there was talk that david bowie, madonna, grace jones and bjork were in the audience and a mention that bowie was onstage at some point, but i can't see any confirmation of that today
i was hoping she would have done more of her hits, stuff like the man with the child in his eyes, babushka, this womans work, don't give up (in the hope of a duet with peter gabriel), rubberband girl, wuthering heights, etc
it sounds like if the show is so theatrical there will be less scope for a lot of change in setlist unless it has sections where she just sits and plays at the piano
i'm sure a lot of people would be happy to see her play anything, but for a first show in 35 years it would have been nice to have her play the music she's known most for
i haven't heard back from anyone who was there, so how did it go on the doors in regards to checking ID and stuff for the tickets? did it slow down entry a lot?
I don't want to give away any spoilers to those who have tickets for later performances so won't say anything about the actual content of the show.
I was a little surprised at the setlist, but we have to remember.... this is Kate we're talking about and she does things her way. If she'd gotten up on stage and played Chopsticks I would have been happy.
I was buzzing all the way back to my digs where it took me a long time to drift off to sleep. Now I'm enjoying an excellent breakfast before catching the train home. I'll have a couple of hours on the train to drool all over my programme then close my eyes and relive the whole show all over again.
All I will say on her actual performance is that she is note perfect throughout every song. Her voice is still as amazing as it has ever been, and she still moves with the lithe, lissom grace of a teenager.
Somebody has said that Bowie put in an appearance on stage during the show but I didn't see him, or if I did, I didn't know it was Bowie.
All in all, it was magnificent and those who have tickets for the rest of the tour, I can tell you that you will be royally entertained. I wish I could see it all again.
It was an amazing spectacle. We had tickets for row H - when I saw our seats I couldn't believe it - 4 rows from the front & right next to
the ramp where drowned Kate gets carried off by the sea creatures
. I loved the first half - from the simply performed first set of songs, to the Ninth Wave extravaganza. Actually - the Ninth Wave was stunning - so emotional, so well performed. The ticket price would have been worth just that!
I found the second half less penetrable. I don't really get Ariel, and the drama got a bit too Prog-Rock for my tastes - however, it was beautiful.
The band & singers were absolutely excellent. Kate's 17 year old son, Bertie, was one of the backing singers & actually got to do his own solo number in the second half - a very talented young man.
They checked our tickets while we were waiting in the queue. Basically, a steward simply looked at the ticket and checked the ID matched the person holding it. Quite straightforward, really.
The other thing I'd say is if someone is still desperate for a ticket - it's worth checking at the Box Office on spec for returns. We met a chap in the bar who had done just that, and was lucky enough to discover that there had been one return that evening. It's cheaper & beats lining the pockets of touts!
I don't really agree with her not wanting pictures and recordings of the concert because we live in a world with people who own phones and ipads and will record anything that interests them. We also live in a world where people can't resist taking pictures of what they are eating, so people will capture anything anywhere. However i respect her opinion. I just don't agree.
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I totally agree with her! Why can't we for one night get back to a time before the intrusion of camera phones and iPads. Just sit back and soak up the show in all it's live glory instead of watching it through a tiny screen. I would be peed off if i'd paid hundreds for a ticket only to have a sea of iPhones and iPads blocking my view and frankly ruining the experince. She made the right call 100%.
I can understand why casual fans would be disappointed with the set list, but I imagine that the more hardened Kate fans would be in their element I mean, not only do they get to see her live for the first time in decades, but she is performing songs that I doubt anybody ever expected to see her perform. Lucky sods!
I'm insanely jelous of the folks who got their tickets, but at the same time i'm more of the 'casual fan' so I don't think i'd appreciate it as much as many others.
Any idea who replaced Rolf Harris for the vocals on the Aerial tracks?
I think it might have been Bertie.
She was never going to perform her early hits .. for a start vocally they would be a challenge but more importantly I think it's widely reported (and has been since the 80's) that she is embarrassed by those songs and cringes at their naivety. We may love them but sadly Kate doesn't.
