Katekeeping

Kate Bush is super-famous again. If you haven't been hiding under a rock all month, this is something you will know. For those who HAVE been hiding under a rock, here's the scoop: Kate Bush's 1985 hit single, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) reached number three in her home nation upon its release. Fast-forward 37 years, and we find the song at number two in the charts, up from it's previous position at number eight.

Why?

Because it featured prominently in the fourth season of the Netflix sci-fi/horror smash, Stranger Things.

Kids and adults went online in their droves to stream and download the song, propelling it to the top of charts all over the world, and all of a sudden, Ms. Bush is, once again, a household name. Great huh?

Apparently not. A new breed of gatekeepers, or 'Katekeepers' as I like to think of them, has emerged. They claim that it is a terrible thing for music that a new generation of music consumers has found the wonder of Kate's music through something as ghastly and terrible as a teen horror show. These kids don't understand Kate, they cry. They don't know her like we do, they whine.

I remember when I first discovered her music (cue wavy screen effect and harp arpeggios): The year was 1993. 12-year-old me was sitting in the living room watching VH1. There were a load of old songs playing, just background music. All of a sudden, I heard the plaintive, tinkling piano notes starting up. The screen was dark, save for some creepy fog, then an ethereal beauty emerged from the fog in a white gown. The ghostly apparition began singing about being out on the moors, cold and begging to be let in. Her face was awash with theatrical emotion, her movement was fluid and elaborate. I was transfixed. Wuthering Heights had cast its spell over me, and I had to know more. I had to know 'The Whole Story', as it were. And that's what I did. I marched down to Woolworths and headed straight to the CD section. At first, when I picked up the CD, I was confused as to why I couldn't find the track. Silly little me had picked up the album by British rock band Bush. Easy mistake to make. If you're an idiot. After some searching, I eventually found it: The Whole Story - the 'Kateway' drug into my fixation with this glorious artist.

I went straight home and practically threw the CD (remember them?) into the hi-fi system (and them?) and played it from start to finish. I was entranced by the weird and wonderful soundscapes and rich stories the songs contained. They were magical. They ranged from the the hits like Wuthering Heights and The Man With the Child in His Eyes to the more 'out there' tracks like The Dreaming and Sat in Your Lap. Of course, one of the standouts was the majestic, ominous and insistent Running Up That Hill. From the opening synths to the pounding drums, the catchy hook to the harmonies, everything about the song was wonderful. I found Kate Bush. I wasn't around when she first emerged as the mysterious, enigmatic pop-star. I found her by watching TV. I heard a song on TV and I loved it, and a lifelong fanship began. I admit I cried when I saw her live.

Music is there to be enjoyed, and it is to be enjoyed by all. It doesn't matter when you 'find' an artist, or how you find them, all it takes is for one track to jump out of the speakers and talk to you, to your soul, and a magical journey, a loving relationship begins.

Nobody owns an artist. Nobody can lay claim to be the best fan, the truest fan, the one who understands 'their' artist the most. A new generation has discovered a magnificent artist, and long may they love This Woman's Work.