FEATURE:
A Pseudonym to Fool Him
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush on 3rd December, 1980 Kate in a promotional photo, wearing the headdress seen in the Babooshka music video/PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Lichfield
Recognising the Growing Number of Kate Bush Tributes
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IN a feature published yesterday…
IN THIS PHOTO: Baby Bushka
I asked whether we might get some new Kate Bush conventions or fan clubs. I long to see the day when we have fanzines or new publications about Bush. Given the fact there is a huge number of new fans discovering her music, it is a valid argument to make. How there needs to be something more collective and united. A chance for all the fans to congregate. Maybe something yearly held. It is not only Kate Bush herself and her incredible music that is fuelling this new fandom and interest. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of new tribute acts coming up. A range of events and tributes that not only pay tribute to a wonderful artist. It is a chance to see Kate Bush’s music seen in a whole new light. You might know about established and acclaimed tributes such as An Evening Without Kate Bush. Starring Sarah-Louise Young and made by Young and Russell Lucas, there are a range of international dates. Including a run of shows across Australia. It is amazing that this hugely popular show has international appreciation! I have also mentioned before the incredible Baby Bushka. I love the different iterations and incarnations. How there are these wonderful women bringing Kate Bush’s music to life. Before updating a feature I wrote a while ago about Kate Bush tribute acts, I want to quote from this interview with Baby Bushka from last year:
“When Marie started writing her own songs, many musicians friends suggested she dive into the Kate Bush catalog, and she became a fan. “My boyfriend [also a major Kate Bush fan] and I even managed to go see her perform live at her Before the Dawn residency in London in 2014. I still can’t believe we were able to be there. It was amazing in every way.”
Leah notes that the work “highlights but also transcends our admiration and respect for Kate Bush. Music exists in an intergeneration, intercultural continuum of expression, exploration, mentorship, and learning. Every day I feel grateful, humbled, and excited to have a voice in this realm.” Although she wasn’t a superfan of Kate Bush before she joined, she realizes that “a central aspect of her legacy is her influence on other musicians. There are so many great covers of her music. I actually prefer to call them creative adaptations, because making it your own is key. Her music is characterized by its originality and innovation, so direct imitations would not feel appropriate or interesting to us.”
Lexi thinks many audience members are already Kate Bush fans “who understand the depth of the symbolism and greatness of the grooves and melodies and are there to experience something rich. Our interpretations of the music demonstrate that we have reverence for Kate Bush and her meanings that she dives into, and we hope to create a world of that and to highlight her stories. I like to imagine people are also passionate about our jumpsuits”.
Later in the year, there is a Classical Kate Bush tribute. Cloudbusting are the longest-running Kate Bush tribute act. I have never seen them live myself, though they are wonderful and acclaimed. Mandy Watson leads the band and does great justice to Kate Bush’s music. Never trying to mimic her exactly, Watson lends her own dynamics to the songs. I would urge any Kate Bush fan to grab their ticket:
“This November, world renowned tribute band Cloudbusting - The Music Of Kate Bush will be joined by over 40 members of West London Sinfonia for three very special concerts.
With a programme spanning material from across Kate's hugely successful catalogue of albums, these select performances will fully realise original arrangements by such luminaries as Michael Kamen, Michael Nyman & Andrew Powell, and breathe new life into other material by employing further sumptuous voices ‘out of the realms of the orchestra’.
Don't miss the chance to experience what will undoubtedly be the ultimate orchestral celebration of 'This Woman's Work”.
On 30th January, Something Good Is Gonna Happen: A Kate Bush Celebration took place for Cabaret vs Cancer. This is how this wonderful event was billed. Raising money for such an incredible cause, it was another case of Kate Bush’s music and brilliance being adopted by other people. Also helping to raise money for charity. I do wonder how Kate Bush herself feels about these events and tribute acts:
“HomeGround and KateBushNews.com are thrilled to be back at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern on Thursday 30th January for another Kate Bush themed celebration, raising money for Cabaret vs Cancer.
