Beyond the Dawn: Authenticity, Documentation, and Kate Bush

Abstract

In the liner notes for Before the Dawn, Kate Bush simply writes: ‘This is the audio document.’ Released in 2016, this live CD captures Bush’s acclaimed concert series performed at the Hammersmith Apollo, London, in 2014. Bush goes on to detail her self-imposed constraints: ‘Nothing at all has been re-recorded or overdubbed on this live album, just two or three sound FX added to help with the atmosphere.’ But has Bush really given us an audio document of her live shows, or has she created something new in the process?