Two Early Documentaries - Kate Bush

Here we have two half hour films, one shot in 1979, and the other shot a year later. For somone who has become very guarded about her life and her feelings, these two early films captures the chirpy, younger Kate, who is excited by the thought of touring -  which, by the end of the 1980 tour on which the second film is based around -  had disappeared. One of her roadies, Bill, died during preparations for the tour and it stayed with her. It was her first (and only) tour and both of them were young ....

In March 1979 – The Tour was to open officially on April the 3rd at the Liverpool Empire but first there was a preview at the Poole Arts Centre near Bournemouth to iron out any last minute hitches. Everyone was naturally very nervous but the show went tremendously well and afterwards, Richard Ames recalls, “We went back to the hotel having a few drinks, everyone was very up. And I got the call from the hall that Bill had run back up to the top of the auditorium where the (Lighting) desk had been and where he’d been running the show. He was doing the ‘idiot check’ – you rush up after everything’s in the truck to make sure nothing’s forgotten. Someone from the auditorium had lifted up a panel from the flooring on the very last step of the aisle between the seats and placed it on the step below the top step. Bill rushed up, tripped over it ‘cos it wasn’t lit very well, and went head first down 17 feet onto concrete. 
 He survived for a week on a life support machine, but there was little hope. He had only been involved in the tour for a matter of days, drafted in during final rehearsals to assist the over-extended Jackson on lighting duties, but such was the nature of the 'Tour Of Life' party that he was already one of the gang. He was just 21. The band were already back at the hotel when they got the news, and Bush was absolutely shattered. "It was terrible for her," says Brian Bath. "Something had happened to her little baby. Kate knew everyone by name, right down to the cleaner, she was so like that, she'd speak to everyone. I suppose it's something you wouldn't forget, but we just carried through it. We got into the mood of the show and the [tour] just kept rolling."

Under the Ivy - Thompson

Her 1980 album `Never for ever` has a song dedicated to Bill, one of my favourites off that album. I wasn`t aware for years as to who `Bill` was or the story behind the song  `Blown Away` .Thanks to the Kate Bush Forum where I got the above image from. This gig wasn`t recorded or televised so this programme is the only record of that night. There are performances on both films, well worth a gander for historical reasons. 


Cover Version: Army Dreamers




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Filmed for BBC Nationwide:

1980 German filmed Documentary:




The songs performed are:

"Room For The Life"
"Fullhouse"
"Strange Phenomena"
"Violin"
"In The Warm Room"
"Hammer Horror"
"Kite"
"Wuthering Heights"