NewsSDE presents Kate Bush: Before The Dawn ‘keepsake’ A4 booklet
Kate Bush booklet exclusive to SDE • Beautiful artwork • Limited run
Today is Kate Bush‘s birthday and to mark the occasion I’m delighted to announce that volume 5 of SDE’s occasional ‘keepsake’ booklet publications (past subjects have included Paul McCartney and Roxy Music) is devoted to Kate’s legendary 2014 concert residency Before The Dawn.
I was lucky enough to see Before The Dawn three times, including the very last concert of the run on 1 October of that year, and in this exclusive SDE publication I will be taking you on a personal journey, reflecting all aspects of Before The Dawn; the surprise announcement, the press frenzy, the build up, the anticipation, the expectation, and finally the concerts themselves; what it was like to actually be there and see Kate perform many of her best songs live, for the very first time.
Additionally, the booklet will include my full interview with Before The Dawn guitarist David Rhodes (best known for his work with Peter Gabriel), conducted only a few weeks after the record-breaking series of concerts were completed. David goes into fascinating detail about how he got the job, the rehearsal period, songs that almost made it onto the set list and what it was like to play with Kate on stage every night during that late summer of 2014!
A detail from Helen Green’s front cover (watermark not on the actual cover!)
Finally, this Before The Dawn booklet boasts a specially commissioned front cover. The supremely talented British artist Helen Green – probably best known for her fabulous David Bowie artwork – has woven the various aspects of the show together with a stunning visual that features a central portrait of Kate framed by elements that include her son Bertie (in front of a blood-red moon), David Rhodes on guitar and Kate herself in the water.
In this booklet I share the experience of a lifetime – what it was like after 30 years of being a fan to finally get to see Kate in the flesh, playing live on stage.
This saddle-stitched (or staple-bound) booklet is a professionally printed and designed A4 document that will contain at least 20 pages of content. It comes with an outer card cover. Each booklet will come in a protective cellophane sleeve and will be posted in a board-backed envelope to ensure it doesn’t get bent in the post.
This will be a limited run, for sale exclusively via the SDE shop. All pre-orders received by 8 August 2019 will be hand-numbered and will be personally signed by myself (SDE Editor Paul Sinclair). These will ship on 14 September 2019. Pre-order via this link or using the button below.
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About Paul Sinclair
Paul is founder and editor of music site SuperDeluxeEdition.com which he has run since 2011. As well as continuing to run SDE, he has written sleeve notes and/or compiled or curated many many music reissues including Tears For Fears, Paul Young, Sam Brown, Thompson Twins, It’s Immaterial and more. He lives in London.
SDE helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.
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Just recieved it. Very nice. Being one of the lucky ones that got tickets to one of the concerts, I especially loved (besides the cover) the things that you wrote Paul. It was like being brought back in time, and all the excitement from when it was announced came back. The concert will stay with me for the rest of my life, and this booket will be a big part of it.
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it.
Looks wonderful, I was lucky enough to go myself. What an amazing show, it was magic. So happy to see this, can’t wait to read it!
Thanks Darren!
“Before the Dawn” was the best show I’ve ever seen in my life. It was a masterpiece! My dream to see A live preformence of Kate Bush came true and it was a unique experience, an unforgettable piece of art.
She said somewhere that she had already performed her earlier hits in the last show, so wanted to do the others in this. Perfectly reasonable for those of us lucky enough to have been to both.
Typical Kate, I wouldn’t expect anything less.
I just thought I would add to my earlier comments about Kate’s set list being a bit mean that it would have taken her very little effort to adapt iconic songs like Man with the Child in his Eyes and Wow to solo piano performance and end alone on the piano singing both.It would have taken her about six minutes at the end of the show. so I stick to my earlier comment that is was mean not to do something like this.Also the lyrics to Wow were so kind of apt that I was surprised that she didn’t open her very first night show with that song as a mischievous reference to the pre-show hype and audience’s excited anticipation.
The show was perfect, Ken. From start to finish, Ken. I’m sure Kate asked all her millions of fans to write the set-list for her and almost picked yours, Ken, but eventually decided for herself, which is why the fans love her, Ken. I go by a simple formula, Ken, Kate decides what to write or record, or play, and I buy it or attend the concert. It has worked out pretty well so far, Ken. Of course she was probably dying to add ‘6 minutes’ at the end of EVERY SINGLE show every single night for you, Ken, but just couldn’t squeeze it in. I’m sure she’ll apologise one day, Ken.
