Pink Floyds’ David Gilmour recently talked about Kate Bush’s possible live return.
David Gilmour talks about Kate Bush
Ten years ago, Kate Bush made her return to the live stage. Never a big fan of playing concerts, the singer-songwriter’s 22-night Before the Dawn residency at the Hammersmith Apollo was her first live performance of any sort in 23 years and her first proper gig since her Tour of Life all the way back in 1979.
In a reader Q&A with The Guardian, Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour revealed that he was trying to convince Kate to play live once more.
“Kate Bush is the only person who can get Kate Bush back on stage,” Gilmour admitted.
“I think the shows she did in 2014 at the Hammersmith Apollo were some of the best I’ve ever seen. We went several nights. I’ve tried persuading her recently, actually. Gently.”
Gilmour and Kate Bush have a fair share of history together going back to the start of her career. Bush’s family had helped her make a demo tape packed with original songs turned down by all the record labels they contacted. A mutual friend Ricky Hopper passed on a tape to Gilmour, who helped fund the recording of a better-quality demo for the then-16-year-old Kate.
The new tape was produced by Andrew Powell and was engineered by Geoff Emerick, who was already famous for his work with The Beatles. The tape was sent to EMI and as a result, she was signed by executive Terry Slater. Despite her dislike of live performances, Bush and Gilmour remained friends and she appeared with him on stage several times.
They performed her song ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ for three consecutive nights at The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball charity concerts in 1987. In 2002, she returned the favor by performing with Gilmour during his solo show for a rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’.