**** KATE BUSH CONVENTION 1990 PART II *****

[rhill@netrun.cts.com (ronald hill)]

  (Robert:) Um, could you, um, give some more details about that very 
first session with Dave Gilmour in 1973, um, and (inaudible), 
do you know the actual date (inaudible)... 
   "Someone here would probably know that better than me..." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "I'm terrible with dates....1973, my God, isn't that a long time 
ago? No wonder people think I'm like, nearly fifty." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "Well that was, uh, that was really the turning point, I suppose. 
That was the first time I was putting tracks down professionally. Uh, 
Dave Gilmour at that time was trying to help a band called Unicorn, 
who were putting out their first album, and he was good enough to 
produce it. And uhm, we went to Dave's for a day, basically. And the 
bassplayer and drummer from Unicorn sat down and we just kind of put a 
few songs together. I remember it was the first time I'd ever done an 
overdub with the keyboard--I put this little electric piano thing down, 
and I remember thinking, 'Ooh! (laughing) I like this!'" 
   (Laughter.) 
   "And, uh, well, I mean really it was because of those tracks that 
um, I then went on to do _the_ tracks which were then used--two of 
which were used to go on the first album. As far as I remember the 
tracks we did with this session in '73...Uh, there was a track called 
'Passing Through Air', which I think went on a b-side--" 
   "Army Dreamers"! 
   "No, I hadn't written 'Army Dreamers'..." 
   B-side of "Army Dreamers"! 
   "B-side...Oh--oh, was it? 
   (Laughter.) 
   "The other track was, um...It had a couple of titles..." 
   "Maybe". 
   "Yes, it was, 'Maybe'. There was an--'Humming', it was called, as 
well. I see you've heard of all...But, I just can't believe how long 
ago it was. My God! Um, Amanda Greenway?" 
   (Amanda:) Um, have you ever thought of doing a cover version of 
anybody's song at the moment, and if you did, whose would it be?
    "Oh, it's such a difficult question. There're so many good songs 
written, and...Cover versions, it's uh...it's actually  very difficult 
to try and do something that's better than the original. Like re-makes 
of movies: they're very rarely better. (Pause.) I have actually done a 
cover version that might  be out in a couple of years as a 
song.Uhmm..." 
   (Interrupted by laughter. The audience apparently took this to mean 
that Kate would be working on the cover version for 'a couple of 
years'. Actually, she means that it's been in the can for a while but 
that the project has been delayed by a record  company.) 
   "I don't know when it will be out. It's actually beyond my control. 
It's going through another project. But that's an Elton John song." 
   "Rocket Man". 
   "And uh...Well that was one of my favourite songs. And there's a 
good example of me never imagining when I was about twelve or 
thirteen--I was so into Elton John, he was just like the  biggest hero 
ever. And 'Rocket Man' was one of my favourite songs, it was just 
wonderful. So I never imagined that--how many years later? Don't 
mention it! (laughing)--I'd actually get the opportunity to record it. 
Brillian, isn't it? Big circle. It's wonderful. Uh, Mark Gibson..." 
   (Mark:) Hello, Kate. 
   "Hello!" 
   Did the KT Bush Band ever play at the King's Head or the Half Moon 
in Putney? 
   (Laughter.) 
   "I, uh, think we played at the Half Moon..." 
   Yep. 
   "And uh...Well if you know why're you asking? (laughing) Now  that's 
a long time ago, too. And um, that was a lot of fun, that was actually 
my first performance ever, really, apart from a  school play..." 
   (Laughter, perhaps because some fans even know the details of the 
school play, through unofficial biographies.) 
   "It was wonderful. We used to do all these cover versions of things 
like 'Honky Tonk Woman' and, uh, 'Heard it Through the Grapevine'. And, 
uh, I used to...(Turning to Del and Paddy) What was the song? The um, 
the song that was the instrumental... that (name inaudible) used to 
play--the free track? 'Stee'--no, that--'Steeler'. And uh, I used to go 
up into this dance routine about how many people (inaudible) into the 
audience, like this--" (waves her arms in parody of Kate Bush dance 
movements.) 
   (Laughter.)  
"--doing all these things. And um, one night I met a friend of mine. 