The whole of the Ninth Wave though!! ... dramatized!! .... I wish I could see that. Please put it in the cinemas Kate for all us unlucky *******'s who didn't get tickets.
I totally agree with her! Why can't we for one night get back to a time before the intrusion of camera phones and iPads. Just sit back and soak up the show in all it's live glory instead of watching it through a tiny screen. I would be peed off if i'd paid hundreds for a ticket only to have a sea of iPhones and iPads blocking my view and frankly ruining the experince. She made the right call 100%.
I think so too ....it does totally ruin performances. You can't fully engage if you're taking photos or if someone is standing in front of you taking photos. It's too distracting.
Well done Kate I say.
I'd heard rumours about the set list for a while and it was all confirmed last night. I love the set list and the second half of Aerial is gorgeous! It took a few listens to really appreciate Aerial but I love it. There were so many new things i kept hearing with each listen. I am very excited to hear Aerial live. That song just builds and builds so much. Fantastic.
I don't see why anyone would think she would stick to the hits. It's Kate we are on about. She does things her way and she is quite theatrical. So it makes sense to do Ninth Wave and Aerial.
I am so excited for Saturday when I see her. I am going to struggle to sleep this week. it feels like the run up to Christmas. As I am only 30, I never thought in a million years I would see her live. It's a dream come true and all the reviews and tweets have just made me froth at the mouth with excitement. lol
I don't fa girl over any artist... Except Kate. Legend!
She was never going to perform her early hits .. for a start vocally they would be a challenge but more importantly I think it's widely reported (and has been since the 80's) that she is embarrassed by those songs and cringes at their naivety. We may love them but sadly Kate doesn't.
The whole of the Ninth Wave though!! ... dramatized!! .... I wish I could see that. Please put it in the cinemas Kate for all us unlucky *******'s who didn't get tickets.
I agree. I doubt her voice is still capable of singing Wuthering Heights the way she sang it when she was young.
Look forward to buying the DVD if she puts one out.
Rumours are that the setlist may change throughout the course of the residency. Obviously The Ninth Wave & A Sky of Honey will stay the same but songs like Among Angels, Joanni, Top of The City could be interchanged for other things. I heard she performed Wuthering Heights in the dress rehearsal aswell but due to the show overrunning last night, it got cut out.
The setlist for me is near perfect, it would have been nice to see This Woman's Work & Moments of Pleasure in there but I'm sure both will make an appearance at some stage.
I think it was danny baker who started the bowie/Madonna/grace rumour. no sign of any of them from what I heard. dave Gilmour was there with his wife polly Samson and lilly allen were there. kates ex was there around row M. bertie stood in for rolf harris
apparently it's a dream show for the hardcore fans, but those wanting to hear hits may be a bit disappointed unless the show changes a lot over time. none of the celebs in the documentary made an appearance onstage after all
I totally agree with Ms Bush's wish not to photograph/film etc the event.
A year ago, I went to see my own musical hero Danny Elfman - composer of the soundtracks to most of Tim Burton's films - live at the Royal Albert Hall. Best night out of my life. No filming or photographing was allowed, and this was enforced.
As a result, I have the best record of the concert imaginable - that funny little thing called a memory! I can just lie on my bed and replay it again and again in my head. I'm sure it will be the same for everyone who goes to see Kate Bush.
Insanely jealous of everyone who managed to get tickets. My other half and I were scrabbling around on 2 different sites the minute tickets went on sale and still missed out. I've never felt such a sense of disappointment before.
When I read the reviews and the set list I was even more envious - and envy just isn't in my nature.
I hope and pray that the rumours of one of the shows being recorded for DVD release are true. Watching it like that will be a poor substitute to being there in person, but it's far better than missing out completely.
Any thoughts of the setlist changing over the course of the dates?
