“Organic music” hero Don Cherry plays himself in an odd but brilliant French sci-fi short. The narrative structure of this lesser-known short film by French filmmakers Jean-Noël Delamare, […]
Kate Bush Television Performances 1978 – 1982

Unlike virtually everyone else, Kate Bush has achieved success and impact without doing many live shows. The enigmatic artist performed just one concert tour in 1979 before taking an extended hiatus from playing live until 2014. The few concerts she did perform were enormous undertakings combining music, choreography, extensive costume and set changes, and cutting edge technology to an extent that made maintaining her singular vision difficult.
Luckily, while these performances were few and far between, a wealth of promotional television appearances exist online for fans to dive into the wonderful world of Kate Bush. Here are a few of our favorites:
Wuthering Heights (1978)
Let’s start with Kate’s debut single filmed for the Dutch TV program TOPPOP. This video captures Kate at her most expressive with some interesting set design.
Moving (1978)
This was filmed during an exhaustive six month promotional campaign to back The Kick Inside. Bush was met with open arms in Japan and this performance marked her first in front of a large audience. 11,000 watched this beautiful performance of “Moving” with over 33 million viewers on television. “Moving” would become a huge hit for Bush in Japan.
Them Heavy People (1978)
Another performance from Bush’s first trip to Japan and a very strange one at that. This rendition for a TV program called Sound in S was recorded variety show style with television personalities taking over vocal duties and Kate jumping in at the end to dance… Bush probably had very little control over this performance, but it’s pretty fun to watch.
Kashka from Baghdad (1978)
This live performance taken from the children’s television program Ask Aspel sees Bush at her most intimate and direct with just solo piano and voice. There’s somehow still a certain magical quality to this performance even without the costumes and sets.
Looking good feeling fit (1981)
Kate breaks down her fitness tips and explains her love for dance while we watch her practice her routine for Sat on Your Lap on a BBC show about exercise and nutrition.
The Dreaming (1982)
Taken from Na sowas! a German TV show. The producers strangely decided to superimpose a live image of an iguana into the background of the performance, bringing a very odd but also very great spin on the performance. This version is hilariously known as the “Giant Lizard” version.