Kate Bush Prepares for Her First Tour (1979)
Most live artists make their mistakes either in private, or before a very small audience. Tonight, at the Liverpool Empire, Kate Bush starts at the top.
1979-04-04 19:00:00 - BBC Archive
Kate Bush has had phenomenal success in a short space of time. Her debut single, Wuthering Heights, topped the UK Singles charts for four weeks, The Man with the Child in His Eyes broke into the top ten, and her debut album The Kick Inside went platinum. Her music is both popular and critically acclaimed - she has even been nominated for an Ivor Novello award for Best Pop Song.
Still only 20 years of age, Kate Bush is now preparing for her first tour. Rarely will an artist's first show have been performed under such a heady mix of intense scrutiny and fervent anticipation. For all her studio success, the question remains: can Kate Bush's unique blend of theatrics, dance and music - at once intimate and extravagant - translate to the live arena?
Nationwide's Bernard Clark follows the pop prodigy as she prepares for her tour. She is undertaking a gruelling regime of dance lessons and band rehearsals to ensure that she is at the top of her game in both disciplines. Realistically though, will it be possible for Kate to deliver vocally while performing the kind of choreography fans know from her videos, or will she have to compromise? On a purely technical level - is there a microphone in existence that can keep up with Kate Bush while she is in full flight?
Clip taken from Nationwide, originally broadcast on BBC One, Wednesday 4 April, 1979.