FEATURE:
Top of the City
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush (from his book, KATE: Inside the Rainbow)
A One-Stop Kate Bush Pop-Up Shop
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MOST of my recent Kate Bush features…
PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari (from his book/collection, The Kate Inside)
have pertained to various songs and albums. In a more general musing, I have been thinking both about the ongoing popularity of Bush’s music and how fascinated people are, and the need both to put more Bush-related goods/ideas into the world - and, also, raising awareness of the ones that are already out there. Over the past couple of months, there have been a couple of magazines/cover stories dedicated to Kate Bush. I have already talked about MOJO’s Collectors’ Series edition, and one can grab hold of it. I have also been reading the new edition of Prog, where they mark forty years of her third studio album, Never for Ever. There is genuine excitement when magazines feature Kate Bush now and, considering the fact that her music has been played for decades all over the world, there are new people discovering her work; others who have had their love rekindled and augmented when special editions and magazines come out. It shows that there is an appetite and demand for printed music journalism, and there is something special about owning anything that puts Kate Bush at the centre. Even though Q no longer exists, there are older editions where Bush was interviewed; many other magazines through the years where she is at the core. Although my idea would not raise money for charity specifically (though it could), there was a pop-up shop when Bush released and remastered her albums.
PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Parlophone/Rhino
It was a rare and wonderful opportunity to see a pop-up shop dedicated to Kate Bush. It was such an exciting moment. Her official website announced the news:
“A special pop-up shop will open at London’s Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross from 5 - 9th Dec 2018. 331
All profits will go to the national homelessness charity, Crisis.
The shop is at 108 Lower Stable St, London, N1C 4DR and opens at 10am on Wednesday Dec 5. The shop closes at 8pm on Sunday Dec 9.
Specific opening times are:
Wednesday 5th December: 10am to 10pm
Thursday 6th December: 10am to 10pm
Friday 7th December: 10am to 10pm
Saturday 8th December: 10am to 8pm
Sunday 9th December: 11am to 8pm
Full Press Release:
Coinciding with the release of definitive remastered versions of her music catalogue, as well as the publication by Faber of the lyric book How To Be Invisible, the shop will sell the vinyl, CDs and book plus a selection of exclusive specially made items. Each book sold will include an exclusive bookmark.
In addition to the stock there will be a daily raffle with very special prizes which will be announced on social media. The store is located in a space at 108 Lower Stable Street, a sunken street within the new Heatherwick Studio designed Coal Drops Yard shopping district, directly adjacent to King’s Cross’ Granary Square.
DAILY RAFFLE: every day these prizes are there to be won:
'How To Be Invisible' lyric books (standard edition) signed by Kate x 10
Calligraphic art print of '50 Words For Snow', signed by Kate x 10
Rare 'King Of the Mountain' picture disc (Originally created for a Record Store Day) unsigned x 4
Rare 'Running Up That Hill' picture disc (Originally created for a Record Store Day) unsigned x 16
PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Parlophone/Rhino
Kate said “I can’t imagine how it must feel to be homeless. Our attention is drawn to this tragic issue at Christmas when most of us can share the celebrations with those we love but, of course, homelessness is there all year round - all the time. It must be so frightening. Without charities like Crisis, who would people turn to? Who would help? Where would the hope of a future come from? I hope this pop up shop will raise some money for Crisis and raise more awareness of this life-saving charity”.
Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said; “We’re absolutely thrilled that Kate Bush has chosen to support us this Christmas by donating all of the profits from her pop up shop.
“Homelessness is one of the most urgent issues of our time – across the country thousands of people are needlessly suffering life on the streets or trapped in hostels and B&Bs. We simply can’t carry on like this when we know that homelessness is not inevitable.
“The money raised by Kate and her fans will help us provide food, warmth, and vital services to thousands of homeless people this Christmas – as well as the year round support they need to leave homelessness behind for good – and for that we’re incredibly grateful”.