And she said, 'Oh, hello, Kate!' And it was right in the middle of 
(waves her arms again)..." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "And I was--(laughs)--I was so ashamed of being such a poser, you 
know, that I--I stopped to have a chat with her."
    (Laughter.) 
   "And I suddenly realized it was time for me to get back on stage, so 
I had to say to her, 'Oh, bye, then!' and (waves her arms again)..." 
   (Laughter and applause. Someone near the front of the  audience 
hands some framed artwork to Kate.) 
   "That's lovely, oh, that's really beautiful. Did you do that? Isn't 
that lovely?" 
   (Applause.) 
   "Thank you...Ooh, another one!" 
   (Pause, while another picture is handed up by the fan, who  has 
produced these things from a bag. Laughter, as Kate puts these objects 
by her side on the couch.) 
   "This is a Mary Poppins bag, isn't it? Goes up onto the stage and 
gets out a giraffe..." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "Did you do these?" 
   (Inaudible from fan.) 
   "Oh, they're lovely." 
   (Applause.) 
   "Very nice! Caren--Caaren?--from Brazil." 
   (Caren--a man--stands up holding an enormous Brazilian 
flag.Laughter.) 
   "Hello!" 
   (Caren:) Sorry... 
   "What for?" 
   "It's just...I get too emotional." 
   Aww!! 
   "Don't get too emotional!" 
   Uh...I'm glad to share with you um, something, uh, this woman that's
very important to us both at the same time. (Apparently this is 
addressed to the fans.) And just a short question...Have you been to 
Brazil yet?
   "No." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "I haven't. I've never been. But, uh, it must be a very beautiful 
place. I hope I do go." 
   (Caren:) Can I ask you another question. I just forgot to uh, write
it down. 
   "Oh, yeah!" (In a doubting, wary but amused tone.) 
   (Laughter.) 
   (Caren:) It's um, just eh, 'Walking Straight Down the Middle'--the 
noises you made, the bird noises. Was that a bird from Brazil? Because 
we have a bird in Brazil that makes the same kind of noise. And I was 
just curious about it? 
   "Well, we had quite a...a nice incident with that, um...I don't know 
if I can do it: (Makes loud bird noise a la 'Walking Straight Down the 
Middle'.)" 
   (Applause.) 
   "And, uh, when we were doing that, a friend of ours thought  there 
was a peacock...so, thank you very much. Giselle Minns?" 
   (Dave Cross:) Here we go. 
   (Giselle:) As a performer, how do you cope with your nerves? 
   "Well, as you all know, I don't do very much performing--" 
   (Cries from audience.) 
   "--and uh, I do get incredibly nervous. And, I think a lot of that 
has to do with the insecurities I've felt as a performer. Each time I 
performed I would be very nervous. I'd feel I wasn't very good, and it 
would build up more and more. I don't know, I think in a way it's just 
something you have to--you almost have to take it by the hand like a 
person, your nerves, and, um, try to get it to sit down and stop 
running around the place! 'Cause that's what you're doing inside, you 
know? Um, and I just admire performers so much that can go up in front 
of really big crowds and deal with it." 
   Are you nervous now? 
   "Um...Actually, I don't feel as nervous as I thought I would  at 
all. I was very nervous before I came on, but, uh, no, I feel okay, 
thanks!" 
   (Laughter.) 
   "I'll let you know...I'll keep you, uh, keep you posted.Uh...Nick... 
Nick...Nau...?" 
   (Nick:) Hello, Kate. 
   "Hello, Nick." 
   (Nick:) I wanted to know what you do when you go shopping. 
   (Laughter.) 
   (Nick:) Whether people come up to you and sort of disturb you,  or 
if you just want to stay in.
    "Um...Shopping is one of those facts of life, right? You, you have 
to do shopping. I find supermarkets really difficult. They're 
like...What's the room in '1984'? What's it--1-0-?" 
   101. 
   "101...That's kind of my room 101. I'm all right if they're  empty. 
But, uh, big supermarkets, they freak me out. Actually I found out I'm 
not alone in this. I have a friend who uh, completely freaks out every 
time he goes to the checkout counter, and leaves this huge basket of 
shopping just at, you know--and goes off, because he can't handle it!" 
   (Laughter.) 
   "It made me feel really good!" 
   (Laughter.) 
