David Gilmour, the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist, has revealed there’s only one person capable of bringing Kate Bush back to the stage—and it’s not him. Despite their long-standing friendship and his instrumental role in launching her career, Gilmour admitted in a recent interview with The Guardian that his gentle attempts to persuade her haven’t succeeded.
“Kate Bush is the only person who can get Kate Bush back on stage,” he said.
Gilmour first discovered a teenage Bush through mutual friend Ricky Hopper, and after hearing her early demos, he knew she had something special. He helped her record a professional demo that eventually led to a contract with EMI—kick-starting her iconic career. Over the years, Bush has always been averse to live performances, but Gilmour managed to get her on stage twice—once in 1987 and again in 2002.
Despite his recent efforts, Bush seems to remain elusive when it comes to performing. Her last major live appearance was in 2014 with the legendary ‘Before the Dawn’ residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. The 22-night run marked her return to the stage after a 35-year hiatus and became one of the most talked-about events in music, with tickets selling out in just 15 minutes and fans traveling from across the globe to catch a glimpse of the elusive star.
Reflecting on her 2014 shows, Gilmour added, “I think the shows she did 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.”
In the meantime, Gilmour himself is back on the road. He’s currently promoting his new album Luck and Strange, which dropped on September 6. As part of the UK tour, he recently performed some Pink Floyd classics in Brighton for the first time in years, and will continue the tour with five upcoming shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
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