Thinking about her support of Crisis, and I guess a pop-up shop now could benefit them and have the same ethos as the 2018 shop. To me, the pop-up shop would exist for a brief period – maybe a couple of months – but move between cities. From London to Manchester and beyond, I think the demand for Bush’s music and words is greater than it has ever been.
IN THIS PHOTO: Neal’s Yard, London
There are a lot of great Kate Bush records, books, and memorabilia that I think would benefit fans new and old, and it could also benefit charities. I am not sure where it would start in London but, as Bush spent time in Covent Garden at dance classes, maybe Neal’s Yard. This area is vibrant and alive, and I think a great building (or spare unit) could give home to Kate Bush produce for a short time. Just thinking about the music, and there are all her studio albums that, in 2018, were remastered. There are boxsets of her albums that are great value for money, and you can get her studio albums individually. There are less-common releases like her On Stage E.P., and the fabulous Before the Dawn. Yes, one can buy these goods online, but there is limited stock even across cities like London, and the joy of buying at a record shop is greater than ordering online. I am not sure how feasible it would be, but I know that there are foreign pressings of her albums, singles on 7” and 12”, and there are also rarer prints that are not commonly available through record shops and sites like Amazon – one has to ferret around eBay and auction sites. A pop-up shop could have the studio albums and boxsets in one section, and then other albums in another part.
Though we do not use VHS anymore, from a memorabilia standpoint, there are used VHS’ like her Whole Story, and The Single File. I think new copies could be made on VHS but having them in a shop, I am sure, would attract people – I would definitely buy the VHS’, as they are a part of her history. There would be C.D. albums alongside the vinyl but, in the music section, I think a cool cassette vending machine would be awesome! Maybe the demand would not be as huge as vinyl, but having her studio albums on cassette would be great, and even a simple nostalgia value would lead to popularity and demand. I might have missed other music/vinyl, but there are interviews and releases that could make for a vivid and varied selection! There are fewer books relating to Kate Bush available, but magazines could be combined. There would be a magazine rack/section sitting beside bookshelves that would stock Kate Bush books. Ones I have mentioned before like KATE: Inside the Rainbow, and Under the Ivy: The Life & Work of Kate Bush, are ones everyone should own, and I would also recommend Homeground: The Kate Bush Magazine: Anthology One: Wuthering Heights to The Sensual World, and the second volume. Like the vinyl, there would be a section for the rarer and more expensive. For example, Guido Harari’s The Kate Inside is a gorgeous photo collection - there is a terrific Deluxe Edition. Also, the excellent Gered Mankowitz book, WOW, is one that I would love to own.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz (from his book/collection, WOW)
Of course, the 2018 book of lyrics, How to Be Invisible, is a great release, and a unique insight into her beautiful words. There are other books that are either used or not regularly available in shops, so I would be interested to see how many new/used copies are available that could be put into a shop. I think there is enough there and, when it comes to the other sections of the shops, I guess one could divide it between signed/rare goods and general memorabilia. There are some really cool Kate Bush-related T-shirts that, whilst not official merchandise, would be snapped up! There are great T-shirts available through Amazon, Red Bubble, and Etsy. Look around the Internet, and one can find memorabilia, signed items, and other wonderful, if expensive rarities. Bringing in items that are already available through Kate Bush’s online store, and I think a pop-up shop larger than the one we saw in 2018 could raise money for charity, get fans together and house some brilliant and rarer Kate Bush goods all in one place! I think Neal’s Yard would be a perfect location for a Kate Bush shop, but thinking about all the products available, maybe a two-storey space would be best. Of course, it would have to happen post-COVID-19, as I think there would not be a lot of space to move around, and to maximise profit/money to charity, having as many people in the shop as possible would be best. It is just a thought at the moment but, looking at the love Bush continues to receive and the way her music and work is so in-demand, I think there would be enormous demand for a…
KATE Bush pop-up shop.