Kate Bush at the Hammersmith Apollo

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I would have been shocked had she been content to just play the hit singles...

[Paul S]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1409219380' post='2537563']
I have to say that I absolutely respect any artist who refuses to rely on their old hits. Any fan of Kate Bush knows that her approach to her art is based on a very personal concept of integrity and is not led by the idea of 'giving the people what they want'. Jazz artist who continually regurgitate their old hits are given pretty short shrift and playing the solos 'as on the record' woudl see them laughed out of a theatre. I believe you should expect what the artist is prepared to give. If you want the hits, play the cd.
[/quote]

Conversely I have to say that I absolutely respect any artist who plays their old hits year after year, even if they are sick to death of them. The fans who turn up to gigs generally want to hear the music that they have bought and enjoyed; the very stuff that made the artist famous and put them in a position where they can tour. To my way of thinking, ignoring a back catalogue of hits is, to a degree, thumbing your nose at those fans. Had she been touring the hits for the past 25 years and was on the brink of releasing new material, this might have been an opportunity for self-indulgence. But after such a long break I am sure an awful lot of people would have been disappointed not to hear the hits.

Have to say I am fairly ambivalent about her as an artist - not a fan but no axe to grind, either.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1409219380' post='2537563']
I have to say that I absolutely respect any artist who refuses to rely on their old hits. Any fan of Kate Bush knows that her approach to her art is based on a very personal concept of integrity and is not led by the idea of 'giving the people what they want'. Jazz artist who continually regurgitate their old hits are given pretty short shrift and playing the solos 'as on the record' woudl see them laughed out of a theatre. I believe you should expect what the artist is prepared to give. If you want the hits, play the cd.
[/quote]

I get all that, but unless an artist only performs new material all the time they are bound to be relying on their old stuff to a large extent, in which case why not play the hits that their fans like rather than the stuff that wasn't a hit, presumably because fewer people liked it?

But yes, I basically agree that the artist is 'inviting' people to come along to 'their' concert and that it's not (necessarily) a request show.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1409224784' post='2537658']
Who knows she's doing so many shows, the set may vary along the way.
[/quote]
A friend of mine attended every show when Ry Cooder played 8 nights at the Hammersmith Odeon 30+ years ago when Cooder was well known for varying the set list, often playing a totally different set each night. As far as i remember he played exactly the the same songs and set list for all 8 shows.

[lowdowner]

Oh England, my lion heart...

one of the first albums I bought, and a classic IMHO... I didn't get to the ticket sales in time though

[White Cloud]

This is a gig that I truly I would have loved to have witnessed.

[visog]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1409254550' post='2538076']
A friend of mine attended every show when Ry Cooder played 8 nights at the Hammersmith Odeon 30+ years ago when Cooder was well known for varying the set list, often playing a totally different set each night. As far as i remember he played exactly the the same songs and set list for all 8 shows.
[/quote]

Course he did... consider what it would take in terms of effects, mix, rehearsal, etc to play from a songbook. Not going to happen at scale.

Wish i'd seen KB too. Great set list.... would love to hear how the essentially 'Weather Report' rhythm-section played... along with Maestro Giblin

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1409259180' post='2538148']
Course he did... consider what it would take in terms of effects, mix, rehearsal, etc to play from a songbook. Not going to happen at scale.
[/quote]
My point was that Ry Cooder [u]DID[/u] often change the set list and songs when he played consecutive nights at the same venue but on this occasion he didn't. That's all.

[KevB]

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1409257213' post='2538117']
Oh England, my lion heart...

one of the first albums I bought, and a classic IMHO... I didn't get to the ticket sales in time though
[/quote]

Not that you would have heard anything from that album. Or the one before it. Or the one after it. Or the one after that.

Edited August 29, 2014 by KevB

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1409302220' post='2538407']
Not that you would have heard anything from that album. Or the one before it. Or the one after it. Or the one after that.
[/quote]
Yes but years ago people had to perform what the punters demanded and were on stage to flog a few albums. Nowadays they are 'artistes'.

[franzbassist]

I'm just happy that she's out playing live...

[Doddy]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1409219380' post='2537563']
Jazz artist who continually regurgitate their old hits are given pretty short shrift and playing the solos 'as on the record' woudl see them laughed out of a theatre. I believe you should expect what the artist is prepared to give. If you want the hits, play the cd.
[/quote]

Chick Corea still plays 'Spain' and 'Got a Match'. Herbie Hancock still plays 'Chameleon' and 'Actual Proof'. Randy Brecker still plays 'Some Skunk Funk'.
I'm not particularly knowledgeable about Kate Bush but I would expect that there would be a lot of people attending the shows who would want to hear her perform her big hits. I'm sure that fans of any band enjoy hearing the more obscure album tracks, but there is still something special about hearing them play their big songs live.

[KevB]

It's not really the 'big hits' aspect though, she's doing running up that hill, hounds of love, cloudbusting which were decent hits. Plenty of interesting non hit material from the first 4 albums but none of these albums are represented at all. No one has the same voice in their mid 50's that they had in their early 20's and she did at least cover some of this way back in '79 live so it's understandable I suppose. Her gig, her choice at the end of the day. Personally I'm quietly relieved I didn't push it for a ticket.

