FEATURE:
Get Out of My House
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional shot for 2011’s Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
Will a Kate Bush Biopic Always Be Out of the Picture?!
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THIS is a rare Kate Bush feature…
where I am sort of focusing on the idea of someone else playing her in a film. If I asked any Kate Bush fan whether a biopic should happen, the unanimous answer is likely to be ‘no’. Most people know, quite rightly, how Bush protects her privacy and does not court the spotlight. Look through her career, and she has collaborated with other musicians outside of her own albums – including Peter Gabriel and Roy Harper -, and everyone from Ian Bairnson, Stephen Fry and Micha Paris has been in the studio with Bush and contributed to one of her songs (or more). It is one thing bringing other people into her orbit but, when we come to the idea of having someone play Kate Bush in a biopic, that steps into new territory. There are, of course, Kate Bush tribute acts; other artists have covered her songs, and there has been the odd documentary down the years – though not as many as there should be! I might divert for one moment, because it is strange there has been so little in the way of documentary footage revolving around Bush. I have attempted to pitch a documentary over the past couple of years, but it has always been met with resistance or a lack of investment. I am hoping that, at some point, a documentary will come to light, since Kate Bush has been in the public eye for over forty years, and she has inspired so many artists.
Maybe it is hard to distil her essence into a short documentary, or people are not sure where to start when it comes to putting her on the screen. I think the lack of documentaries is a gap that needs to be addressed, and plenty of people would love to see one. The past few years have seen a lot of different iconic musicians portrayed on the big screen. From Elton John in Rocketman to Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody, there have been some real successes. I know there is word of an Amy Winehouse biopic coming down the tracks, and I think one reason why people want to see biopics is the artists themselves have a sense of drama and controversy. Although we did not see a real exploration of Elton John’s sexuality and more fiery side in Rocketman, we did get to see the great man on stage and get an insight into his career and rise. The same is true of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. The film is excellent, but we did not see too much about his sex life and the film’s timeline did not really align with fact. Kate Bush, compared to a lot of artists, has lived a quieter and less dramatic life. She has not really been embroiled in controversy or excess; her privacy and grounded nature, one assumes, would not be that enticing to filmmakers. I think a great biopic relies on more than a mixture of the artistic genius and something reckless.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
Perhaps rebellion and torment make an artist more interesting in a way, but I am more hooked on the music itself and a look inside the artist and their path to stardom – whether it involves torment or not. Kate Bush might wince at the idea of someone playing her in film or a T.V. production, but I do feel a lot of upcoming artists would get a real insight into her genius and career if we had a biopic before us. It is always hard doing a biopic with artists who are alive, as they might be resistant to the idea or disagree with the direction a producer or director takes. Madonna is a famous case and, as she is the same age as Kate Bush, there is this desire now to see this Pop icon put onto the big screen. Madonna is going to be more challenging to work with than Kate Bush, but a Madonna biopic would be immense; granted that the tone is right, and she was involved in its creation. Kate Bush has not released as many albums as Madonna or toured as much, but I think Bush is a more popular artists and a more fascinating musician. Of course, if the biopic studied Bush from her debut single – or before – and took us up to the present day, a few actors would need to play her. With a lack of documentaries giving us access to the long and wonderful career of Kate Bush, I do think there is an opportunity for a biopic, were it to be produced alongside Bush herself. It might seem like an impossibility talking around to that way of thinking, but I bet there are a lot of people out there now who would kill to see a Kate Bush biopic.
Maybe it is me dreaming and putting it out there, but Bush is an icon, and I think there is a lot to explore. From her 1979 spectacle, Tour of Life, to the making of The Dreaming and her earliest career days, there is more than enough to hook in diehards and casual fans alike. It would be a little strange to see someone playing Kate Bush, but I think a biopic could happen that manages to remain truthful and open without being too revealing. I do not think one needs to see scandal and drama to make a biopic work. The changes and rises in Bush’s career are amazing; her successes and unique talent is primed for big screen adoration. If a biopic seems near-impossible and something for fans to drool about rather than actually see, I do feel like 2020 is a year where we are listening to a lot of our favourite music and, as I hear Kate Bush’s albums, I do wonder why there is an absence of Kate Bush documentaries. It seems bizarre that someone who has been putting out music for over four decades should be limited to a few documentaries – the last one was in 2014 with the BBC’s Running Up That Hill. I do feel that a biopic, if done in collaboration with Bush herself, would work out wonderfully and prove successful. In any case, I think there should be something in the way of a documentary/documentaries for T.V. or film because, as we are in the 2020s, there are five different decades of fans to interview; so much work out there and a lot to cover. Though it seems unlikely Kate Bush would authorise a biopic, one can never say never, and there are countless people that would flock to cinemas (when they reopen) and see the icon…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Alamy
ON the big screen.