Before The Dawn...

Kate Bush spent three days submerged in a flotation tank for a daring film stunt to be shown during her sensational stage comeback after 35 years.

The 55-year-old singer drafted in six diving instructors to help make the wacky footage which will be shown during her 22 night residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in August.

Reclusive Kate - who last toured in 1979 and previously admitted that walking on stage made her “incredibly nervous” - has employed more than 100 people to work on the upcoming sold-out shows.

Earlier this month she hired out an underwater stage at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire where she spent three days floating in water. She was preparing a segment of the show which sees her drifting in the sea to be later rescued by a helicopter.

An insider said: “During her concerts there will be lots of footage and special effects. Kate wants the show to be out of this world and hired the underwater stage which is fitted with a wave machine and special lighting at Pinewood Studios. She spent three days in the tank re-shooting scenes and performing her songs. She wanted to create the effect of her floating in the ocean, lost at sea. The footage ends with her singing Hello Earth and being saved by a helicopter. Special technicians re-created the helicopter by using ceiling fans.”

The secret recording was code named Navy Blue. And Kate performed some of her most iconic songs including And Dream of Sheep, Wake Up, Hello Earth and Jig of Life.

Despite being submerged in water, production crew were gobsmacked at how incredible Kate’s voice sounded during filming.

One said: “We were all brought to a complete standstill as she sang, her voice is absolutely incredible, it was completely flawless. It was the most beautiful thing some of us had ever heard. She may have aged but her voice hasn’t changed.”

When Brit Award winning Kate announced her Before The Dawn tour in March she released a poster of her wearing a life jacket in the sea. Despite being criticised for releasing it at the same time as the disappearance of Flight MH370, she revealed that her inspiration came from her own conceptual piece called The Ninth Wave which is formed of seven songs.

She said: “The image that was chosen to advertise the shows originates from a conceptual piece called The Ninth Wave that was released in 1985. It is about a woman who is lost at sea but is rescued in the end. Months ago I thought that, as part of the show centres around this musical piece, it would hopefully make a dramatic shot.’

In March, Kate’s tour sold out in just 15 minutes. One source said: “Kate knows her shows are the most highly anticipated for years, it’s a lot of pressure but she has thrown everything into it. Millions of pounds are being spent on special effects, and her costumes and staging. It’s going to be incredible.”

Since Kate’s last tour in 1979, she has given the occasional live performance including a 1982 benefit concert in aid of The Prince’s Trust. In 2002, she appeared with her friend David Gilmour, singing the part of the doctor in Comfortably Numb at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Since she released her first single Wuthering Heights in 1978, she has produced 10 albums of which three have topped the album charts. In 2013 Kate - who is married to guitarist Dan McIntosh and has a son Albert - was awarded a CBE for her contribution to music.

original article