Category: Fans Page 1 of 3

Two events we’ve heard about happening in June this year. In Melbourne, Australia on 9th June, a Kate Bush event takes place at The Corner Hotel, Richmond: “Performed by: Routines, Ms45, Cynthia Gallie, Lack the Low, Lucy Dwyer, Lisa Crawley, Jules Sheldon & Laura Davidson. The debut album by Kate Bush ‘The Kick Inside’ featuring the hit song Wuthering Heights turned 40 this year. A long list of local Melbourne musicians are throwing a massive Kate Bush party at the wonderful Corner Hotel Saturday June 9th. The night will feature various singers backed by a full house band, including two keyboardists bringing the songs of Kate Bush to life – performing tracks off The Kick Inside plus hits from other records including Never for Ever, The Dreaming Hounds of Love plus lots more. Dress up and come along and celebrate everything Kate Bush!” More at this site here.

And, in Manchester, UK on June 14th we have Kate Bush: An Appreciation described as “an Evening celebrating the ethereal magic of one of Britain’s best loved musical goddesses. Local musicians will perform a grand selection of hits and rarities from the delightful back catalogue of Kate Bush. Expect a wonderful dreamlike evening!” More at the Facebook event page here.

It’s back! The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever – after thousands around the world took part last year, 2017 sees even more events planned for this breezy moment of Kate-inspired outdoor fun.

The inspiration for the event began when in 2013 UK performance artists Shambush!’ took their wuthering flash mob act to greater heights in The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience, gathering 300 Kate Bush impersonators and turned a pleasant Sussex park into wily, windy moors filled with Cathy’s performing the iconic Wuthering Heights choreography.

The viral success of their YouTube video has started a movement and in 2016 many sister events called The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, coined by Berlin organiser and musician Sam Wareing, started being created all over Facebook.

Here is the full list with event links (with thanks to The Morning Fog Facebook page for compiling them!)

Berlin, Germany: http://bit.ly/2rjRj5c
Dublin, Ireland: http://bit.ly/2r7ZTVn
Oslo, Norway:http://bit.ly/2sqXCbH
Rotterdam, Netherlands:http://bit.ly/2t9jRzP
Uppsala, Sweden: http://bit.ly/2sRfQkm
Atlanta, United States: http://bit.ly/2sbp9h7
Madison, United States: https://www.facebook.com/events/1409657799127261/
Portland, United States: https://www.facebook.com/events/779047658943122??ti=ia New England, United States: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1657184614532764/

Australian Events:

Adelaide: https://www.facebook.com/events/206547643180579/?hc_location=ufi
Bendigo: http://bit.ly/2rZppO8
Blue Mountains: http://bit.ly/2sr49Dw
Brisbane: http://bit.ly/2shdzSj
Canberra: https://www.facebook.com/events/119786128585581
Gold Coast: http://bit.ly/2rfbAOj
Hobart: http://bit.ly/2rfp1xB
Melbourne: http://bit.ly/2sgYWyl
Newcastle: http://bit.ly/2rjTA0b
New South Wales: https://www.facebook.com/events/496907867326910/?ti=icl
North Lismore: http://bit.ly/2rZMAaN
Sydney: http://bit.ly/2sr3Qb

If you have an event to add to this list, please email sean@katebushnews.com

Photo by Deborah Priestley – uploaded to Facebook 24th February 2016

The Kate Bush fan community was completely shocked and saddened this week to hear about the sudden passing of longtime fan Deborah Priestley. An exceptionally popular person, the shockwaves have been felt right across the globe and on hundreds of messages on forums and on Facebook. Our sincerest condolences to her children Dan and Kate, and her husband Rob and her best friend, Keeper – Seán, Peter, Krys & Dave x

Our friend, Sky Boswell, has written the following heartfelt piece to remember the lovely Deborah:

I logged into my Facebook account at around 6am on Tuesday to find a message from a friend, to tell me that Deborah Priestley had died suddenly the day before. It was a terrible shock.

Many Kate Bush fans will know Debs from the early days of the site Forum. She was a dyed in the wool Kate Bush fan, a warm and funny Yorkshire lass who delighted in being with people, loved her family and her dog Keeper, and was a talented amateur photographer whose work often featured in the local press and on regional TV.

I knew Debs for just a few years, but in that time got know her as one of the sweetest, kindest and most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. Debs was a truly genuine person who wore her heart on her sleeve. Self effacing and modest, she was a bright jewel of a woman who touched the lives of many just by being herself. Her Facebook updates of family life were charming, witty, observant, and full of loving enthusiasm. She adored her children Dan and Kate, her husband Rob, and her beautiful German Shepherd dog, Keeper. She loved taking photos of the world around her and had a true artist’s eye. Those long walks with Keeper, or days out with friends or family would always result in more of her wonderful photos, a window on the world according to Debs. Even if you never met her in person you could share her story, and delight in the things she loved.

