FEATURE:
We’re Not Alone on the Stage Tonight
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing at the Falkoner Teateret in Copenhagen, Denmark during The Tour of Life on 26th April, 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Jørgen Angel
Kate Bush’s The Tour of Life: The Planning and Anticipation
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BECAUSE we are in March…
PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne
I am thinking ahead to next month and a Kate Bush anniversary. The Tour of Life started with a warm-up gig in Poole on 2nd April, 1979. It was a triumphant night, despite the fact that it ended in tragedy. When checking the venue after the gig for any leftover bits and bobs that might have been left behind, young lighting assistant Bill Duffield fell through an open panel high on the lighting gallery. He died of his injuries a week later. Although it was a devastating start to what should have been (and was) a magical and successful tour, it was a blow to suffer that loss before the first official show. When Bush performed in London on 12th May, the concert had a very different setlist because this was a benefit performance, In Aid of Bill Duffield, that featured guest stars Steve Harley and Peter Gabriel. I wanted to discuss a particular aspect of The Tour of Life. If you do not know about Kate Bush’s one and only tour, then the Kate Bush Encyclopedia provides some useful background and details:
“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.
Rehearsal
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”.
The intercontinental tour was a whirlwind where Bush was performing this huge, almost theatrical set each night. I have recently written about how it would be good to have a release around The Tour of Life. There has not been a lot of retrospection or evaluation of such an important moment in Bush’s career. In 1978, she put out two studio albums. In November came Lionheart. That was ninth months after her debut, The Kick Inside. It would have been in her mind that year but, having been made to put out a couple of albums in fairly quick succession, it would have motivated her to perform live rather than get right back in the studio. Also, as Andrew Powell produced both of those albums (even though Bush assisted on Lionheart), Bush wanted to do something in her vision. One where she had more control and license. I am fascinated by that preparation and run-up to the tour. It is a pity there is not more documentation about The Tour of Life. Two official recordings were released, both recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. There is the On Stage E.P. that was released in September, 1979, and there followed an hour-long video, Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, featuring twelve songs from the set. Since then, there has been nothing in terms of a remastered set or any new release of a set from the tour. Anyhow, it must have been a thrilling undertaking for Bush and her crew.
As Bush put so much of her own money into it to ensure that it was executed and realised as she wanted it (and reach as many people as possible), it was also really the first time she was surrounded by a team and musicians of her choosing. Although she had a good time and bond with the musicians on The Kick Inside and Lionheart, she would have liked her own band to be there on those albums. I can understand a certain sense of influence from EMI with their new artist. When it came to showcasing her new material internationally, of course the label had input and some control. The Tour of Life very much saw Kate Bush and those closer to her construct something that mixed together theatre, mime, dance, and other aspects. It as an unconventional and groundbreaking tour that was not going to be a normal or straightforward Pop performance. Having watched the Nationwide documentary that showed footage of Bush and her team planning the tour and rehearsing, I do love how much work and time went into it. From the rehearsal side, Bush was eager to get her musicians perfectly in time and step. She wanted the songs to sound as honed as possible, but she also had flexibility when it came to her movements. One of the big desires from Bush was to be able to dance and not to be restricted. She wore a wireless head microphone for the shows. She was the first artist to do so, and it was originally designed from a refashioned coat hanger, until they made something permanent for the shows! Not only did Bush want to get the band tight and well-rehearsed. She also put so much effort into her dancing and movement.
Each song pretty much had a different feel and costume, so Bush would dash backstage to get changed between numbers. Similar to her 2014 residency Before the Dawn, Bush was very hands-on and had say in every element. Over twenty-nine dates, she wowed the crowds! I am not sure when the preparations and planning began, but there were some rather chilly (weather-wise) morning rehearsals held at The Place in Euston. After that, Bush would race over to Greenwich where she would drill the band to make sure all was right. If it seems rather strict, I think it was a combination of Bush wanted to present something that could be ambitious and professional. This was larger than anything she had undertaken, so putting the hours in was essential. Also, she was a disciplined artist who was a success after two albums. Her career was still new, so anything seen as sloppy or below her best could have caused backlash or commercial dents. As it was, the run of shows was a big success with crowds and critics alike! The build-up would have been a combination of nerves and excitement. After working through the routines, set changes, and knowing what the shows would look like and sound, it was now ready for the audiences. Starting officially on 3rd April at the Liverpool Empire, and completing at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on 14th May, Bush , her team, and the set had gone everywhere from Sunderland to Amsterdam to Mannheim (Germany). It was a whirlwind that, whilst exhausting, was also a lot of fun and success.
Even though she lost money from the tour, and it took a physical drain, it was also confirmation of two things. Firstly, that she could assume responsibility (with a team) and create something in her own vision. The fact that her next album, 1980’s Never for Ever, saw her co-produce for the first time (alongside Jon Kelly) was as a result of The Tour of Life. She was no longer willing to let another producer call all of the shots. Another it showed that there was this huge love out there. You get a sense of her popularity with chart positions and reviews, built the physical reaction to her performing from the stage each night was a direct and visceral feedback. People rapturously cheering and applauding Kate Bush. Even though she did not embark on another large-scale live experience for thirty-five years, Bush recalls The Tour of Life fondly. The 1979 extravaganza was something that was necessary after a busy year where she released two studio albums and was hailed as a unique and promising talent. I am not sure that anyone had any idea of the scale and size of The Tour of Life! I think about what it must have been like plotting the logistics. Those early sketches. From the set design ideas through to the rehearsals in London to the warm-up show on 2nd April, there was this anticipation, excitement, and sense of trepidation. As it was, nobody in her circle should have been fearful. The twenty-nine-show run was…
PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne
AN absolute runaway triumph!