[Dave Vader]

Kate Bush fans are not like normal people.
They would, by and large not want her to do a big greatest hits show.
They want weird, and overtly theatrical productions of stuff that was not on the last stage show.

Looks like they got it,
Looking forward very much to the DVD.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1409324166' post='2538669']
Kate Bush fans are not like normal people.
[/quote]
Looks like i'm normal after all then.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1409324166' post='2538669']
Kate Bush fans are not like normal people.
They would, by and large not want her to do a big greatest hits show.
They want weird, and overtly theatrical productions of stuff that was not on the last stage show.

Looks like they got it,
Looking forward very much to the DVD.
[/quote]
As a Kate fan, I agree with this.

Not going to the gigs (too late to get tickets, too far away, too expensive) but I'm delighted she's doing the Ninth Wave, the conceptual stuff from Aerial and whatever the hell she wants.

I'm equally glad she's not doing "the hits" from the first 2 albums, there are already enough sad nostalgia acts plodding 'round the circuit trading on who they were 40-odd years ago. I somehow doubt the 50-something Kate Bush feels a lot of connection with songs she wrote when she was 17.

DVD? Can't wait!

Jon.

[Johnm93]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1409338101' post='2538851']
As a Kate fan, I agree with this.

Not going to the gigs (too late to get tickets, too far away, too expensive) but I'm delighted she's doing the Ninth Wave, the conceptual stuff from Aerial and whatever the hell she wants.

I'm equally glad she's not doing "the hits" from the first 2 albums, there are already enough sad nostalgia acts plodding 'round the circuit trading on who they were 40-odd years ago. I somehow doubt the 50-something Kate Bush feels a lot of connection with songs she wrote when she was 17.

DVD? Can't wait!

Jon.
[/quote]

I was there on Friday and thought it was a fantastic show. The first half in particular will take some beating by any performer.
There were a couple of songs I was not impressed with, but a lot of people there were - that's what gigs are like!
One of our crowd said it was the best show she had ever been to - and she has been to a lot!

John.

[dry_stone]

Just seen the news that Kate is the first woman to have eight albums in the UK top 40 album chart at the same time. I've been enjoying her music since Wuthering Heights and The Kick Inside, gutted I couldn't get tickets to see her at the Apollo.

[fumps]

My other half went to see her on Saturday & loved it.

Her words: [i]"The most magical, wonderful etherial performance I have ever seen.......apart from the puppet thing....that bit lost me"[/i]

[tauzero]

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1409155391' post='2536917']
Just read the bbc mini review and quite frankly staggered that three of her biggest hits including the one that made her a household name were not given an outing !!
[/quote]

Even worse, she [i]did[/i] play "Running up that hill".

[spacey]

Someone I know who went, put it rather bluntly, if she was a Kate Bush Tribute, she would get paid off, her voice left her a long time ago.
He said it was the empresses new clothes, thousand clapping away kidding themselves, all thinking inside, its a bit poo really but if I admit it everyone will laugh.
Luckily he did not pay for the ticket, but wishes he took the £1500 on offer outside for it from the touts.

[Johnm93]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1409578676' post='2541062']
Someone I know who went, put it rather bluntly, if she was a Kate Bush Tribute, she would get paid off, her voice left her a long time ago.
He said it was the empresses new clothes, thousand clapping away kidding themselves, all thinking inside, its a bit poo really but if I admit it everyone will laugh.
Luckily he did not pay for the ticket, but wishes he took the £1500 on offer outside for it from the touts.
[/quote]

Sorry mate, that's b*****x. Everyone has an opinion and all that, but she can still sing.
Like everyone else, her voice has lost the top of the register due to age.
But she made best use of what she has.
Not impressed with Bertie, though...

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1409576818' post='2541037']
Even worse, she [i]did[/i] play "Running up that hill".
[/quote]
I've got my hands over my ears just at the thought of it.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1409578676' post='2541062']
Luckily he did not pay for the ticket, but wishes he took the £1500 on offer outside for it from the touts.
[/quote]


I can't think of any band I wouldn't cash in my ticket for at that price.

The only time I've dealt with touts was for a Stones ticket at Wembley on their Steel Wheels tour in the 80s.. Four of us bought regular box office tickets but come the day one couldn't make it so we sold it to a tout on his behalf. We tried half a dozen touts but the best price we could get was less than the original ticket price.

[tauzero]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1409609688' post='2541589']
The only time I've dealt with touts was for a Stones ticket at Wembley on their Steel Wheels tour in the 80s.. Four of us bought regular box office tickets but come the day one couldn't make it so we sold it to a tout on his behalf. We tried half a dozen touts but the best price we could get was less than the original ticket price.
[/quote]

When I was at university in 1975/76, the Stones did a tour. One friend went to see them and told me of touts desperate to sell tickets even at below face value.