Little Light, Shining.

I've sort of kept it quiet, but I was lucky enough to go and see Kate Bush at the Hammersmith Apollo last night.

This is not a full blow-by-blow review. If you want one of those, perhaps have a look at Tracey Thorn’s for the New Statesman – she says it better than I ever could.

Row J it said on the ticket – ten rows back – that had to be good. But the stage was built out a little, so Row J was the fifth, with an amazing view so long as everyone in front of me wasn't standing to applaud. Which they were. Frequently. Not a problem; one of the benefits of being tall I guess.

The Band consisted of seven – with a drummer and separate full percussion set (needed if you think about the Hounds of Love album in particular). Plus five backing singers. And the first half dozen songs were a pretty standard rock gig – standing there delivering songs and doing little else.

This let us see what Kate Bush has become in her non-touring years. The voice. My god the voice. I dare say the songs have been re-pitched a little (maybe down a third for Hounds of Love – ish). But the power, and the ability to go from little-girl-lost vulnerable to rock diva. Opening with Lily (The Red Shoes) and running quite a lot from that mid-period around Hounds of Love to Aerial this really showed that she hasn't lost the knack. 

I wonder how you train for that? A three hour set where you are singing for most of it would tax most singers. Not, it seemed, our Kate. Plenty of water being drunk between songs, but pretty much spot on. As a song, "Running Up that Hill" is the stand-out, but as a performance, it had to be “King of the Mountain” from Aerial. Kate does Elvis very well indeed.

And then, nicely warmed up, we moved into what I still think of as the second “side” of Hounds of Love – the Ninth Wave concept piece. Heavy use of video, SFX, dance and actors to build the narrative which runs from the glorious “And Dream of Sheep” right through to “Hello Earth”. And before we knew it, it was the interval – an hour and forty minutes gone in a heartbeat.

Twenty minutes on and back in, and soon into the second concept / song-cycle. The “Sky of Honey” from Aerial. Without the Rolf Harris bit, although with her son playing the role of the painter. And he was good. His solo song, when KB went off for a breather, was well received, but was a bit like the drummer’s solo at a prog rock gig. If I had a watch on, that would have been the only time in the show I would have been tempted to glance at it.

Lots of use of bird imagery – drawing on the singing/come birdsong that litters the studio album, with puppetry and digital effects also. I felt it was a much heavier sound than in the studio. (And having listened again this morning to the CD, I was right about this). In particular, "Sunset", which is a pretty and gentle song started off as what I would call “dirty funk” before morphing into full-on flamenco. God, it was good.

The band gave its bows, and then Kate retunred to the theme of cherubim to deliver "Among Angels" from “50 Words for Snow”. Solo at the piano, as fragile as tissue paper. And then closing with Cloudbusting. “What made it special made it dangerous” indeed.

KB seemed genuinely overcome by the audience reception. I can’t believe that our night gave her more than every other one, but for a woman who clearly was least at her ease when talking and not lost in the song, it seems that the validation from her fans still takes her breath away.

I was I think eleven last time KB toured. At 35 year intervals, I doubt I’ll make the next one. Part of me thinks it will be lovely if this is a complete one-off – and I was one of the 70,000-ish people to see it. I’d maybe feel a little cheated if next year she does 60 dates at a theatre near you for £50 a head. But most of me thinks this is something that should be shared widely, and that I’d be there sitting alongside you if that happens.

To close, I’d make two points. Famously “the KB Foundation” had requested that no-one filmed or took photos – and as far as I could see, no-one did – such is the respect that fans have for the lady.

Secondly, everyone seemed to leave the gig smiling, and perhaps shaking their head a little in wonderment. And, you know what? I'm still smiling now.