British singer Kate Bush kicked off 22-show run at the Hammersmith Apollo in west London, the same venue where she effectively retired from live performances after six weeks on the road in 1979, in Tuesday.
Kate Bush mixed note-perfect renditions of her biggest hits with two visually stunning interpretations of her longer conceptual works to delight fans who had waited for the British singer and songwriter to return to the stage.
Receiving a standing ovation before she had sung a note, Bush opened with “Lily” from her 1993 release “The Red Shoes,” followed by “Hounds of Love” from the double-platinum selling album of the same name.
The show shifted gears midway through the first half with the song cycle “The Ninth Wave,” which is about a woman floating in the sea, slipping in and out of consciousness.
The eclectic range of musical styles in the piece, ranging from an Irish jig to a chorale, was mirrored in a staging that combined film with theater.
For the 22 shows dubbed “Before the Dawn,” Bush has returned to London’s Hammersmith Apollo, a venue in her only previous tour in 1979, a year after she went to No.1 with the self-penned “Wuthering Heights.”
That song, based on the Emily Bronte novel, stood out in a pop scene filled with disco and punk, and the 19-year-old Bush’s high-pitched voice and expressive dancing only added to her uniqueness.
Bush has released nine studio albums, two of which topped the charts. Her singles collection “The Whole Story” also went to No.1.
But she has largely stayed out of the public eye, giving few interviews and leaving long gaps between releases.
In the process she has become one of the most celebrated of Britain’s anti-celebrities, generating a devoted following from fans who were ecstatic when she announced the shows in March.
