Live Review: Kate Bush - Before the Dawn, Hammersmith Apollo, 2nd September
This was possibly the most anticipated event of the year in terms of music. Kate Bush's return to the live stage, with and astounding 35 years in between the last show in 1979 and the first of this new tour 'Before the Dawn' in 2014. I was more than excited, and except for the setlist had no idea what I was going to witness. What I did witness was a true spectacle and an inspiration.
The set started with a thunderous applause and a standing ovation before any music had been played, this occurred, rightfully so, several times throughout the performance. Kate launched into Lily, a track from her 1993 album 'The Red Shoes', and it was a fairly standard rock show, with Kate barefooted, singing with a normal microphone and her incredible band backing her. Kate's voice was incredible live, considering the length of time it has been and the energy was something to wonder at. Classics such as Hounds of Love and Running Up That Hill were played within this opening segment to the crowds delight. However, the whole atmosphere changing at the end of highlight King of the Mountain, where the sound of thunder and strobes dazzled the audience and brought the music to a dramatic stop. A curtain fell down and a video started, of a man contacting someone saying how there and been a ship wreck and someone was still lost at sea. This indicated the beginning of the beautiful conceptual piece, The Ninth Wave, a story about a person being lost at sea, and trying to prevent themselves from drowning, as well as being combined with their thoughts and their attempted rescue. It was a truly inspirational piece and my highlight of the whole set, it was well choreographed, highly theatrical, featuring fish skeleton people, and magnificent set and fantastic music. I don't want to reveal to much though, to spoil the performance for people going to see her soon, but you are really in for a treat.
After the ninth wave was a 20 minute interval, before the curtain rose to reveal a nature backdrop and Kate playing the piano to the sound of cooing birds, this marked the beginning of another conceptual piece, The Sky of Honey. The piece featured puppetry, a whole new set and great use of lighting. The piece is about the outdoor adventures of a summers day and night. It was again very theatrical and featured incredible music. The painter in the story was played by Bertie, Kate's son, who had a brand new song, Tawny Moon, dedicated to his character to sing solo, it was a spooky one, but fit perfectly in with the rest of the songs from A Sky of Honey. Once again though I don't want to spoil too much. The set finished on song Aerial with a tree falling from the stage down through Kate's piano which was a great sight. The performers all left the stage, with only Kate returning a minute or two later to perform a solo song from her latest album, 50 Words for Snow, Among Angels. It was beautiful and fragile and the audience were completely silent throughout respecting their idol. It was incredible. After this the band returned for one last song, fan favourite, Cloudbusting.
The show came to a close after three hours and the sound of the audience singing back the last refrain of Cloudbusting back at Kate and someone throwing a bouquet up to Kate. I couldn't have been happier and Kate delivered more than I could have imagined, and pushed the boundaries of what I thought a concert could be, a true inspiration.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Setlist:
Lily
Hounds of Love
Joanni
Top of the City
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
King of the Mountain
And Dream of Sheep
Under Ice
Waking the Witch
Watching You Without Me
Jig of Life
Hello Earth
The Morning Fog
Prelude
Prologue
An Architects Dream
The Painter's Link
Sunset
Aerial Tal
Somewhere in Between
Tawny Moon
Nocturn
Aerial
--------------------
Among Angels
Cloudbusting
The set started with a thunderous applause and a standing ovation before any music had been played, this occurred, rightfully so, several times throughout the performance. Kate launched into Lily, a track from her 1993 album 'The Red Shoes', and it was a fairly standard rock show, with Kate barefooted, singing with a normal microphone and her incredible band backing her. Kate's voice was incredible live, considering the length of time it has been and the energy was something to wonder at. Classics such as Hounds of Love and Running Up That Hill were played within this opening segment to the crowds delight. However, the whole atmosphere changing at the end of highlight King of the Mountain, where the sound of thunder and strobes dazzled the audience and brought the music to a dramatic stop. A curtain fell down and a video started, of a man contacting someone saying how there and been a ship wreck and someone was still lost at sea. This indicated the beginning of the beautiful conceptual piece, The Ninth Wave, a story about a person being lost at sea, and trying to prevent themselves from drowning, as well as being combined with their thoughts and their attempted rescue. It was a truly inspirational piece and my highlight of the whole set, it was well choreographed, highly theatrical, featuring fish skeleton people, and magnificent set and fantastic music. I don't want to reveal to much though, to spoil the performance for people going to see her soon, but you are really in for a treat.
After the ninth wave was a 20 minute interval, before the curtain rose to reveal a nature backdrop and Kate playing the piano to the sound of cooing birds, this marked the beginning of another conceptual piece, The Sky of Honey. The piece featured puppetry, a whole new set and great use of lighting. The piece is about the outdoor adventures of a summers day and night. It was again very theatrical and featured incredible music. The painter in the story was played by Bertie, Kate's son, who had a brand new song, Tawny Moon, dedicated to his character to sing solo, it was a spooky one, but fit perfectly in with the rest of the songs from A Sky of Honey. Once again though I don't want to spoil too much. The set finished on song Aerial with a tree falling from the stage down through Kate's piano which was a great sight. The performers all left the stage, with only Kate returning a minute or two later to perform a solo song from her latest album, 50 Words for Snow, Among Angels. It was beautiful and fragile and the audience were completely silent throughout respecting their idol. It was incredible. After this the band returned for one last song, fan favourite, Cloudbusting.
The show came to a close after three hours and the sound of the audience singing back the last refrain of Cloudbusting back at Kate and someone throwing a bouquet up to Kate. I couldn't have been happier and Kate delivered more than I could have imagined, and pushed the boundaries of what I thought a concert could be, a true inspiration.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Setlist:
Lily
Hounds of Love
Joanni
Top of the City
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
King of the Mountain
And Dream of Sheep
Under Ice
Waking the Witch
Watching You Without Me
Jig of Life
Hello Earth
The Morning Fog
Prelude
Prologue
An Architects Dream
The Painter's Link
Sunset
Aerial Tal
Somewhere in Between
Tawny Moon
Nocturn
Aerial
--------------------
Among Angels
Cloudbusting
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