Thousands of Kate Bush fans put on their best billowy red dresses and danced en masse in Melbourne yesterday to one of the singer’s most iconic songs Wuthering Heights.
They donned matching red stockings and black wigs to mark The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever — a re-enactment of the British star’s classic 1978 debut music video in which she pirouettes and cartwheels in a misty field.
Bush’s distinctive voice and performance-art-style videos gained a global cult following and in 2013 theatre group Shambush gathered nearly 300 Kate Bushes to recreate her iconic frolic in the English city of Brighton.
This inspired the Melbourne event, which has taken on a life of its own with similar dances also planned yesterday in 21 cities around the world, co-ordinator Douglas Leitch said, including Berlin, Oslo, Montreal, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
“The whole idea really is just to get toregether and have fun and do our unique interpretation of the dance,” the 44-year-old, who had an overwhelming response after advertising the day on Facebook, told AFP.
He said at least 800 dresses had been bought for the occasion, with dance classes booked out across Melbourne as people prepared.
Organisers estimated around 2,000 people, young and old, took part.
“It is such a unique song from a unique artist. It resonates with people and that’s why it’s lasted,” added Leitch.
“I don’t know if Kate knows it’s happening, because she’s a bit of a recluse, but I’m sure she might.”