When in hole – stop digging.
Why should she have done any of what you say? The end of the show was pretty effing marvelous as it was and can’t see how changing that ending to suit any one person’s random demands would have made it better.
Calling Kate’s artistic decisions about Before the Dawn “Mean” is a bit silly. I can think of some things that are a bit “mean”, such as the artwork and artistic thought going into the recent reissues, but that night, that show isn’t one of them.
I have a thought at the back of my head that maybe Kate just didn’t feel comfortable singing those early songs. If she had felt forced to do so the whole thing might have been cancelled. It’s uncomfortable enough coming back to the stage after 35 years away, to do so whilst having to do what you don’t want to do might have been a step too far and the whole thing goes Kaput! If Kate had pulled the shows then nobody would have been any the wiser. So for me she made the right decision as it got her on stage and quite frankly made me cry….
As Mark Scholes said the songs you mentioned were all hits and not one person on the whole planet who had been a fan of Kate for longer than 2 minutes would ever say “The Wuthering Heights song”. Did you go Ken, were you there? I personally can’t think of any song she didn’t sing that would have changed how I thought about the night. Nothing could have topped Among Angels or Cloudbusting as a finale. Not even that Wuthering Heights song!
God loves a trier and this is your second go to show your frustration about the Before The Dawn concert – good for you, we all have different opinions.
I happen to agree with Martin Riley’s succinct summary ‘……greatest show I’ve ever seen’
A show of three hours was quite stunning and give me The Ninth Wave and A Sky Full Of Honey song suites over very good individual songs. To finish with Cloudbusting was euphoric with everyone singing yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh yeh, yeh, yeh yo!
I’ll stick with Kate’s choices as to what to perform. I never thought I’d get the chance to see her live, so everything about attending made it a heightened emotion. Hearing the news she was performing was unbelievable; buying the tickets was nerve wracking; avoiding the reviews before attending was part of wanting to get the experience first hand; talking to others at the concert was fun – we all had stories; feeling myself well up when Kate started to perform felt strange; seeing people all around having similar emotions was common; going on my own, then with my wife, then with my wife and best friend was amazing; queuing up all day on the last date to try and get in for a forth time, without succeeding (only 6 people more and I’d have been in) turned out to be a brilliant day of talking to complete strangers in the same situation. Nothing comes close to everything about this event, so rather than meanness, I can’t thank Kate enough.
I sat up late last night watching the 1979 on the link posted below by Alan. There’s the place to get your fix of Wow and Man With The Child In His Eyes. The whole unedited concert from Manchester is unique with great quality footage on the whole. Enjoy it while you can.
Wouldn’t it be great if Kate played live again at some point – just make the residency in The Sage Gateshead!
Yeesh people, why attack someone for expressing the desire to hear one of their clearly-favorite artists do some specific songs? Ken you’re absolutely right about to be a little miffed about the setlist, if you really like her earlier work. Doesn’t mean you dislike her later stuff or are angry about what she DID perform. Like many of us, including the people here who seem to take great offense to the suggestion she not ignore her first four albums when performing in concert, I’m sure you were thrilled to have ANY live Kate. What’s wrong with fantasizing about what songs you could have heard? Kate might not ever do another live show again so it’s not disrespectful or bad to wish for what might have been. Chill, everyone. Another fan’s disappointment at not hearing certain songs does not affect what you heard or what you liked yourself.
I hardly think the word “Attacking” is fair Evan. It was all very SDE and polite. Quante said “God loves a trier”, I said it was a bit “Silly” and Rod, at the very worst was mildly sarcastic. If Ken gets to state his opinion it is only right and fair that the very many who would disagree with what he was stating get the opportunity to counter that argument. He said it was “mean”. “Very mean” in his first post and “A bit mean” in his second. I also note you say “clearly-favourite artists” having read both of Ken’s posts I can’t see anything in either of them that would make me think he was the very casual-est of listeners.
Also if you make a point, then get some fairly mild criticism for the validity of that point of view and then come back to remake the point to the same people who didn’t really agree with you the first time you have to admit that it’s going to get some flak. And even then it was very mild flak, more like a mild “tut” from a distance. Some could have taken it as a red-rag-to-a-bull but no-one did.
You get to have your own opinions of course you do, but if you are going to be brave enough to state them you should expect some push back. That is all Ken got. People who disagreed with his point of view. Very politely and with some humour.
