FEATURE:
Like a Moonage Daydream…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the Amnesty International Secret Policeman's Third Ball, at the London Palladium on 26th March, 1987
The Big Screen Kate Bush Treatment
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I am not sure…
PHOTO CREDIT: Fotex/Shutterstock
what the title would be but, as I tend to do, I have been thinking about various Kate Bush features and ways of getting her to the mall and big screen. When it comes to books, there have been a few. The same with magazine features. We have had some radio documentaries – including an excellent recent one by Ann Powers. I have tried to pitch a Kate Bush documentary to the BBC myself via a production company but it seems, if they broadcast one Kate Bush documentary, the door closes for a long time! Other artists might not have to wait too long. Although he is clearly a genius and a much-missed pioneer and chameleon of an artist, David Bowie has had a lot more documentary attention than Kate Bush, Of course, Kate Bush was a big fan of David Bowie, and it is a shame the two never worked together. She affected some of his mannerisms in various albums, and you can tell something like her 1979 The Tour of Love had a bit of Bowie. The costume changes and the theatre. Bush definitely looked up to David Bowie. Given Bowie’s remarkable catalogue, changing looks and his captivating stage presence, it is no surprise that the recent documentary from Brett Morgen, Moonage Daydream, has scored five-star reviews and is seen as a masterpiece! Featuring never-seen-before footage and behind-the-scenes archives, this is a goldmine for Bowie fans and music lovers in general. It looks remarkable too!
Bowie has had a fair few documentaries made about him, but the latest might just well be the best. I can appreciate that film studios and radio producers want to explore an artist who sadly left us in 2016. Undoubtably influential, there have been quite a few different films and documentaries around Bowie and his work. Kate Bush is a very different artist and has limitations. Part of the spectacle and brilliance of Moonage Daydream is the live footage and Bowie coming alive on stage. Bush has toured and played live but, apart from audio of Before the Dawn, there is footage – not the greatest quality until it gets remastered – of The Tour of Life. If there was an equivalent film or documentary, it would have to include better quality live footage. I think there could be a film that explores her life and brings in her interviews, words, and various visuals aspects. I have raised it before but, until there is a career-spanning documentary, a film that runs as long as Moonage Daydream (140 minutes) would be a proper and long-overdue recognition of her importance. The reviews for the Bowie documentary show that, if done right, something wonderful can be created. I have been thinking about her interviews, live performances and videos and the sort of impact Bush has made. Maybe it will not be quite as emphatic and kaleidoscopic as Bowie’s documentary. But, when you think about the artists Kate Bush has inspired, the music she has put out, the way her live performances are utterly unique and her genius as a visual mind and producer, you could create something extraordinary for the screen!
Interviews could be shown. Animating Kate Bush in various styles to ‘speak’ on screen. Remastering The Tour of Life and remastering some of her videos. Getting inside the music and her brilliance through new footage, interviews and archive material would be the biggest Kate Bush documentary or film yet. There has not really been anything big and fitting enough for an artist of her caliber and popularity. Let’s hope that the resurgence and fresh wave of fascination and success leads filmmakers to do something. Radio documentaries are great, but there is something about a film or a documentary that is next level. Of course, anything of this sort would need full blessing from Kate Bush. I am not sure whether she would ever be interested in participating. As I will explore in another feature, maybe live performance is not on the cards. That may have been it from Kate Bush in 2014 at Before the Dawn. How about a one-off Q&A that is at a great venue where Bush is being interviewed by a big name or famous fan. There would be an audience and music of hers played. I don’t think it would be overkill to do both. Consider how many years Bush has been making music and the impact she has had. Next year sees two big anniversaries/birthdays happen: her debut album, The Kick Inside, is forty-five in February; her sixty-fifth birthday is in July. A perfect time to put a film alongside them. Like the magnetic, awe-inspiring, and immortal David Bowie, Kate Bush has affected millions and is a musical and artistic genius. She is in a league of her own. It would be a justified honour if a filmmaker…
HIGHLIGHTED that on the big screen.