Kate Bush covers: What if she were to return the favour on her tour?

Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn concert tickets finally go on sale Friday at 9.30 am.

Many artists have covered Kate Bush classics. Here are some suggestions in case she would ever consider returning the favour:

Maxwell sang the 1990 Kate Bush song ‘This Woman’s Work’ for his MTV Unplugged concert in 1997 and recorded it for his 2001 album Now.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: Maxwell’s ‘Whenever Wherever Whatever’ (1997)

Natalie Cole covered the 1978 Kate Bush song ‘The Man With The Child In His Eyes’ for her 2006 album Leavin’.

Kate Bush cover suggestion:  Natalie Cole’s ‘I’m Catching Hell’ (1978)

Ra Ra Riot covered the 1982 Kate Bush song ‘Suspended in Gaffa’ on their 2008 album The Rhumb Line.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: Ra Ra Riot’s ‘The Orchard’ (2010)

The Futureheads covered the 1985 Kate Bush song ‘Hounds of Love’ for their self-titled album in 2004.

Kate Bush cover suggestion: The Futurehead’s ‘Thursday’ (2012)

Herbie Hankcock, with John Legend and Pink, covered the Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush Duet ‘Don’t Give Up’ for Hancock’s 2010 album The Imagine Project.

Kate Bush (live band) cover suggestion: Instrumental interlude Herbie Hancock’s ‘You’ll Know When You Get There’ (1971)

Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn dates are as follows:

August

26 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

27- London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

29 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

30 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

September

2 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

3 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

5 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

6 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

9 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

10 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

12 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

13 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

16 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

17 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

19  – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

October

1 – London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

 

True Honour: @Deeyah_fuuse wins the 2013 Emmy for Best International Documentary Film for Banaz: A Love Story

True honour: Deeyah awarded an Emmy for her documentary Banaz – A Love Story

Huge congratulations to Deeyah Khan. Banaz: A Love Story (Fuuse Films) is an exposure of the inhumane practice of “honour killing” – a form of control in some cultures – and how law officials are slowly becoming equipped to deal with such cases.

Deeyah posted on her Facebook Page: “An unforgettable and very special evening– as well as feelings of joy there is an overwhelming sadness about Banaz and what she went through in her very short life. I could not help but cry both on and off stage. I am grateful for my best friend and inspiring brother Adil being there with me and always standing by me through thick and thin.”

This film is the story of Banaz Mahmod – a young British Kurdish girl – whose family tried to erase her memory. Banaz’s attempts to inform the police about her fate is caught on film and now her memory will  raise awareness and help others just like her.

It took Deeyah three years to complete the documentary with a tight-knit production team and support from the Fritt Ord foundation whose aim is to support freedom of expression and a free press.

It is an outstanding piece of work, painful, honest, gruesome, hard to believe. It’s harrowing to think that after Banaz’s murder – it is not her family – but an outsider – Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode who became almost a substitute mother and literally scoured the earth to attain justice for Banaz.

Deeyah has toured with DCI Goode and a team of experts to discuss the impact and ramifications of the Banaz Mahmod case.

With a network of useful contacts and sheer determination, Deeyah  has begun on a mission to equip the necessary authorities with information that can help prevent such crimes in future with the International Honour Based Violence Awareness Network.  It is an international digital resource centre working to advance awareness through research, documentation, information and training for professionals who may encounter women, girls and men at risk, building partnerships with experts, activists, and NGOs from around the world.

The film about Banaz can be seen in full here.

Banaz: A Love Story premiered at London’s Raindance film festival in 2012 and subsequently aired around the world including UK television.

Awards:

• 2013 American Peabody Award for International TV Documentary.
• 2013 Emmy for Best International Documentary Film.
• Nomination: for the British Royal Television Society Awards 2013 – Best Documentary, Current Affairs.

Banaz: A Love Story.

Related articles

• The Cowardice of the Liberal Press (Nick Cohen, Standpoint Magazine)
• Deeyah: Music Producer, Composer, Award-Winning Filmmaker and Human Rights Activist (women-in-film-in-music.com)
• Banaz – A Love Story: A screening and conversation hosted by Kenan Malik (Youtube)

Soul of the UK: Jazzie B of Soul II Soul launches Classic Collection line for Harvey Nichols

The DJ, producer and face of the iconic Soul II Soul movement – Jazzie B – has launched his clothing line The Classics Collection at Harvey Nichols this month.

Jazzie B in Harvey Nichols launching The Classics Collection. Photo: Supersleen instagram

The Leeds store’s first floor became a reinvention of Soul II Soul’s Camden clothes store (in the 80s and 90s) on Thursday evening, with retro posters and vinyl trinkets from the group’s archive. The loveable funk-master’s infamous voice richly filled the room as he cracked jokes and he was very approachable in-between his DJ set, laughing with fans and taking photos.