Also at no point did Ken state he was there. Criticising something that you weren’t even at is also rather odd. How can you be upset that someone didn’t do something you thought they should have done when you weren’t even there to witness it? It’s all very modern this taking offence on other people’s behalf and, as usual with third-party offence takers, the people who were in the middle of it all, those who were there didn’t take offence it the first place.
That’s why I avoid commenting on posts about artists I know nothing about, I could comment, as anyone can, but prefer to leave it to those who actually like them and listen to them rather than blundering about with just enough knowledge to be dangerous and not enough knowledge to add anything of value.
Any chance of a free DVD thrown in???
Wow is it 5 years already since those concerts.
Tom from FIN i dont know how old you arw but watch those comments about old fan base. Not just disrespectful but to insinuate that only old fans want physical products is ludicrous.
Good luck watching your treasured concert once it gets removed from the platform!
ordered, cheers Paul
Cheers Tony.
After the Macca and Roxy booklets this is a no brainer. Ordered Paul.
Thanks Mark!
An easy decision to buy, after getting the Roxy Music and Heaven 17 booklets – will fit nicely into the upcoming Blu-ray boxset of the concert. When is that due again…? ;)
I was fortunate to get a ticket and it’s one of the most memorable concert-going events of my life. That buzz of anticipation in the audience before the show started. The roar of the crowd when Kate first appeared on stage. The sheer beauty of the music and the boundless imagination of the visuals. And then the touching, heartfelt thanks from Kate at the end of the performance.
A very, very special night.
The 3cd album only £8,99 on amazon uk atm. Cheaper than the booklet, HA HA
Not the fish heads! It’s a deal breaker for me :-)
Couldn’t get tickets for before the dawn but I did see her at the London palladium in 1979. As it was 40 years ago I can’t remember too much about it !!
Before the Dawn was great, but I’ve been catching up with her 1979 tour with this Granada film that’s recently turned up on Vimeo. Complete concert apparently in HD, live in Manchester, 10 and/or 11 April 1979:
https://vimeo.com/345566599
wow, Alan – superb. Thanks for posting this!
Just ordered, greatest show I’ve ever seen
Yeah yeah, but the concert in video is what everyone’s expecting! Streamed of course, in DVD-Bluray for the old fan base.
Wow…obsessed much!?!
Just thought I would post the comment that since Kate knew she was unlikely to tour or do other live performances other than the Dawn Residency it was very MEAN of her to ignore all her pre-1985 material.An Army Dreamers,or a Wow or a Hammer Horror,or a Heavy People,or even the Wuthering Heights song(she seems to not much like anymore) as a coda Encore would have made the event even more special for fans.
The event was special enought. Since you are referring to older songs… Not sure how she could manage to add some to this show because of the dance. I saw Kate on stage in 1979, and was very pleased Before The Dawn was not a compilation of songs but a very complete theatrical conceptual show. It was extraordinary for fans and / or lucky music lovers who could get a ticket ! Now…. I am still waiting for a DVD before the planete is fried.
Can’t agree with this. I don’t know any fans who thought this could have been any more special, and mean is the last word that could be applied to this series of concerts. I notice, the pre-1985 songs you mention were hits. It was a great show, every song a gem.
Not sure about “mean”…It’s more than probable that songs from the first 2 albums were too high to sing and maybe a little quaint in comparison with later material. What I find disappointing is that none of the songs from the 2 following albums (Never For Ever* and The Dreaming) have ever been performed live so it was a missed opportunity. I personally would have enjoyed more from those two albums (The Dreaming in particular) than anything she chose to sing from Aerial.
[* I think only ‘Egypt’ and ‘Violin’ were performed during the Tour of Life ’79 but that was a year before Never For Ever was released.]
Mean? Don’t be ridiculous. She has no duty to perform anything. She did what she was happy to do and we should be grateful she did anything at all.
Thanks Paul, looking forward to it. The Heaven 17 book was great.
I was lucky enough to see this show; I had tickets for the centre of row D, I arrived to find the first two rows had been taken out so I was second row!
A few days later,, my wife found me crying in the magazine section at Sainsbury’s, having just read a review of the show which ended by saying “nobody who saw it will ever forget it!” Ah, the life of a fanboy…
Sounds interesting, Paul. Is there much content on the production? For me, this was so much more than simply a rock/pop concert; it was theatre, film backdrops, costume. A complete 360 live performance, and I’d love to get insights to those aspects in the same way that your interview with David Rhodes offered fascinating nuggets from the musician’s perspective.
