FEATURE:
A Big Question:
Guy Pearce: The Ultimate Kate Bush Superfan?
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THERE are a few interviews…
PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Rasic
that Guy Pearce has been involved in that are behind paywalls. These interviews see him talk about his love for Kate Bush. Through the years, Pearce has discussed his appreciation and bond with Kate Bush’s unique and wonderful work. Someone who provided words to the HomeGround: The Kate Bush Magazine Anthology 1982-2012 a few years back. Pearce is friends with Krystyna Fitzgerald-Morris, Peter Fitzgerald-Morris, and Dave Cross (who founded and run HomeGround). He is also quite close with Seán Twomey (who runs the The Kate Bush Fan Podcast and Kate Bush News). Several celebrities and artists are hailed as the ultimate Kate Bush superfan. Big Boi has been given that crown, as have authors like David Mitchell and various other people. I don’t think there is a single authority when it comes to Kate Bush, nor is there that one ultimate historian or resource that you go to when it comes to expertise about the icon. Books about Bush have been written by, among several others, Graeme Thomson, and Tom Doyle. They know a lot about Kate Bush - though they themselves might claim not to know as much as some. Maybe Twomey is the go-to brain regarding Bush and her cannon? Even me – who has written hundreds of articles about her – cannot claim to be quite as knowledgeable as others! I think it is one of these wonderful questions that has no real answers. The Kate Bush fanclub and community has some experts and many diehard fans, but there are people who have been involved with her music from the very start. From her brothers John and Paddy; friends (and former loves) like Del Palmer; superfans who have got vinyl and collectibles and know so much, there is a great spread and variation of Bush fans and authorities.
It is all too easy to label celebrities as ‘superfans’ because they have a big reputation. I love Big Boi and artists like that, but there is something about Guy Pearce that singles him out as especially passionate and true. As I say, there are articles and interviews where he has discussed Bush’s music and meaning. I can only access one or two without paying. I am going to come to a recent interview where Pearce discussed the relevance of a particular Kate Bush song that means a lot to him – a deep cut from one of Bush’s more experimental and denser albums too! I want to start with a 2011 news feature from the Belfast Telegraph where Kate Bush’s name came up:
“Guy Pearce admits he loved working with Kate Winslet on the Depression-era drama Mildred Pierce because he has a bit of a crush on most Kates.
"It was extraordinary, I mean I've been in love with Kate Winslet for a long time, nearly as long as Kate Bush, not quite as long as my wife Kate - I've got a thing about Kates obviously!" the actor laughed, speaking at Bafta Los Angeles' annual tea party in Hollywood.
The Aussie actor said of working with Winslet: "Look, she's brilliant, she's very bright, she's very funny, she's down-to-earth, she's really up for a good time and really up for raising the standard whenever she can, so it was quite inspiring, I have to say."
The HBO mini-series, which comes out this year, is an adaptation of the novel which was also made into an Oscar-winning film in 1945, starring Joan Crawford.
The former Neighbours star says Kate didn't have an easy ride with the gruelling TV schedule.
"Poor Kate was pretty much in every shot of the show so she was running around like a mad woman trying to learn lines. I think it was really just about honouring her and trying to make sure she was comfortable at every moment because she had a lot to do," Guy revealed.
The 43-year-old wasn't kidding about his love of Kate Bush.
"Ahhh Kate Bush, still is in fact [my biggest crush] - it's her voice, how she looks, just the strange unique creature that she is!" Guy insisted”.
To be fair to Pearce, I have a love of Kates too. Aside from Bush (the ultimate Kate) and Winslet, I would also throw in the divine Kate Beckinsale! I have been reading through archived interviews and you can really tell Pearce has this deep love and connection with the music of Kate Bush! Her music means so much to different people. For Pearce, it goes deep and penetrates his heart and soul (here is a 2014 interview where he name-checked Bush).
Pearce contributed to HomeGround and has been part of the Kate Bush fan community for years. I often think about him and Bush meeting one day. Pearce himself would say how nervous it would be to come face to face with one of his music idols. I would be in the same position if I interviewed her. Recently, Pearce appeared on the premier episode of TAKE 5 WITH ZAN ROWE. He talked about five songs that mean a lot to him. As an artist himself, Pearce has used some of this passion and love in his own music. It was the Kate Bush song, Night of the Swallow, that struck me. A song many might not be aware of, it goes to show how deep his love of Kate Bush’s music is. That track is from Bush’s fourth studio album, The Dreaming. The album turned forty last month. A terrific song that many people have a special relationship with, I have included the clip above where Guy Pearce explains why Night of the Swallow is powerful and meaningful. I can appreciate how, in Pearce’s case, some of the lyrics would have a personal relevance and potency (“With a hired plane/And no names mentioned/Tonight's the night of the flight/Before you know/I'll be over the water/Like a swallow”). One of the big reasons why I am featuring Guy Pearce is because Bush has had a resurgence this year. Because of the success of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and its use in Stranger Things, her work has reached a new audience. I think a lot of popular figures claim to love Kate Bush to sound cool or fit in. It is clear that Guy Pearce has a very personal and deep relationship that goes back years! I am hoping to put together a podcast or show next year ahead of Bush’s sixty-fifth birthday in July. It would be wonderful to discuss her music and legacy with huge fans from various corners of the media and arts. I would say Guy Pearce is one of the ultimate Kate Bush superfans. His love and respect for her music is clear. It is humbling and wonderful seeing…
WHAT a huge and loyal fan he is.