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Victorious Festival Preview: Kate Bush-ka

Victorious Festival Preview: Kate Bush-ka

This year we saw an extraordinary revelation when Netflix hit series Stranger Things bridged the gap between generations. How? Through music of course.

Young Max manages to escape the evil Vecna’s mind control through the power of music and what better music to use for a troubled and angst ridden young adult than the magnificent and timeless Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. It’s a song about swapping places to understand differences. It’s a song of love and the lengths we go to for it. Its message is universal.

I have been listening to the song since my teens. There was a whole generation before me that did too, any many after. And what a beautiful thing it has been to see the song rise again as younger generations experience its potential as an escape from a scary world full of trepidation. The song is a veritable tool in this world as much as the Upside Down.

Creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers, have said themselves that they hadn’t anticipated how much the Running Up That Hill would resonate with people, but it does make sense, because Kate was well ahead of her time. When the song was first released it made it to number three here and number thirty across the pond. After it featured in that remarkable scene it reached number one on both sides of the pond, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and more.

The thing is, it’s not very easy to see Kate Bush in person. She keeps herself to herself and doesn’t play very often. She first hit the UK charts in 1978 with Wuthering Heights which sat at number one for four weeks. She was just nineteen years old at the time and the first female artist to make number one with a self-written song. She is a true individual and a true artist. So when she does perform, it’s not a cheap ticket. And that’s fair enough. Even though I may not be able to afford it myself, I would certainly argue that it was worth every penny if I could.

Still, there is another way. Kate Bush-ka is playing on Saturday at Victorious.

I first saw Kate Bush-ka at the bandstand, some three years ago, supporting a Queen tribute act. I’d never much been into tribute acts, I’d rather see the actual artist…but Kate Bush-ka changed that for me. She and the band are a true embracement of all the eccentric and extraordinary qualities that the artist and her music deserves. The chance to experience that music live was wonderful and the performance was magical. I still remember spinning around to the Hounds of Love on the dry July grass, and I think I will remember always. There was a great crowd and that moment was a truly special one. And, that was before the big Kate Bush revival, so this Kate-Bush-ka set has the potential to be enormous.

The thing is, this is still a rare opportunity and one not to be missed. 2022 is the last year of performances from the band, as Katy has been taken on by a major agency and with that given an opportunity to work on her own music with her band. There are a few final dates the band will play this year, and Victorious is one of them. Much like Max, we are on limited time.

So, I hope you can understand the important message behind this preview. I am writing this because I believe that the Kate Bush-ka performance at Victorious will be a truly special one. And I don’t want anyone to miss out on that. So, I’ll see you there, with thunder in our hearts.

Catch Kate Bush-ka on the Casemates Stage, Saturday 17.10 – 17.40.

Photo: Tony Palmer


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