FEATURE:
Watching You With Me
A Kate Bush Hounds of Love Get-Together in 2025
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IT may be a long way away…
but I am thinking about next year. A chance to get Kate Bush fans and experts together. I have talked about it before and speculated that, someday, it would be nice to get people together to salute Kate Bush. Rather than it being about her career as a whole, tying the event into an anniversary might be a better idea. There are a few big anniversaries next year. Never for Ever turns forty-five. Aerial turns twenty. The biggest anniversary happens on 16th September. That is when Kate Bush’s fifth studio album, Hounds of Love, turns forty. The more this album gets exposure, the more people discover it. I have said how we need to go deep with Bush’s music and not focus on Hounds of Love. I still stand by that. If we want to get a full view and whole story of Kate Bush, it can’t be about the one album. It threatens to distil her essence and worth into an album. Not even that. A few songs. It is a shame that, now, Kate Bush is still associated mainly with Hounds of Love. Even so, one cannot deny the facts. It is her most famous, acclaimed and popular albums. On streaming sites like Spotify, it is not the case of Hounds of Love dominance. The top ten songs take from five or her ten studio albums. There are three songs from Hounds of Love, three from The Kick Inside, two from Never for Ever. Even so, look on radio and in the media, and the story is different. Most new listeners associate Kate Bush with her 1985 masterpiece. Their reference point is Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). Sometimes the only song they know. In future, we do need to make a concerted effort to ensure that the full range and breadth of Kate Bush’s work is discussed and appreciated.
Even though it sounds like I am talking myself out of the idea, one cannot underestimate the importance of Hounds of Love. It has connected with so many new and young listeners. Many who did not know about Kate Bush found her through this album. I think that, on its fortieth anniversary, it would be awesome getting people together. There have not really been any big Kate Bush get-togethers and events. In terms of conventions and anything like that. There are tribute gigs and smaller events. This would be an evening where Hounds of Love is celebrated. Holding it on its fortieth anniversary on 16th September, 2025. I know there will be celebration around the time. In terms of magazine articles and writing. I am not sure what else people can write that has not been said already. It would be good to get some new perspective and discussion. Even so, later this year, we have a 33 1/3 book on Hounds of Love. Written by Leah Kardos, I would recommend everyone order their copy. It comes out in November. We are sure to learn more about this fabulous album. Kardos is a guest I would love to have at this anniversary event. I have not thought about the guests – those who would be talking and discussing Hounds of Love and Kate Bush -, but I would also want Graeme Thomson (author of Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush), Seán Twomey (Kate Bush News and the Kate Bush Fan Podcast), Tom Doyle (author of Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush), and Sinéad Gleeson (author of This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music). Bringing in musicians, journalists and other fans together. Mixing the ‘experts’ and fans of all generations.
In terms of location, I instantly thought of the London Planetarium. That is where Kate Bush launched Hounds of Love on 9th September, 1985. Maybe quite expensive, there are other options. Abbey Road Studio 2 (possibly more expensive). I am looking for locations at the moment. How much I can afford and what I might need to raise. In addition to fans and writers/musicians, having songs from the album performed would be great. A few unique cover versions. Players and those who were present on Hounds of Love. Getting their contributions. There has not been a specific Hounds of Love documentary made. It may be a stretch, but family members like John Carder Bush (who shot the iconic cover of the album). Videos from the album could be shown. There would be a mix of in-location chat and some clips/archive. It is exciting to think that we could get everyone together in a great venue. That might have to come later. Perhaps there will be a podcasts and some media around the fortieth anniversary. Maybe a station like BBC Radio 6 Music will play the album in full. To ensure that there is this celebration and chance to pay tribute to Hounds of Love, I wanted to float the idea now. As I said, there has not been anything like this. There are tribute shows, cabarets, little events here and there all the time. In terms of really going all-out for an album anniversary, it seems that Hounds of Love’s fortieth is the one. Of course, Never for Ever turns forty-five next year. Hounds of Love will be the big one. I have said how we need a Kate Bush documentary. That should happen. Something that is a wider overview. A bigger budget with many more contributors. I have been thinking about Hounds of Love and how there is this big anniversary next year. Working up to it. Getting a host of fans all in the same space to discuss and enjoy the seminal album. Would people be interested? What about a venue? What would people like to see included? It would likely be a two-hour event. So much to think about in the meantime. I am pumped to think what could be. I just know that…
SOMETHING good is gonna happen.