   "But, uh, I must say, generally people are just so nice with me, 
and, uh, the problem I have with them is, is in here (points to her 
head). You know, if I'm feeling a bit vulnerable and tired, I--I feel 
vulnerable and tired. But people are generally just really nice to me. 
I'm very grateful for that. I know some people that have a very hard 
time, and uh, you're very kind to me. Thank you...Um, Gary Smith." 
   (Gary:) Hello. I wonder if 'The Fog' off 'The Sensual World'--was 
that originally written for 'The Ninth Wave'? Because I feel there is a 
similarity between that and 'The Ninth Wave'? 
   "Yes, I think you're very right. It does sound like a song that's 
come from that side. It wasn't written as part of 'The Ninth Wave', 
but it was probably one of the first songs that I wrote for 'The 
Sensual World' album. And it's when you hit moments like that that 
you think, 'Well, I haven't quite found where this next album is meant 
to be.' Because I--I worry if it's sounding like the last album. In a 
way there's a natural sense for you to want to just carry on writing in 
the same style of writing that you did before. And uh, I really feel 
each album should be somehow a new expression of something. But yes, I 
thought that, too." 
   (Gary:) I don't think it sounds anything like 'The Ninth Wave',  
it's just theme of the girl trying to swim... 
   "It is, it's a lot of water imagery again. Uh, I felt that, when 
I was writing it, that it was...And I think in some ways I haven't 
really let go of 'The Ninth Wave'. Maybe this is it. The song is about 
letting go, so..."
    (Gary:) Maybe that will continue on through your career and 
eventually there will be songs that will...It will become a bigger 
concept, maybe? 
   "Oh, that's a nice idea, isn't it?" 
   (Gary:) Thank you very much, Kate. 
   "Thank you! Thanks very much. Paul Thomas, from Bournemouth. Hello!"
   (Paul:) This is one of those rumours, which keeps appearing. It's 
about the Ken Russell film, the re-make of "Wuthering Heights". And, 
is it true you were offered the lead part as Cathy Earnshaw? 
   "Uh, I've heard this as a rumour as well." 
   (Laughter.) 
   "Uh, a few people have said to me, 'Is it true?' I've not heard 
anything about this, and so, I don't know. But we'll see, won't we? 
if there's any truth in it, I presume they'll ask me! (laughing)" 
    (Laughter.) 
   "Unless they've got something else planned (laughing.) Well, I don't 
know. What do you think?"
    (Cries of 'Yeah!') 
   "D'you think it would be a good idea?" 
   (Louder cries of 'Yeah!') 
   "D'you really? I find that very interesting--" 
   (Laughter.) 
   "--that you do. Well, I will seriously consider it now, if I'm 
asked. It's very nice. If it's true, it's very nice. Um, Dennis 
Johnson." 
   (Dennis:) Hello. 
   "Hello." 
   (Dennis:) The question is, what song did you find most difficult 
to write, and why? 
   "Well, I suppose there's a few. There's a few songs that have been 
difficult to write. I think the most frustrating and difficult to write
was the song, 'The Sensual World.' Uh, you've probably heard some of  
the story, that originally it was written to the lyrics at the end of 
'Ulysses', and uh, I just couldn't believe how the whole thing  came 
together, it was so...It was just like it was meant to be. We had this 
sort of instrumental piece, and uh, I had this idea for like a rhythmic 
melody, and I just thought of the book, and went and got it, and the 
words fitted--they just _fitted_, the whole thing fitted, it was 
ridiculous. You know the song was saying, 'Yes! Yes!'"    (Laughter.) 
   "And when I asked for permission, you know, they said, 'No! No!'" 
   (Lots of laughter.) 
   "That was one of the hardest things for me to swallow. I can't tell
you how annoyed I was that, um, I wasn't allowed to have access to this 
great piece of work that I thought was public. And in fact I really   
didn't think you had to get permission but that you would just pay a 
royalty. So I was _really_, really frustrated about it. And, um... kind 
of rewrote the words, trying to keep the same--same rhythm and sounds. 
And, um, eventually, through rewriting the words we also  changed the 
piece of music that now happens in the choruses, so if they hadn't 
obstructed the song, it would have been a very different song. So, to 
look at it positively, although it was very difficult, in the end, I 
think it was, it was probably worth all the trouble. Thank you very 
much." 
   (Applause.)