Debs was always one of the first to be supportive if a friend was having a hard time. She had enormous empathy for others, and on several occasions surprised and delighted me by sending little gifts through the post when I was feeling low. A colouring book, a set of starry fairylights, some chocolate…always accompanied by a lovely note or card. Debs had a generous heart and gave freely of her huge store of love to those who needed it. She had formerly been a nanny by profession, and I imagine the life of every one of the children she cared for was made richer just for knowing her. Only a few days ago I received another of those thoughtful gifts and notes after sending her a coupon for some free gourmet dog food. Typically, Debs’ response to my gesture far outweighed my original ‘gift’. She thanked me publicly on Facebook, too – the last message I was to receive from her. I’ve reproduced it here as it shows what a beautiful person Debs was, always appreciating the little things in life:

“Thank you so much for the beautiful postcard and the coupon for Keeper, you are beyond kind. I was only thinking of you last night, I found something I think you may like!!!! Will get some and send it next week xx”

Debs achieved many things in her short life; it was a life filled with love, laughter, and kindness to everyone she met. She loved, and was loved in return. She truly lived every moment to the full, and in 2014 she achieved a lifetime ambition of seeing Kate Bush live in concert. I’m so glad she did. Goodbye for now, Debs, and thank you for bringing your light into my life. I’m honoured to have counted you among my friends. – Sky Boswell

Note: Deborah’s photography can be viewed at her photography Facebook page here.

NOTE: This Christmas I have decided to donate proceeds from the sale of a copy of Lake Tahoe on vinyl and a few other KB items to Oxfam, and I intend to do the same in the new year with other “swaps” that I have. This is one of the reasons I find it worth keeping up with the value of bits and bobs I’ve collected over the years; I get to enjoy them and look after them and then, ultimately, put them to some good use – Seán

I have to admit I’ve never been a must-have-everything collector of Kate’s stuff but recently I have been filling out some of the gaps in my Kate Bush vinyl collection. There’s something about owning those original artefacts from a particular time in Kate’s career that can be very satisfying. I had decided to limit my current renewed passion for collectible records to UK releases, but when you inevitably start to dig further…there’s a LOT of interesting stuff out there and it can get overwhelming. Luckily we have some great Kate Bush collector sites to help us out, even if we know that realistically we’ll never get our mitts on many of these treasures. Here are three sites, all from genuine fans, that come recommended…

Firstly, for years I’ve relied on an excellent site called “The Single File” by John Heislman which he has maintained since the 1990s. It focuses on Kate’s career as a singles artist and is bang up-to-date with the re-recorded Running Up That Hill from 2012. With neat navigation, effective use of national flag symbols and pictorial chronologies for all formats he takes the guess work out of what was released when and where. A brilliant site.

Next up, if you’re looking for a site that also takes in albums, books and all manner of memorabilia you simply have to take a look at the “World of Kate Bush” blog site. The site owner has been tireless in photographing and describing their impressive collection. This is collecting at its most serious, and a revealing pleasure to browse through for even a casual fan.

Since 1978, thanks to robust work by EMI Japan, Kate has been a noticeable presence in that territory. Some of the most expensive collectible Kate Bush items on the market today emanate from Japan and there is a LOT to discover. Luckily longtime fan Bart Lienard has put together “All We Ever Look For“, an exhaustive labour of love which lists just about every Japanese Kate Bush album, single, box set, video and book as well as a large array of magazine articles. Fascinating.

Update: An honourable mention also to “This Woman’s World“, a German-language site that has a nicely illustrated discography.

Apart from the above sites, there is of course a wealth of information to be found on Gaffaweb, on the constantly expanding Discogs Kate listing, in the pages of those incredible HomeGround anthology books, and in the now out-of-print Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Kate Bush (now, curiously, an expensive collectors item itself!). The Kate Bush Clippings site is now enormous, and also be sure to check out the Kate Bush Encyclopedia site which has been coming along very nicely!

Some of you may remember helping Sara Nyman from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, with her study on Kate Bush fans last year (which can be read here).

Now she is looking for participants for her next Kate Bush research project. Follow the instructions by clicking here, to take part in the project and win a beautiful signed edition of Guido Harari’s Kate Bush mini photobook which was sold last year at Snap Galleries! (good luck with your study, Sara)

Sara Nyman, a fan who asked for help with her thesis on Kate Bush fans a few months back, has let us know that her thesis is ready. She writes: “To all you Kate Bush fans, the Kate Bush fandom thesis is now ready and publicly readable! Please follow this link to read the thesis.

The author of the thesis would also like to thank each participant for taking part in her research project, and has written a personal letter to all Kate Bush fans. The link to the letter is here. Well done Sara!

How are your KB diaries shaping up for 2015? Our friend and longtime Kate fan, Lisa Oliver, is organising what promises to be a fun ‘Kate Bush Convention’ at The Loft Lounge, Birmingham UK on Saturday 26th September. It will feature special guests, live music, memorabilia, disco, videos & good times! Lisa tells us that special guests at the event are Stewart Avon Arnold, internationally renowned choreographer and well known to Kate fans as one half of her talented duo of dancers (along with the late Gary Hurst) and photographer Guido Harari whose working relationship with Kate lasted for over 10 years from ‘The Dreaming’ era to ‘The Red Shoes’. Questions for a Q&A session are being collected by the organisers. UK Kate Bush tribute acts, Before the Dawn and A Sky of Honey will be performing.

Admittance is by ticket (£10) only, tickets and all the information you need are now available at the event’s site here.