The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey are obviously the staples of the show and won't change but she could easily switch it up with the other songs as much as she wants.
there was talk that david bowie, madonna, grace jones and bjork were in the audience and a mention that bowie was onstage at some point, but i can't see any confirmation of that today
i was hoping she would have done more of her hits, stuff like the man with the child in his eyes, babushka, this womans work, don't give up (in the hope of a duet with peter gabriel), rubberband girl, wuthering heights, etc
it sounds like if the show is so theatrical there will be less scope for a lot of change in setlist unless it has sections where she just sits and plays at the piano
i'm sure a lot of people would be happy to see her play anything, but for a first show in 35 years it would have been nice to have her play the music she's known most for
i haven't heard back from anyone who was there, so how did it go on the doors in regards to checking ID and stuff for the tickets? did it slow down entry a lot?
I totally agree with you as a casual fan about her playing more of her better known songs. But I guess since she hasn't performed in 35 years, she naturally figures that most of the people going to the shows are her most loyal, hard core dedicated fans who know and love every song, even the more obscure stuff. More casual fans are more likely to have lost interest after so many years of not touring and would be less likely to go.
Isn't Kate kind of known for her theatrical shows? She kind of a pioneer in that area, influencing many modern pop extraganzas. So I think people kind of expected a big elaborate show like that from her. They might have been disappointed if she just sat down at the piano and performed her songs. Tori Amos , who is often compared to Kate, does those more kind of stripped down shows, but I think that is not what most people expect from Kate.
I sort of disagree with the no photography rule that some artists put forth. I find it kind of pretentious and annoying. I don't like it when people film a whole show instead of watching it, but I think it's okay and perfectly understandable for people to want to take a few pictures or short videos. For a lot of people going to a concert especially by one of their all time favourite artists is a very special occassion and they want something to remember it by and share with their family and friends. Most people don't get to go to a concert everyday because of their budget or time commitments so going to a concert is a special thing for them and they just want a little something to remember it by and look back on later. I don't see the harm in that.
With a lot of my favourite artists when they are on tour, I like the ability to follow them online and see how the tour is going and if they change the setlist or anything special happens from night to night. So I like it if people film parts of the show and put it on youtube. It's fun and enjoyable for me to have that ability to follow the tour as it goes and it keeps me interested in the artist. I can't afford or don't have the time to go to multiple shows but it's nice to be able to follow the tour in that way.
What a disappointing setlist. I expected a mix from all albums
I can't stand the Aerial album, and fancy not performing her most iconic hit.
Most fans figured early on that it wouldn't be a greatest hits style concert.
As for not doing Wuthering Heights, I actually think that was a wise decision on her part. She would have to change the arrangements drastically to be able to do the song now and I don't think that would work at all. I didn't really like the version she recored for The Whole Story, it's a song where the high pitch was the whole point.
I suppose though the thing with an artist like Kate making a comeback is there will always be people who aren't happy with things like the setlist or other details just because the expecations are so high and she's been away for so long and has a huge wad of songs to choose from. Everyone will have favourites they won't see performed - This Woman's Work not being included being my own personal disappointment.
Overall though the fact she's come out of "retirement" trumps anything else. That's the important bit.
I am going on 26 Sept. Hope her voice holds up till then. I hope Moments of Pleasure and This Woman's Work are slotted in. Those are my favourites.
I will not be taking any pictures or filming it. Hopefully Kate's fan base are more sophisticated and will heed her plea. Moments of Pleasure means being fully present, not taking photos to show off to other people.
I totally agree with her! Why can't we for one night get back to a time before the intrusion of camera phones and iPads. Just sit back and soak up the show in all it's live glory instead of watching it through a tiny screen. I would be peed off if i'd paid hundreds for a ticket only to have a sea of iPhones and iPads blocking my view and frankly ruining the experince. She made the right call 100%.
Hear, hear.
Besides there are some lovely official photos that are far better than anything the vast majority of the audience could snap on their phones.