The night will be packed with amazing cabaret and drag performers, each giving us their versions of their favourite Kate songs. Heading the bill is the sensational Sooz Kempner, the hilarious stand up comedian, with the most gorgeous voice fresh from her UK tour and hit run at Edinburgh Fringe. We also thrilled to welcome back, the brilliant lipsync star, Ripley, fantastic singer Jenny Scoones, drag legend Rose Garden with Phil Lawrence and, Michael Mayell, ex Cloudbusting. Plus we are thrilled to welcome three amazing acts making their debut at one of our events, the stunning Dosa Cat, the extraordinary Fat Black Duchess and the lovely Ebony Rose Dark, all brining cabaret interpretations of Kate songs, and the whole event is hosted by the cabaret drag sensation that is Michael Twaits… and watch RVT socials for more acts to be announced”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Aitchison
An event that involves fans and is a unique tribute in its own right, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever will be a highlight later in the year. This is going to be something that goes down ten days before Kate Bush’s sixty-seventh birthday. It is another tribute that has a long-running passion. Something that seems to grow bigger by the year. Showing how relevant Kate Bush is today:
“Returning for its fifth year, and fast becoming one of the most recognisable sights in Kent, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever (@mostwutheringheightsdayfolke), will return to Folkestone Harbour Arm on Sunday 20th of July for 2025.
Participants, many in wigs and red playsuits, headed down to the town’s waterfront last year for an experience like no other. Dancers of all abilities paid tribute to Kent-born (Bexleyheath) Kate Bush, with a mass choreographed dance to the 1978 smash hit ‘Wuthering Heights’.
Some history… Started in 2013 by Brighton-based performance group Shambush, The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience was an attempt to set a world record of having the most people dressed as legendary musician Kate Bush in one location.
More than a decade on and the event has stretched across the world, with Kate Bush-themed events popping up in July across cities from Austin in Texas to Sydney in Australia, with many more (Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin and Tel Aviv, to name but a few) between.
But one of the most successful has been one right here in Kent, down in Folkestone, who took to the Harbour Arm for the first time in 2018 with some trepidation. But with hundreds turning up to honour the star, a marker was set down and the attendance was doubled when it was recreated in 2019.
Having had a Covid hiatus, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever returned on July 30th 2023 due to popular demand, and has continued to grow ever since”.
One cannot say that Kate Bush’s influence is minor or dwindling. Even if she has not released new music since 2011, Bush is still active. Engaging with fans and putting work into the world. Her Little Shrew (Snowflake) video from last year. Her charity work and the fact that her music trends on social media. New artists citing her as an influence and exiting mainstream artists definitely channelling Kate Bush. There have been Kate Bush tribute acts for many years now. However, there are more events and tributes emerging. Hardly a shock when you consider the continuing ripples from the Stranger Things effect from 2022.
I am going to wrap up soon. I wanted to salute greats like Cloudbusting, Baby Bushka, An Evening Without Kate Bush and any event, gathering or charity event where Kate Bush is very much at the heart. I think we will see even more new tributes and representations of her work. People showing their affection and love of Kate Bush. I am interested to see how this expands and diversifies through this year. Even though these tribute acts are not like seeing Kate Bush live, it is an accessible way of getting to experience her music live. We might never get another chance to see Kate Bush’s music staged by her. Wonderful tribute acts performing in her style and her songs. A Classical representation later this year. Bush’s music backed by an orchestra. Something I have always longed to see. The grandeur and beauty that can elevate the already brilliant music of Kate Bush. I must confess I have never seen a Kate Bush tribute live. I need to rectify that. Go to the next Cabaret vs Cancer and performers like Sooz Kempner perform. I would love to get involved with The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever next year. I have interviewed Sarah-Louise Young but I have not seen her live. The adulation and applause these incredible acts Even though the original is very much with us, there are these stunning tributes taking Bush’s legacy and brilliance around the world. It not only gives fans exposure to her music and wonder. We think more deeply about Kate Bush. More than just her music too. More than streaming can do. I would love to see Kate Bush put a post on her official website about some of the tribute acts and events. In spite of the fact there are already quite a few exceptional Kate Bush tributes and tribute acts, I think we will see this taken up a whole new level…
BY the end of the year.