Lloyd Bradley, author of Bass Culture was on hand to host a Q & A session. He began by noting the super-producer’s backwards route of beginning his career with a fashion-line and then moving in to music.

Jazzie B is proud to fly the flag for Britain: The Soul II Soul clothes were handmade in Britain. Photo: Harvey Nichols

The Funki Dred logo which dons the clothes is drawn by illustrator Derek Yates – and the original T-shirts were sold as the group began gaining momentum. Jazzie B explained that the idea behind Funki Dred (and Soul II Soul) was the community idea being inclusive and affirming a British identity.

In connection with that – comics – which were always a part of the Soul II Soul brand were also given out during the evening. Jazzie said: “The idea was we came from a planet called Ard, and we were sent to the earth as pleasure-givers, to put on parties and get into the funk.“

He continued about the group’s mission: “We wanted to have the biggest sound-system in the world with our own followers that were inclusive, not exclusive – because growing up at that time (60s and 70s), we didn’t have a group to connect with. The mods didn’t want to know us, nor did the teddy boys. We were only accepted by the skinheads and punks.”

He set-up the story about the humble beginnings of the Soul II Soul style of life which begun around 25 years ago – how his technicality as a sound-man mixed with his street-wise ways landed him a record contract.

And Jazzie B was sincere in his affirmation of Britain being a land of opportunity and  his appreciation of Harvey Nichols – who being a window of that mentality- would celebrate Soul II Soul’s  history and impact.

To see more of The Classics Collection available to buy from Harvey Nichols which begin at £45, click here and follow Jazzie B on Twitter here.

Soul II Soul Club Classics Vol.1: The multi-platinum debut in 1989 includes Keep on Movin and Back to Life (However Do You Want Me). It introduced people to bass heavy dance music in an irresistable way and created a British movement. Photo: Discogs

Kanye West: Gig Review at London Hammersmith Apollo, Saturday 23 March

Everyone has a preconceived idea of Kanye West – even Barack Obama, but Yeezy told us on Saturday’s London Hammersmith Apollo gig that he “didn’t give a f***” about what the president had to say.

Kanye West live at London Hammersmith Apollo

Kanye seemed to randomly announce his two London shows but it quickly became obvious he had stuff to get off his chest.

After the fantastic spectacle of Kanye’s Glow Tour and the mammoth that was the Watch The Throne tour with Jay-Z, I had high expectations.

An extra hour of queuing outside in the freezing cold didn’t dampen the crowd’s mood. Kanye finally entered the stage to “Cold as Ice” by climbing the stage, emerging between visuals of parting glaciers in the sea. To say the crowd went nuts is an understatement. There was jumping, there was dancing, and the crowd drowned out Kanye by singing along.

The show was visually stunning, the backdrops of cold climates of arctic wasteland, snowstorms and migrating birds fitted Kanye’s ice cold mood perfectly.

The stage, fully draped in white on the floor and behind for visual effects, had an extension which tilted to give Kanye more room to pace around and climb behind to change costumes – or rather face masks.

Kanye and his whole band were dressed fully in white, at one point Kanye wore a straitjacket, and for a lot of songs he performed wearing a feather mask or a diamond encrusted gimp mask, notably.

He performed a good mixture of his groundbreaking hip-hop from the past decade and for the whole of “Say You Will”, the crowd were showered in an artificial snowstorm, which delighted at first, but seemed never-ending.

Kanye performed specifically at times for the seas of hands which held out mobile phones to record him. He spat fire delivering tracks like “Heartless” and “Runaway”, and in return, he poured his angry heart out for us to understand him.

During a 15 minute interlude, Kanye invited the Grammys’ to suck his d*** seven times, explained he had love Jay – Z but wasn’t feeling “Suit n Tie” (Jay’s appearance on Justin Timberlake’s comeback song), told us he is unfairly treated for interrupting Taylor Swift and that corporations, specifically “soft drinks” are ruining the music industry.

The crowd went with it, some tweeted their boredom and bewilderment, it seems they just wanted to dance and enjoy the music without hearing what was on Kanye’s mind.

“Lost in the World” was the closing track, Kanye disappeared behind the tilted stage without a goodbye. Some people started to leave from upstairs, but the rest of the hyped up crowd downstairs who’d sung and jumped to every lyric called for an encore. Kanye returned for two verses and a chorus of “Gold Digger”, then with a “Goodbye London” it really was over.

With nothing to promote, only to entertain and really express himself, Kanye definitely did that.

Related articles

• Video: Kanye West Rant @ Hammersmith Apollo In London (itsstrictly.com)