. “…there was a big stage, slightly illuminated from above, that looked like the skeleton of a ship, or a big whale, and everything was immersed HomeGround Summer 2022 99

I Still Wanna Be Kate … Thomas Dunning tells us about the Expanded release When we released the Chicago- It would be another four new recording trends of the based I WANNA BE KATE: The years in 2016 before Seán contemporary tracks and now four-time Grammy nominated Songs of Kate Bush on CD in Twomey and I began talking producer, Liam Davis of the 1998, I had no idea that the about a ‘20th Anniversary’ Moviegoers (Hounds of Love) took the wheel! I didn’t realise trajectory of my whole life was edition of IWBK for 2018, with how much the original album to be turned upside down and some new songs to celebrate. A had a late ’90s end-of-grunge heaviness to it in its mastering Thomas the course of events which few wheels were put in motion process. For some deeper unfolded would help me find a but time was flying and we were information about the I WANNA BE purpose in life which had not going to make the 2018 KATE project, previously been missing. I never deadline. Everyone was busy please visit the website would have contemplated a with their lives, work, and other Regarding the new songs, my All 24 songs can be move to Ireland if I hadn’t projects - but the decision was downloaded HERE made that impossible album. made and we were going to do new babies, I want to briefly Joe Cassidy It’s true, art saves lives. this. touch on some of these songs (Butterfly Child) Soon after the album landed We were sure of only two because their stories are so very Dan Phillips in 1998, people started talking things: first we had four songs interesting. (Zapruder Point) about a follow-up: I WANNA we would add to the online I must start with Top of Guillaume Charret BE KATE, TOO! I was still version of the album, and (Yules) the City by Butterfly Child, meeting new bands and second, somehow there would discovering new artists and it need to be a vinyl aspect to the simply because the world lost the magnificent Belfast-born was fun to daydream about project to mark the anniversary, different up-and-coming perhaps an EP with the four Joe Cassidy in July 2021. Insanely talented, Chicago acts adding to the mix, new songs. completing the songs that I had Once we kicked into gear knowledgeable and connected, my gorgeous friend died just hoped to hear covered, like we ended up with seven new Houdini, You Want Alchemy, Night incredible recordings and were months after the release of the record. He was terrifically of the Swallow and The Infant commissioning a coloured vinyl Kiss. It was really just a pipe 8-song EP with glorious supportive of both me personally and my artistic dream at the time. artwork by Gail Potocki. In 2012, my friend Dan Another transatlantic bridge endeavours since the day we met in the hallway at a gig in Phillips of Zapruder Point, from old to new, the design recorded a song for me as a work would be handled by Chicago back in the mid-1990s - just after IWBK came out. favour. I’d had it in my head for Thomas Negovan; a years that I wanted to hear him contributor to IWBK (And Joe was often a member of Tom Dunning & Your cover a Kate song. I’ve privately Dream of Sheep) and whose art cherished his recording of You and publishing house Century Boyfriends in the live setting. Being from Northern Ireland, Want Alchemy for so many years Guild, is a beloved treasure. and never imagined I’d be able We needed to remaster the he knew the importance of Kate and her work. He told me to do anything with it. original 17 songs to match the “Kate Bush is indescribable. Her voice, her dancing, her beauty and her songwriting will long live eternal.” Joe was Butterfly Child and also the core of his other band, Assassins. In some form or another, he opened for New Order, Muse, Duran Duran and Travis. It’s a sweet and sad blessing that Top of the City was Joe’s last official release during his lifetime and I’m delighted that I had the sense to place it right after Not This Time to open up the digital version. You Want Alchemy. This simple track with Dan’s 100 HomeGround Summer 2022