Which is it good man? Saddle stitched or staple bound? That is a huge difference.
Good work, it looks to be a very nice package.
Saddle stitched or staple bound? Same thing. No difference.
Indeed. I just used both descriptions in case someone wasn’t familiar with ‘saddle stiched’ which is more printing industry jargon.
When I saw the e-mail I thought a DVD was finally announced…. But this is also interesting of course. Ordered my copy, looking forward to it!
Thanks Paul.
I was lucky enough to see the concert and never thought I’d get to see her live.
Thus will go with the programme and cd beautifully.
Thought it was the DVD and my heart skipped a beat! This will, however, so very nicely indeed. Will be my first purchase via SDE! My only concern is possible bending I the mail to Australia…
Ordered Has to be one of the best concerts i’ve seen, just wish there was a blu Ray of it.
Nice. Any news or rumours about a dvd / blu-ray release of the professionally filmed shows?
Ordered ! Thanks Pauls.
Hello, for all of us that did not attend the concerts, but have heard the audio, are there any news on a film release, preferbly on bluray? Best regards, Hans
By the way, many thanks indeed for the Heaven 17 booklet you produced Paul, you made my father in law extremely happy when he got it for his birthday, even more so when he found it was signed (he wasn’t expecting that – he once waited ages to get autographs after a concert and wasn’t able to, so that was a really nice surprise).
I’m another one who somehow missed the concerts (but I guess if I was a bigger fan I would have known about them). Love the audio of the concerts & hope one day that a DVD will appear, but I’m not holding my breath. Ordered.
What a fantastic idea Paul – I was lucky enough to be there on show #4 (29th August) and the experience was electric! I’ve ordered the booklet and am looking forward to reading both your own experiences, as well as reading the excellent David Rhodes interview again.
Will it be possible to buy more than one copy as I have a couple of friends who would like this.
Yes of course. Thank you.
Lovely looking item Paul – a must have for Kate fans! Unfortunately I don’t think this one will slide easily into the Before the Dawn LP slipcase! Ah well, c’est la vie!! Getting one anyway!
Thanks Paul Ordered, love the artwork by Helen Green she’s done some fantastic art on the limited David Bowie Glamour fanzines especially the last Blackstar edition.
Nice.
I first knew of Davod Rhodes from his work with Blacmange.
Ordered. Looks very interesting, Paul.
Sadly I missed the shows. I have always loved Kate, but for many years I was not an active music collector. I lost it somehow… Now I have rediscovered my love for music, the last couple of years, with the vinyls and all. I was not in the loop back then in 2014 and I missed it. The sadness is real.
Thanks Paul, just ordered a copy. Cover looks fantastic!
P.S. Great website
Thanks Paul!
I went 4 times, and it was the single greatest experience ever (flew from Australia for it). Kate is the GOAT, and I can’t wait to have this in my hands!
Not sure i like the artwork but I’m sure the interview will be interesting … and this is such an informative and interesting website that if it has been a blank cover i’d have bought it just to do my little bit to support it (SDE). Off topic, slightly, ….. i can def associate with Paul’s (and many others too on SDE) musical journey, being approx the same age, bands-gigs-tapes-vinyl-cds …. similar to mine …..as well as a load of new and newish bands, i saw Echo n the Bunnymen and the Damned at Ynot at the w/e …..they were stunning …. there’s just something special about these older bands, something you cant quite quantify. Unlike tapes, nothing special there, except distant memories of, ahem, getting home from the record library with a load of LPs and ,well, all the rest of it. Cheers Paul, for SDE … and your efforts in bringing affordable bits n pieces to your readers.
Thanks Paul!
Ordered two copies for myself and my brother. Like you, I’d waited for 30+ years – my brother slightly less – and never EVER thought I’d get to see Kate Bush LIVE!!
Unforgettable experience.
Bingo! I’m in, this looks & sounds ace Paul and will sit very nicely with the programme I got from the opening night of the incredibly emotional Before The Dawn residency- where I sat/stood in open-mouthed awe throughout, acknowledging that this was without doubt the gig of a lifetime and occasionally dabbing ‘the dust’ from my eye!
Top work Paul, all ordered and look forward to the read!
Hi Paul, remember how good the interview with David Rhodes was so ordered one and looking forward to September already