Kate Bush thanks fans for 'surreal' live shows after London residency

Kate Bush has issued a message to all of her fans to thank them for the support during the 'surreal journey' of her Before The Dawn London live residency shows. 

The 'Running Up That Hill' sensation dazzled fans and critics alike when she played a long string of shows at London's Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, with a live spectacle that took in song, dance, theatre and more in one of the live events of the year.

- Read about why Before The Dawn was so special here

While Bush's latest statement is heartwarmingly positive and packed with charm, it seems based entirely in the past tense and holds no hint or even glimmer of a suggestion that she'll be returning to the stage any time soon. Read her full statement below: 

"Hi there,

Now all the shows are over, it's pretty difficult to explain how I feel about it all. It was quite a surreal journey that kept its level of intensity right from the early stages to the end of the very last show. It was also such great fun. It was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. I loved the whole process. Particularly putting the band, the Chorus and the team together and watching it all evolve. It really was the ultimate combination of talent and artists, both from the music business and the theatre world.

"I never expected everyone in the team to be so lovely and we all grew very close. We became a family and I really miss them all terribly. I was really delighted that the shows were received so positively and so warmly but the really unexpected part of it all was the audiences. Audiences that you could only ever dream of."

"One of the main reasons for wanting to perform live again was to have contact with that audience.They took my breath away. Every single night they were so behind us. You could feel their support from the minute we walked on stage. I just never imagined it would be possible to connect with an audience on such a powerful and intimate level; to feel such, well quite frankly, love. It was like this at every single show. Thank you so very much to everyone who came to the shows and became part of that shared experience. It was a truly special and wonderful feeling for all of us.

"Very best wishes,

"Kate x"

Oh well, we can but dream.