Isn't it sad how an entire generation have been conditioned to think you have to document every single moment of your life on film or there is no "proof" that it happened? I am so glad I grew up just before social media took control of our lives.
Comments
i was hoping she would have done more of her hits, stuff like the man with the child in his eyes, babushka, this womans work, don't give up (in the hope of a duet with peter gabriel), rubberband girl, wuthering heights, etc
it sounds like if the show is so theatrical there will be less scope for a lot of change in setlist unless it has sections where she just sits and plays at the piano
i'm sure a lot of people would be happy to see her play anything, but for a first show in 35 years it would have been nice to have her play the music she's known most for
i haven't heard back from anyone who was there, so how did it go on the doors in regards to checking ID and stuff for the tickets? did it slow down entry a lot?
She'd be there forever if she had to satisfy everyone's wish list.
I don't think it was a "greatest hits" show, it sounds like it was a group of songs linked by themes/the performance.
I don't want to give away any spoilers to those who have tickets for later performances so won't say anything about the actual content of the show.
I was a little surprised at the setlist, but we have to remember.... this is Kate we're talking about and she does things her way. If she'd gotten up on stage and played Chopsticks I would have been happy.
I was buzzing all the way back to my digs where it took me a long time to drift off to sleep. Now I'm enjoying an excellent breakfast before catching the train home. I'll have a couple of hours on the train to drool all over my programme then close my eyes and relive the whole show all over again.
All I will say on her actual performance is that she is note perfect throughout every song. Her voice is still as amazing as it has ever been, and she still moves with the lithe, lissom grace of a teenager.
Somebody has said that Bowie put in an appearance on stage during the show but I didn't see him, or if I did, I didn't know it was Bowie.
All in all, it was magnificent and those who have tickets for the rest of the tour, I can tell you that you will be royally entertained. I wish I could see it all again.
I found the second half less penetrable. I don't really get Ariel, and the drama got a bit too Prog-Rock for my tastes - however, it was beautiful.
The band & singers were absolutely excellent. Kate's 17 year old son, Bertie, was one of the backing singers & actually got to do his own solo number in the second half - a very talented young man.
They checked our tickets while we were waiting in the queue. Basically, a steward simply looked at the ticket and checked the ID matched the person holding it. Quite straightforward, really.
The other thing I'd say is if someone is still desperate for a ticket - it's worth checking at the Box Office on spec for returns. We met a chap in the bar who had done just that, and was lucky enough to discover that there had been one return that evening. It's cheaper & beats lining the pockets of touts!
Sorry - I saw no sign of Bowie!
I totally agree with her! Why can't we for one night get back to a time before the intrusion of camera phones and iPads. Just sit back and soak up the show in all it's live glory instead of watching it through a tiny screen. I would be peed off if i'd paid hundreds for a ticket only to have a sea of iPhones and iPads blocking my view and frankly ruining the experince. She made the right call 100%.
I'm insanely jelous of the folks who got their tickets, but at the same time i'm more of the 'casual fan' so I don't think i'd appreciate it as much as many others.
Hopefully she randomly decides to perform This Woman's Work on the night I'm there.
She was never going to perform her early hits .. for a start vocally they would be a challenge but more importantly I think it's widely reported (and has been since the 80's) that she is embarrassed by those songs and cringes at their naivety. We may love them but sadly Kate doesn't.
The whole of the Ninth Wave though!! ... dramatized!! .... I wish I could see that. Please put it in the cinemas Kate for all us unlucky *******'s who didn't get tickets.
Well done Kate I say.
I'd happily lose those two (and Lily) for something like The Dreaming or Get Out Of My House.
I don't see why anyone would think she would stick to the hits. It's Kate we are on about. She does things her way and she is quite theatrical. So it makes sense to do Ninth Wave and Aerial.
I am so excited for Saturday when I see her. I am going to struggle to sleep this week. it feels like the run up to Christmas. As I am only 30, I never thought in a million years I would see her live. It's a dream come true and all the reviews and tweets have just made me froth at the mouth with excitement. lol
I don't fa girl over any artist... Except Kate. Legend!
