Hammersmith, London - Friday 19th September 2014: the scene of one of the most extraordinary, revelatory, transcendent musical experiences of my life. Kate Bush, one of a handful of my ultimate musical heroes, unexpectedly and improbably playing live for the first time in 35 years.
Her music has been such a constant part of my life for so long, that I sometimes find myself taking for granted just how extraordinary and otherworldly it is. Growing up amidst her melodies and stories; her experimental and often startling use of technology; her pristine production; her uniquely haunting voice; her hits and her song cycles - I absorbed and revelled in her world, constantly finding new elements to love and appreciate as me and my musical world grew. It’s incredible to comprehend how unwavering she has been in her vision - constant reinvention and a refusal to compromise, perfectionism leading her to take on sole production of her work whilst collaborating with a brilliantly eclectic array of musicians. And the results have been albums consistently brimming full of beauty and poetry, raw anger and regret, laughter and loss… that speak to me in a language profoundly moving.
Hounds of Love and The Seventh Wave form an experience at once breathtakingly exhilarating and hugely accessible; Aerial and 50 Words for Snow show the assurance of experience and a quieter wonder for the world and humanity; The Sensual World and The Dreaming tell their stories of love and desire and sorrow amidst incredible sonic and musical experimentation. And her groundbreaking earlier work… her talent appearing seemingly fully-formed into the world, instinctively balancing pop perfection with her unique vision for what music could and must be.
And so that September night was the culmination of a life of listening and being profoundly and consistently moved and influenced, an experience simultaneously immensely personal and communally joyful. It was everything I could have possibly hoped for and dreamed of, a chance to feel grateful and humbled to see and hear one of my musical heroes at the height of her powers; a visually stunning, musically perfect, characteristically redefining vision of what live music can be; one of those rare and precious moments where the world feels bigger and brighter and music is everything again.
Josh
