The early music of Kate Bush has a dreamlike quality to it that is hard to replicate but Hannah Richards handles these complex songs with care.
She tells stories of Kate performing 30 or 40 songs to David Gilmore when she was still a teenager and of paving the way for women in the music industry. Hardcore fans will know most of this already but there are also plenty of new followers keen to find out more. Hannah performs alongside a stellar band that brings to life her first hit Wuthering Heights. The lead guitarist does a stellar job in handling the late Ian Bairnson’s solo (the Scot passed away in 2023) and takes on co-lead vocal for Don’t Give Up, Bush’s hit with Peter Gabriel.
Hannah sings to a man in the front row, she dances with various musicians in the band and swirls around barefoot in a red dress like there is no tomorrow while delivering hits such as Wow and Babushka.
There are some transformative moments such as This Woman’s Work, where audience members with a deep connection to the song look visibley moved. It’s hard not to think of Kate’s ex-partner and musical wing-man Del Palmer who passed away earlier this year. He was an essential part of her creative and personal life and is much missed among fans. The moment is slightly soured when a mobile phone goes off but everyone recovers well.
There is a ferocity about the haunting and evocative Running Up That Hill and its return to the zeitgeist since the song appeared as part of the soundtrack to Stranger Things. The Kate Bush story continues …
The Kate Bush Story, Night Owl Shows, Surgeons Hall
