FEATURE:
Kate Bush: The Iconic Shots
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush and band during the finale of a Hammersmith date from 1979’s The Tour of Life/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne
The Tour of Life ‘Curtain Call’, 1979 (Max Browne)
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I am going back to the late-1970s…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979
for inspiration when it comes to this Kate Bush series. I am interested in spending more time with iconic and mesmeric photos of her through the years. I am going to go into more detail regarding The Tour of Life in 1979. One would think that, as there is so much action and motion, it would be difficult to capture a single shot that is among the very best. Max Browne has released a book of photos he took of Kate Bush and her band when she performed The Tour of Life in Hammersmith over three nights. There are a few shots that he took that I could well of highlighted as especially superb. The one that I have always loved and captures Kate Bush in a special moment is a finale/curtain call from one of her Hammersmith nights. She is taking a bow and looking exhausted, yet happy. That adulation she is receiving as her band are in line behind her looking on. It is a great composition taken only a year after Bush released her debut album, The Kick Inside. It is rare even now for an artist to command such a huge live audience and so much press attention only a year in. Of course, Bush had been recording and known to people prior to 1978, though the leap that was taken by 1979 is amazing!
I will end with my thoughts regarding a remarkable and timeless shot from English photographer Max Browne. First, the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia have some details regarding Bush’s one and only tour:
“The Tour of Life, also known as the Lionheart Tour or even the Kate Bush Tour, was Kate Bush's first, and until recently only, series of live concerts. The name, 'Tour of Life', was not coined until after its completion, with all promotional material referring to it simply as the Kate Bush Tour.
Consisting of 24 performances from Bush's first two studio albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart, it was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The simple staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers. The tour was a critical and commercial success, with most dates selling out and additional shows being added due to high demand. Members of the Kate Bush Club were provided with a guaranteed ticket.
Rehearsals
The tour was to become not only a concert, but also incorporating dance, poetry, mime, burlesque, magic and theatre. The dance element was co-ordinated by Bush in conjunction with Anthony Van Laast – who later choreographed the Mamma Mia! movie and several West End smashes – and two young dancers, Stewart Avon Arnold and Gary Hurst. They held morning rehearsals for the tour at The Place in Euston, after which Bush spent afternoons in Greenwich drilling her band. Off stage, she was calling the shots on everything from the set design to the programme art.
Band
The band playing with Kate Bush on stage consisted of Preston Heyman (drums), Paddy Bush (mandolin. various strange instruments and vocal harmonies), Del Palmer (bass), Brian Bath (electric guitar, acoustic mandolin and vocal harmonies), Kevin McAlea (piano, keyboards, saxophone, 12 string guitar), Ben Barson (synthesizer and acoustic guitar), Al Murphy (electric guitar and whistles) and backing vocalists Liz Pearson and Glenys Groves.
Critical reception
As the tour rolled out around the UK the reviews were euphoric: Melody Maker called the Birmingham show "the most magnificent spectacle ever encountered in the world of rock. (...) I hadn't expected to be impressed by her as a singer, both she and the band were nothing short of immaculate". According to Sounds, the show was "so finely realised that it's beyond criticism”.
Consisting of songs from her first two albums – The Kick Inside and Lionheart -, together with some new material, it seems like, to be in that audience, it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The critical reviews and huge acclaim Bush received was sort of at odds with how some viewed her in 1978. Gaining respect from corners who were dubious, cruel and dismissive, the fact she got to breathe new life into these songs and perform them in such a direct and immediate way meant that you get a completely different experience live than listening to the record. That sense of awakening and transformation. I think it was the terrific sets and costumes that meant audiences and critics got to see Bush in her element. I love a load of the photos Max Browne took in 1979 for The Tour of Life. Of course, you can get a better quality of the photo I have selected if you buy his book. I have chosen the one I have because it marks the end of a show. You cannot see the audience, though one suspects there is frenzy and rapturous applause. Kate Bush looks tired and sweaty, yet there is that look of appreciation from her. There were similar shots taken in 2014 when she returned to Hammersmith for Before the Dawn. That was a massive moment for her, though I feel her performing in London – she took the tour around Europe and the U.K. – for her first tour and huge live commitment is even more special. To have been a photographer there and trying to get those special shots. There is something unforgettable and iconic about the photo Max Browne took. This is what Max Browne said about that particular shot:
“Photographer Max Browne recalls: "I have never photographed a more enchanting show or multi-talented performer than Kate Bush at Hammersmith om 1979 - pure magic and such incredible stamina. Almost every number required a costume change, intricate dance choreography whilst singing, and 'The Tour of Life' show lasted over two hours in total. The bar was set so high that she never toured again but what an achievement. Thank goodness the show was recorded for T.V. The shot was taken the night of the recording after the 'Wuthering Heights' finale when Kate's relief and exuberance are palpable. A personal favorite, the focus is spot on too!”.
It is hard to argue with Browne regarding why that particular photo is so wonderful. That relief and happiness you see from Bush’s face is matched by the respect her band have for her. It is definitely one of my favourite Kate Bush photos. This series looks to explore the finest Kate Bush photos. Having worked with a number of great photographer during a career, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to sensational photos…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne
THROUGH the years