REVIEW: Dreaming of Kate, Carnegie Theatre, Workington

WHENEVER I talk to people about our town I often hear the complaint that there's nothing to see, nowhere to go, or nothing to do.

Not so, say I.

The issue appears to be more a case of us having the inclination to take part.

The efforts of Workington's Carnegie Theatre are a good case in point. 

Last year the Carnegie hosted several well received shows and acts, including Abba and Queen tribute bands.

However, they also had to cancel or postpone at least two shows, a burlesque evening and a Doors tribute band.

Last Friday, the Carnegie hosted Dreaming of Kate, a Kate Bush tribute band and a wonderful show.

At £18 a ticket, it was possibly a bit pricey and the  audience, disappointingly, numbered only 70.

When I spoke to the band members following the show I was told the audience break-even point is around 250.

That pays for the six-piece band, the crew, transport and venue costs.

Less than 250 and you are running at a loss.

So, regardless of the work and efforts of the Carnegie staff, the bottom line is that if we want to have something to see we need to go out there and get involved.

If we don't, we'll eventually lose facilities such as the Carnegie and that would be a huge cultural loss.

Having lambasted my fellow Workingtonians with what might go wrong if we don't support the arts, now let me woo you with why you should support them and what you've missed by not going to the show.

Dreaming of Kate was a wonderful, colourful crescendo of enigmatic dance, relentless cellos, searing guitars, emotive lighting, and soaring harmonies.

Depending on how the songs had originally been performed by Kate Bush herself, the stage show had been meticulously choreographed from either footage of her 1979 live tour performances such as Hammer Horror and Violin, or her later videos including Cloudbusting and Sat in Your Lap.

Opening with Wow, the band seamlessly segued into a number of Bush's greatest hits with much aplomb and effortlessly quick wardrobe changes.

Babooshka featured Kate (Maaike Breijman) engaging in a cheek-to-cheek dance with a double bass deputising for her wayward husband, while Hounds of Love and Breathing saw Kate modelling a little red waistcoat and an all-in-one chemical suit respectively.

With atmospheric lighting and dry ice setting the mood, and with minimal props (a chair and a coat stand), Kate swirled and swooped over every inch of the stage.

The combat fatigues-clad rendition of Army Dreamers was probably the best received song of the night, and the band wrapped things up with Wuthering Heights (what else?) before encoring with the Big Sky, which enabled the band members to drift centre stage and take a well deserved bow.

The overall effect was quite something, professional, polished, but, more than anything, live.

If we are lucky we will see Dreaming of Kate at the Carnegie again, but don't take it for granted.

It takes us to stop sitting on our hands, get off the settee and go to these shows.

PETER MCHARRY