I agree. I doubt her voice is still capable of singing Wuthering Heights the way she sang it when she was young.
Look forward to buying the DVD if she puts one out.
The setlist for me is near perfect, it would have been nice to see This Woman's Work & Moments of Pleasure in there but I'm sure both will make an appearance at some stage.
apparently it's a dream show for the hardcore fans, but those wanting to hear hits may be a bit disappointed unless the show changes a lot over time. none of the celebs in the documentary made an appearance onstage after all
A year ago, I went to see my own musical hero Danny Elfman - composer of the soundtracks to most of Tim Burton's films - live at the Royal Albert Hall. Best night out of my life. No filming or photographing was allowed, and this was enforced.
As a result, I have the best record of the concert imaginable - that funny little thing called a memory!
When I read the reviews and the set list I was even more envious - and envy just isn't in my nature.
I hope and pray that the rumours of one of the shows being recorded for DVD release are true. Watching it like that will be a poor substitute to being there in person, but it's far better than missing out completely.
The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey are obviously the staples of the show and won't change but she could easily switch it up with the other songs as much as she wants.
I totally agree with you as a casual fan about her playing more of her better known songs. But I guess since she hasn't performed in 35 years, she naturally figures that most of the people going to the shows are her most loyal, hard core dedicated fans who know and love every song, even the more obscure stuff. More casual fans are more likely to have lost interest after so many years of not touring and would be less likely to go.
Isn't Kate kind of known for her theatrical shows? She kind of a pioneer in that area, influencing many modern pop extraganzas. So I think people kind of expected a big elaborate show like that from her. They might have been disappointed if she just sat down at the piano and performed her songs. Tori Amos , who is often compared to Kate, does those more kind of stripped down shows, but I think that is not what most people expect from Kate.
I sort of disagree with the no photography rule that some artists put forth. I find it kind of pretentious and annoying. I don't like it when people film a whole show instead of watching it, but I think it's okay and perfectly understandable for people to want to take a few pictures or short videos. For a lot of people going to a concert especially by one of their all time favourite artists is a very special occassion and they want something to remember it by and share with their family and friends. Most people don't get to go to a concert everyday because of their budget or time commitments so going to a concert is a special thing for them and they just want a little something to remember it by and look back on later. I don't see the harm in that.
With a lot of my favourite artists when they are on tour, I like the ability to follow them online and see how the tour is going and if they change the setlist or anything special happens from night to night. So I like it if people film parts of the show and put it on youtube. It's fun and enjoyable for me to have that ability to follow the tour as it goes and it keeps me interested in the artist. I can't afford or don't have the time to go to multiple shows but it's nice to be able to follow the tour in that way.
Most fans figured early on that it wouldn't be a greatest hits style concert.
As for not doing Wuthering Heights, I actually think that was a wise decision on her part. She would have to change the arrangements drastically to be able to do the song now and I don't think that would work at all. I didn't really like the version she recored for The Whole Story, it's a song where the high pitch was the whole point.
I suppose though the thing with an artist like Kate making a comeback is there will always be people who aren't happy with things like the setlist or other details just because the expecations are so high and she's been away for so long and has a huge wad of songs to choose from. Everyone will have favourites they won't see performed - This Woman's Work not being included being my own personal disappointment.
Overall though the fact she's come out of "retirement" trumps anything else. That's the important bit.
I will not be taking any pictures or filming it. Hopefully Kate's fan base are more sophisticated and will heed her plea. Moments of Pleasure means being fully present, not taking photos to show off to other people.
Hear, hear.
Besides there are some lovely official photos that are far better than anything the vast majority of the audience could snap on their phones.
Isn't it sad how an entire generation have been conditioned to think you have to document every single moment of your life on film or there is no "proof" that it happened? I am so glad I grew up just before social media took control of our lives.