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The Tour of Life
The Tour of Life (originally known as the "Lionheart Tour", and also officially referred to as the Kate Bush Tour) was a first concert tour by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. Starting in April 1979, the tour lasted just over six weeks and was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The show contained 24 performances from Bush's first two albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart (both 1978), and new songs "Violin" and "Egypt" which would subsequently appear on Bush's third album Never for Ever (1980).
The tour is renowned for its use of new technology; due to Bush's determination to dance as she sang, her stage sound engineer Martin Fisher developed a wireless headset microphone, using a wire clothes hanger (for the prototype), during rehearsals at Shepperton Studios, making her the first singer to use such a device on stage. The staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers.
The tour was a critical and commercial success, with most dates selling out and additional shows being added due to high demand. Members of the Kate Bush Club were provided with a guaranteed ticket. The BBC filmed a special of the show entitled Kate Bush: On Tour. The documentary featured the production and staging of the set, and revealed the extent to which Bush was involved. Broadcast in 1979, it did not show any of the full performances. The concert spawned two physical releases, the EP On Stage (1979) as well as the home video Live at Hammersmith Odeon (1981). Live at the Hammersmith Odeon was later re-issued in 1994 as a boxed set including an audio CD of the broadcast as well as the video.
The name "Tour of Life" was not coined until after its completion, with all promotional material referring to it simply as the Kate Bush Tour. Neither the EP nor the home video makes reference to the name.
The tour was also notable for the death of Bush's lighting engineer, Bill Duffield, to whom one of the London shows was dedicated.
After Bush turned down an opportunity to perform as a supporting act for Fleetwood Mac, production for the tour began in December 1978. Bush was said to be involved in almost every aspect of the show's design, rehearsals, and performances. The show was choreographed by Bush and Anthony Van Laast, in collaboration with dancers Stewart Avon Arnold and Gary Hurst. Dance rehearsals took place at The Place during mornings leading up to the tour, before afternoon vocal and band rehearsals in Greenwich. Production rehearsals featuring all personnel and audiovisual technology took place at Rainbow Theatre in London, beginning on 26 March and finishing on 29 March 1978.
The tour was known for its innovative use of visual projections, audio and microphone technology, and narrative storyline. Bush aimed for the tour to offer a theatrical experience to contrast the performances of other contemporary rock musicians, and sought to combine "music, dance, poetry, mime, burlesque, magic and theatre." The performance was divided into four sections, concluding with two encores, and incorporated seventeen costume changes and involved thirteen on-stage personnel. Magician Simon Drake performed throughout the show. The stage itself was constructed with a retractable ramp at its centre, with a "large ribbed screen – intended to represent an egg – on to which slides and film footage could be projected". Eight "follow spot" moving lights tracked the musicians and performers on stage. Since the tour, Bush has become known as the first artist to use a cordless microphone headset, which allowed her to move and dance freely while singing live. The headset prototype was created, constructed and developed by the tour stage engineer Martin Fisher, using a coathanger and radio microphone.
The tour opened on 3 April 1979 in Liverpool at the Liverpool Empire, following a warm-up gig in Poole on 2 April 1979. Ultimately, each night of the tour sold out. Following the Poole show, the tour's lighting engineer Bill Duffield was killed after falling from a stage and seating structure at the concert venue. The first of the final three London dates on 12 May 1979 was performed as a benefit concert for the family of Duffield, and featured an altered setlist and performances by Peter Gabriel and Steve Harley. Bush released the song "Blow Away (For Bill)", dedicated to Duffield, on her third studio album Never for Ever (1980).
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The Tour of Life
The Tour of Life (originally known as the "Lionheart Tour", and also officially referred to as the Kate Bush Tour) was a first concert tour by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. Starting in April 1979, the tour lasted just over six weeks and was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The show contained 24 performances from Bush's first two albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart (both 1978), and new songs "Violin" and "Egypt" which would subsequently appear on Bush's third album Never for Ever (1980).
The tour is renowned for its use of new technology; due to Bush's determination to dance as she sang, her stage sound engineer Martin Fisher developed a wireless headset microphone, using a wire clothes hanger (for the prototype), during rehearsals at Shepperton Studios, making her the first singer to use such a device on stage. The staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers.
The tour was a critical and commercial success, with most dates selling out and additional shows being added due to high demand. Members of the Kate Bush Club were provided with a guaranteed ticket. The BBC filmed a special of the show entitled Kate Bush: On Tour. The documentary featured the production and staging of the set, and revealed the extent to which Bush was involved. Broadcast in 1979, it did not show any of the full performances. The concert spawned two physical releases, the EP On Stage (1979) as well as the home video Live at Hammersmith Odeon (1981). Live at the Hammersmith Odeon was later re-issued in 1994 as a boxed set including an audio CD of the broadcast as well as the video.
The name "Tour of Life" was not coined until after its completion, with all promotional material referring to it simply as the Kate Bush Tour. Neither the EP nor the home video makes reference to the name.
The tour was also notable for the death of Bush's lighting engineer, Bill Duffield, to whom one of the London shows was dedicated.
After Bush turned down an opportunity to perform as a supporting act for Fleetwood Mac, production for the tour began in December 1978. Bush was said to be involved in almost every aspect of the show's design, rehearsals, and performances. The show was choreographed by Bush and Anthony Van Laast, in collaboration with dancers Stewart Avon Arnold and Gary Hurst. Dance rehearsals took place at The Place during mornings leading up to the tour, before afternoon vocal and band rehearsals in Greenwich. Production rehearsals featuring all personnel and audiovisual technology took place at Rainbow Theatre in London, beginning on 26 March and finishing on 29 March 1978.
The tour was known for its innovative use of visual projections, audio and microphone technology, and narrative storyline. Bush aimed for the tour to offer a theatrical experience to contrast the performances of other contemporary rock musicians, and sought to combine "music, dance, poetry, mime, burlesque, magic and theatre." The performance was divided into four sections, concluding with two encores, and incorporated seventeen costume changes and involved thirteen on-stage personnel. Magician Simon Drake performed throughout the show. The stage itself was constructed with a retractable ramp at its centre, with a "large ribbed screen – intended to represent an egg – on to which slides and film footage could be projected". Eight "follow spot" moving lights tracked the musicians and performers on stage. Since the tour, Bush has become known as the first artist to use a cordless microphone headset, which allowed her to move and dance freely while singing live. The headset prototype was created, constructed and developed by the tour stage engineer Martin Fisher, using a coathanger and radio microphone.
The tour opened on 3 April 1979 in Liverpool at the Liverpool Empire, following a warm-up gig in Poole on 2 April 1979. Ultimately, each night of the tour sold out. Following the Poole show, the tour's lighting engineer Bill Duffield was killed after falling from a stage and seating structure at the concert venue. The first of the final three London dates on 12 May 1979 was performed as a benefit concert for the family of Duffield, and featured an altered setlist and performances by Peter Gabriel and Steve Harley. Bush released the song "Blow Away (For Bill)", dedicated to Duffield, on her third studio album Never for Ever (1980).