GOING FULL CIRCLE WITH KATE

In 1986 at 3:00 am I was first exposed to the “Cloudbusting” video of Kate Bush. I had just gotten home from a gig and turned on the TV to unwind and there was this video about Cloudbusting. Being that I am very interested in UFOlogy and related subject matter, I was very familiar with Wilhelm Reich and all his experiments with the weather changing machine and all the UFO activity going on around it. So I said to myself “uh oh what’s this then someone is writing tunes and doing videos about Reich?” At that point I became so enthralled with Kate Bush that the next day I went out and bought “The Hounds Of Love” album wore that out and went backwards and listened to all the older stuff and got anything I could find including the English imports of tunes and albums that weren’t readily available. I had basically fallen off the deep end. I had become a hopeless fan of hers, constantly looking for anything that came to light on her, books, pictures, etc.

Fast forward to November 1996 ten years later and three years after “The Red Shoes” had come and gone. I was reading the LA Weekly which is the free local paper of all the goings on in Los Angeles, Oh did I mention that is where I live? Actually in the Santa Monica Beach area. Anyway, I noticed that there was going to be a lecture the following week in Venice Beach, a neighboring art community about a mile south of Santa Monica called “ A Tour Of Orgonon” featuring Peter Reich, MD the son of Wilhelm Reich. Upon reading that I said well that is definitely a must do. How cool is that to be able to listen to Peter Reich talk about his experiences with his father and hopefully be able to ask him some questions regarding that. I wound up getting there late because my girlfriend at the time was always running late or sometimes not even showing up at all. So I said later for her and got down to the lecture hall and walked in as they where screening the Cloudbusting video, how synchronistic was that? As the lights came up I looked around the room and noticed a women sitting in the back of the room who bore an uncanny resemblance to Kate Bush. I thought to myself wow that is just amazing I must talk to her about that when the lecture is over. At that point Peter Reich was discussing the video and mentioned Kate’s name in a third party reference and he and her did a little recognition head nod and at that moment I realized that in fact it was Kate Bush not just a look alike. My heart began pounding so hard in my chest that I thought I was going to drop over at any moment. I would sometimes fantasize that I would go to London and maybe run into her there, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would find her in my own backyard especially with all here purported fear of flying issues. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and from that point on I didn’t hear a thing Peter Reich said .

The lecture finally came to an end and as the people where walking out she passed me and I said to her in what I thought was my most understated way “Hi, I couldn’t help but notice you” thinking that I didn’t want to be too obvious a fan falling all over myself and she gave me an unsure smile as she walked into the other room to use the telephone. I patiently waited for her to finish her phone call and walked up to her and asked if she would sign my invite and she smiled and said "surely what’s your name?" She signed “ To Leon with love Kate bush xx."It turned out that her phone conversation was with the local cab company to send over a cab to take her back to her hotel, so she had nothing to do until it arrived. I had her all to myself. Everyone else in the room except for Peter Reich and the people who put on the lecture had no idea who she was as her name tag said Mrs. Light. I told her I was a musician and a big fan and I began asking her questions about technical things to put the conversation on a more professional level such as what kind of equipment she had in her home studio. She told me she was using an SSL recording console but was getting ready to change over to an automated one as that would help move things along faster production wise. I then asked her if she was cutting any new material and she answered “I’m trying to but life keeps getting in the way” At that point I said to her I know it’s a long shot but I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, (as I handed her my business card) if I can ever help you out with some guitar work please get in touch. She smiled and commented that she really liked the GuitarFace logo on my card. I asked her what she was doing in L.A. and she said that she was here for business meetings with some record label people. The conversation turned towards the esoteric as I then told her about a radio show (Art Bell Coast To Coast) that she should listen to when she got back to her room because they discuss things of a metaphysical nature and she was very interest in that. Then we discussed a few cosmic events that where going on at that time. One of them was a giant comet that was on it’s way towards us. Then we touch on Astrology briefly. All the while she was incredibly sweet and sincere, real and quite humble. An absolute joy to talk with. At one point she offered me a piece of Juicy Fruit chewing gum of which I still have half of. She was dressed in sort of black loose fitting sport pants, a black turtleneck sweater, a black blazer with a trendy military trim and some black and white thick souled tennis sneakers. Her hair at that time was not cut in bangs and was one length parted in the middle framing her face and almost to her waist in back. One thing that I did notice that you don’t see in photos of  her face is that she has a large dimple on her left check bone that looks like a slit that runs horizontal and winks at you when she smiles and talks, quite charming. We talked for nearly a half hour just casually leaning up against a wall as one would do at a party with some friends. I asked her where she was staying and she mentioned the name of the hotel and I said “wow that’s just around the corner from where I live, I know you don’t know me from Adam but I would be honored to give you a lift back to the hotel,” and she looked at me and cautiously said “it’s true I don’t know you” and I said ”I completely understand.” At that moment the cab driver came in and she said “it was very nice talking with you” and I replied “this will be one of the most memorable experiences of my life thank you so much” and as she was walking away from me I reached out to her as a parting gesture and touched her on the shoulder and felt the texture of her hair and it was incredibly smooth and soft to the touch. I finally got around to speaking to Peter Reich and he was a very friendly and open man and delighted to talk about his father's work and his own current projects.

When I got home I walked in and looked at a promo poster I have on my wall of “The Hounds Of Love” album and broke out in hysterical laughter from the realization that I was for the last half hour talking to the person pictured on that poster.  It truly had to be one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. Right then I needed to call someone and tell them about what happened. The first person I called was my girlfriend and I told her ”boy you really blew it this time,” she too was fan of Kate. I called a few friends and rattled on like a mad man for awhile then went to bed. After my meeting with Kate, I felt as if I had what is referred to as closure. I was no longer the obsessed fan and collector of all things Kate. The circle had become complete. Ten years prior I had walked in on a video of Cloudbusting and fantasizing on meeting her, then ten years later I walk in again on a video of Cloudbusting.and a fantasy becomes a reality. It felt as if I had been guided to this meeting as some sort of reward.