Big concert news from a singer for whom the idea of a “concert” is something of a forgotten concept: Kate Bush has announced she’ll play a series of gigs in London for the first time since 1979.
The shows were announced on Bush’s website Friday, with the singer simply writing: “I am delighted to announce that we will be performing some live shows this coming August and September.”
Bush rose to fame in the late ’70s with the release of her debut single “Wuthering Heights” at the age of 19. The explosive and electrically weird song—not to mention the accompanying video— propelled Bush into the spotlight and she became the first woman to have a U.K. No. 1 hit with a self-written song. In 1978, Bush was the most photographed woman in Britain, according to the Guardian.
A successful sold-out European tour, dubbed the Tour of Life, followed in 1979, but instead of going on to play concerts around the world, Bush stopped touring altogether. She hasn’t played a full live concert since then, despite the release of eight more albums and making a smattering of cameo appearances at other shows. In 2010, the Guardian speculated on why the beloved singer had abstained from performing concerts for so long, mentioning her fear of flying, the exhaustive schedule and the accidental death of her lighting director on her first tour. Ultimately, though, the article concluded:
They are all plausible theories, but at its heart the tour exposed an aesthetic conundrum. Bush is essentially a child of the studio, preferring to work over time at her creative impulses in silence and solitude. Like an author, the connections with her audience occur privately, conducted as a conversation rather than a mass declaration. The results have frequently been bewitching and yet, in a career with an abundance of creative peaks and critical praise, her reluctance to perform live remains a source of deep regret, particularly following the extraordinary promise shown on the Tour of Life.
“It’s a tragedy she didn’t go back out touring, an absolute tragedy,” says Jon Kelly, who co-produced Bush’s first three records. “A huge loss to the world. Like a star dying early.”
Well, consider Bush resurrected as of Aug. 26, when her series of gigs is slated to begin and fans will once again get to see the dynamic singer perform. All the shows will be held at London’s Eventim Apollo venue and run until Sept. 19. Tickets will go on sale March 28.
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